AU, Arranged Marriages, Spark Bonds

birthday gift for hamfootsiaaaaaaa my lovely lovely trinemate!

this is really AU. so AU. so blurr's a star racer on velocitron, and has always been a velocitronian. none of that elite guard business for him, he's not even an autobot. i might have messed too much with the supposed world building, and this got so vague, so fast but ahh

In all honesty, Blurr could say that things weren't really fair.

His creators put him in a tight spot. Velocitron, as much as he loved his home, gave him an option that wasn't really an option at all, more like a thinly veiled order. A statement. A sentence.

He had to bond to a Prime from Iacon, Cybertron. That was the sentence.

Blurr truly loved Velocitron. He also loved that he was one of the planet's assets; the finest racer existing, the best of the best. He was a celebrity, and he adored the fast track life he led. Granted, his life consisted mostly of racing and hedonism and more racing, but he was content with it. He was great, people acknowledged that. He had also been untouchable before. It came with being a star, Blurr could act however he wanted as long as he didn't get too carried away, and the media would leave him alone and the public would generally understand that he wasn't that much of a people's person.

But he was Velocitron's property. Perhaps they thought that since Blurr didn't seem to be interested in anyone, they could make the choice for him. And what was better than a political bonding that would benefit the parties involved?

That was debatable, of course. Blurr didn't want this.

The thought of bonding hadn't even crossed his mind once. He was young, he was successful, and none of the mechanisms he sometimes interfaced with ever made him even consider something as permanent as a bonding. It was scary. To have your spark and emotions fully accessible by someone else was…terrifying. And now they were expecting that from Blurr, for a mech he had never met! It was beyond fragged up.

But what could Blurr do, really? Throw a tantrum? Refuse? He was well aware of his status as Velocitron's pride and joy, and his city had given him so much. Giving himself up to someone for the sake of his home world was the honourable, if not logical, thing to do.

He still hated it.

"A Prime, Blurr," his Creator had said with excitement, "A Prime! Doesn't that sound grand?"

His creators were a formality, like how his entire life was proving to be. He had been built and developed by the mechanics and scientists of Velocitron. To fully edify him, though, to make sure that he wouldn't turn out to be some supermech created by the government with a personality to match, they assigned him creators. Not many people knew about that. But Blurr was well aware.

This made it even more difficult for Blurr to reject any decision made by Velocitron for him; he was truly and wholly planet property.

"Yes, Creator," he had replied, "It does sound grand."

If—when he married the Prime, he would live in Iacon. The bonding would be living proof to Velocitron's alliance with the prosperous state of Cybertron. Blurr's presence there would be a testament to Velocitron's promised subservience, in a way, as it was clear enough which party had the upper hand.

Apparently the Velocitron government had found it necessary to ensure a long-lasting diplomatic relationship between the Speed Planet and Cybertron. And a bonding was always great for such purposes; the unity of two ambassadors.

Blurr felt sick.

But it was inevitable. There was no escaping this; he had tried, he had failed; it was only a matter of time. To have been so glorious in youth, then just given away to a mechanism like a discarded toy, it hurt more than he could imagine. But his feelings obviously did not matter at this point.

He would simply have to endure.

/

:Sorry, mech,: Rodimus sent, sounding sincerely apologetic, :That's messed up.:

Blurr pressed his palms into his optics hard, somehow trying not to scream at the frustration bubbling inside himself, and kicked at his berth a few times.

:I know. And it's stupid because I don't even know that mech, I'm still so very young and did you know I might stop racing because I'll be bonded and living on Cybertron? I was made for racing, I don't understand why they're just throwing me away like this but I guess they need to offer their best citizen to make things seem really genuine, it doesn't matter if I'll no longer race. I'm so angry, I can't believe they're doing this!:

Their ongoing comm. line was silent, yet heavy with Blurr's anger. Rodimus' presence was comforting, just a little, and he was doing a very good job at being a listener. Blurr needed to vent. He had no one to complain to, here.

Rodimus was probably his best friend. Perhaps it was the distance that made him so likeable, but Blurr could confide in him.

The Cybertronian had once visited Velocitron to watch a race, placed a bet on Blurr and won quite handsomely. They met during the after party; Rodimus struck up a conversation and Blurr pretended that he didn't care, but not for long. It was much nicer to get away from the noise and the cheer of the party and sit outside, on a balcony high enough they could see the night lights of Delta, and talk. They exchanged comm. frequencies, and kept in contact.

:They're making a big mistake,: Rodimus said eventually, and Blurr's roiling spark settled slightly, validated, :Do you know their name, though?:Rodimus was an Autobot, and in the Elite Guard, too. It had slipped Blurr's mind.

Blurr rolled on his berth, feeling inexplicably exhausted, :I think. I'm not so sure. Long Armed? They kept calling him Prime, being as helpful as they are.:

:Oh.: Rodimus said, and paused for a while.

Clearly, the mech knew who the Prime was. :Well? What is he like?:

:He's…actually not a bad guy,: Rodimus replied, somewhat hesitant, :Longarm's pretty cool. He's the head of Cybertron Intelligence. Respectable mech. I'm actually surprised he even agreed to a bonding, he always seemed like a private person.:

Blurr chewed at the inside of his mouth, and sighed, :Great. So he's boring.:

Rodimus' laughter was reassuring, but also irritating, :I don't know, Blurr. Maybe. But like I said, private mech. No one really knows what he's like. It still sucks but Longarm's not the worst Prime you could be bonded to. You could have gotten Sentinel, and you would probably murder him in his sleep not even a day after bonding.:

:Sounds like a fun guy.:

:You have no idea. So. Iacon. When?:

Blurr yelped, accidentally biting into the mesh of his mouth too hard, tearing it. He groaned, pushed his face into the berth again, :Soon. Nothing's confirmed yet though I still have to meet the guy, then set the date for the ceremony and then talk about all that and ughhhh mrrghgh:

He sucked sorely on the energon staining his glossa as Rodimus made an apologetic noise, :Sorry, Blurr. I don't even know what to say. I don't know what I'd do if that happened to me.:

:Yeah. I don't know what to do too.:

Silence, again, before Rodimus commed quietly, :I can definitely meet you when you're here, though. I want to. Be useless support, or something.:

:I'd love to see you. I have to see you. I'm nervous and I'd need a familiar face so as soon as it's possible, promise you'll come see me?:

:Of course! I promise. Anything for you, mech.: Blurr could hear Rodimus' crooked smile through their connection, and he smiled, too. Nothing was okay but Rodimus made it a little better.

:Thanks, Roddy. Honestly really thank you, that means a lot. I'll let you go now, you've been listening to me whine for hours.:

:It's no problem. Sorta the only thing I can do right now. Call me whenever you want, okay?:

An affirmative in reply, a glyph of gratitude, and Blurr cut off the comm. line. He stared up at the ceiling, then offlined his optics.

Being bonded. Even the very idea made him feel like he was suffocating. He had always been proud of his speed, of his independence. He had been the very picture of freedom. Not for any longer, now.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

/

Blurr met Longarm Prime for the first time, today.

The Prime had arrived via a spacebridge, along with two other mechs and Override had squeezed Blurr's shoulder, shooting him a look, before greeting the visitors from Cybertron. Override, Velocitron's ruler, had personally briefed Blurr about the day's proceedings and had explicitly ordered Blurr to be on his best behaviour.

'Be good 'bondmate material',' she had said with a sharp grin, simultaneously encouraging and threatening, and Blurr could do nothing but nod. The things he would do for his home…

Longarm Prime was—well, fairly normal looking. He wasn't sure why, but from all the talk about how prestigious Primes were, Blurr had expected someone more impressive. The mech's paintjob was bland, and his frame was smaller than Blurr's. Unlike the mostly aerodynamic frames of Velocitronians, Longarm was clearly not built for speed. He was made up of curves. There was a certain air around him, nevertheless, a sort of charismatic, dependable aura that Blurr assumed must be a common trait for Cybertronian Primes.

Override stepped to the side after shaking Longarm's Prime servo, and Blurr stood to attention, a small, forced smile curving his lipplates. Their optics met, and his smile disappeared.

"Hello," Longarm Prime said when they were closer, in front of each other, "My name is Longarm. It is a pleasure to meet you." His voice was light, happy, almost. Pleasant. His smile was casual yet there was something in his optics that Blurr couldn't place. He was a whole head shorter than Blurr, and needed to tilt his face up to meet Blurr's optics, yet he held himself with authority.

"Hello," Blurr replied, too fast. He made himself speak slower, "I am Blurr. I am honoured to finally meet you, Longarm Prime." They shook hands, too, Longarm's touch was gentle. He brushed a digit over Blurr's knuckles as if he knew exactly how tense Blurr felt. Blurr never outwardly expressed how negative his emotions were, he had had practice from numerous public appearances. He could be losing his touch. Longarm might just be really good at reading people. Perhaps he was just a physical person.

Longarm Prime's smile made his optics narrow slightly, the blue dim over the plating of his cheeks. He turned to greet Blurr's creators then, and Blurr watched him carefully. He couldn't say he was the best at judging a person's character, but he could try. After all, this was the mech he was supposed to be bonded for life to.

The Prime instantly turned to him again, after introducing himself to Blurr's creators. He still had that pleasant smile on his face, and Blurr simply stared for a while before remembering his manners, bowing his head down a little.

A hand clapped on his shoulder, making him jump a little. Override stood behind him, other hand on her hip, smiling her usual winning smile, "Alright, Prime. Ready to hit the road? We could arrange a transport vehicle for you if you want, but we usually hit the asphalt ourselves here in Velocitron."

"I'm sure I could manage," Longarm replied cordially, before glancing back so his two escorts were informed of their means of travel. Override squeezed Blurr's shoulder once again before walking away, getting ready to leave the space bridge stations.

"Quite the persona, isn't she?"

Blurr glanced up, surprised at the conspiratorial tone Longarm's voice had taken, and was even more stunned by the mischievous smirk the Prime was wearing now. Longarm chuckled, "I have to say I'm not as fast as a Velocitronian, but I will try to keep up."

Blurr quailed a little, shaking his head, "Oh, it's alright, Prime sir. It's definitely fine that we don't go fast all the time I mean I hope you don't feel insulted or anything, Override is naturally like that, but she means well—um." Blurr made himself stop, again, a little horrified at the amount of words that had escaped from his mouth. He had spoken in his usual rushed way and hadn't even remembered to slow down. It was embarrassing.

What was it about this mech that made him forgot about poise?

There was blatant amusement on Longarm's faceplates now, nevertheless, and his smile seemed a little more genuine than earlier, "I'm not offended in the slightest, do not worry. Though it would be lovely if you would just call me Longarm, Blurr."

The racer nodded, not trusting himself to speak just yet. He reset his vocalizer once, "Alright…Longarm."

Longarm pulsed his field slightly, just to brush against Blurr's. It was like a jolt of electricity, but it was also soothing. Blurr looked at his feet again, unsure. He's interacted with a lot of mechanisms, he wasn't this socially stunted, he knew.

Of course, he had never interacted with a mech that would eventually be his bondmate, but that wasn't really an excuse.

They transformed then; Longarm's altmode was some kind of crane, foreign enough to be different; and left the space bridge stations. Blurr stayed closed to Override for the whole journey, as instructed earlier. They had appearances to keep. He was very aware of the mech following their lead, still.

They've only just met and already Blurr was feeling fidgety. Granted that he wasn't feeling entirely negative, more out of his element and just really nervous. Longarm seemed like a nice mech. For now. Blurr had yet to make a decision on what to think. But it will be okay. He will be okay. Blurr will eventually find out what kind of mech Longarm was, and he would act accordingly from there. There were ways to handle people, and if he was forced to bond to someone for his home, then he wouldn't just sit there and take it. Oh, he'd still bond, for sure, but self-preservation was priority.

He'd be okay.

And yet when they reached their destination, and Longarm's faceplates brightened with a smile upon seeing him right after transformation, Blurr's earlier determination chipped away like broken marble.

/

Blurr's hands were in Longarm's, their knees were touching, and the bigger red mech; Ironhide; was looking out the window of Blurr's home, trying his best to give them privacy without actually leaving.

"I know that the both of us are agreeing to this for a greater good," Longarm said quietly, holding Blurr's gaze, "Perhaps given other options, we wouldn't even be here. But this is how things will be, and I can promise you this."

Longarm laced their fingers together, terribly gentle, "I will try my best to ensure your happiness and health. I will try to be the bondmate you'd want me to be. I promise to cherish you as long as I am online."

Blurr's faceplates were so hot, it felt like his cheeks were going to melt off altogether.

The Prime was still looking at him with that odd sort of hope on his faceplates, and Blurr was at a loss. He had been expecting them to address their situation sooner or later, and he had expected a few empty words or maybe half-hearted promises but this…

"I, um," Longarm said suddenly, after Blurr's continued silence, "I really meant what I said, but is this too soon? Should I have waited a little longer before saying things like this? I'm so sorry, Blurr, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

The worry on his face was sort of endearing, really, as was the blush that darkened his faceplates once he realized that Blurr might have been taken aback with his declarations. He untwined their fingers, but Blurr didn't move his hands out of Longarm's hold.

He shook his head nevertheless, still a little mortified, "No no. It is alright, you didn't do anything wrong. I just…" Blurr reset his vocalizer, "I've never really been in a serious relationship before. Not even in a proper, steady relationship so this is quite new to me. I honestly appreciate what you've told me, thank you for saying those things…but I'm not sure…how to—"

"That's not a problem," Longarm said, noticing how Blurr was struggling to find the right words, "You're so very young. I just meant to reassure you of my intentions. We might be not be bonded by choice, but I promise to try my best to be a proper bondmate."

Blurr looked down at their hands, and up again, "…Thank you. Thank you for being so kind."

"Oh, you don't have to…" Longarm said lamely, but stopped himself, "You're welcome. Thank you for being so understanding, as well."

It was suddenly quite funny to Blurr. There they were, two mechs who didn't know what the hell to do with each other, shoved into a situation where they needed to be there for the other at all times. Hilarious.

He supposed he must have smiled, as Longarm did too, almost sheepishly. He seemed embarrassed, and took his hands away from Blurr's, resetting his vocalizer a few times. It was honestly quite cute.

Blurr reached to gently place a hand over Longarm's knee, "Longarm, have you ever been here before today?"

Longarm looked up in surprise, "Velocitron, you mean? A few times, but always on official business."

"Then I find it necessary that I show you what's good around here. Delta's a fun place if you know where to go. We should go for a drive while we can."

Longarm stared at him before smiling in gratitude, "I'd love to."

/

He had been to Iacon, a few times. Public appearances, vacations, getaways sometimes. He wasn't a total stranger to the city. But he had never set foot in the Metroplex.

"My office," Longarm smiled as Blurr held onto his arm, looking around with curiosity. The building was utilitarian, and the atmosphere reminded Blurr of Longarm's occupation. His future bonded was a mech of the government. It would probably do him good to remember that, always.

They stood before the office, Longarm's name engraved on a silver plaque on its door. Longarm glanced back to address Cliffjumper, who had been assigned as their chaperone for the day, "Cliffjumper? Perhaps you could use the time to see if there had been any messages for me? Blurr and I would not go anywhere."

Cliffjumper nodded then, and left. The office Blurr entered afterwards was also fairly simple, its design straight to the point. It must be a Cybertronian Intel agent's trait, but the office seemed quite impersonal to Longarm. There weren't even pictures.

Blurr let go of Longarm's arm to look through the large window panes on the other side of the room, the glass looking out to the front of the Metroplex, a view that allowed Longarm to see anyone who entered the building if he wished to.

"So will I be able to visit you whenever in your office then or would I have to make an appointment?"

Longarm chuckled, walking over to place a hand on Blurr's shoulder, looking out the glass windows as well. Blurr wondered if the windows were tinted, or if a mech would see them standing there before the glass if they chose to look up.

"By becoming my bondmate, you will be granted entry at any time you please. I would love surprise visits from you."

Then he leaned in to kiss Blurr's cheek. It was innocent, nothing but a simple peck and yet Blurr turned his head to stare with blue-bright eyes. Longarm's own optics were slightly lidded, and there was affection in his gaze. He squeezed Blurr's shoulder once before moving away to his desk, sitting down on his chair for a while, onlining his desktop to probably check on things.

Blurr didn't quite understand.

He approached Longarm soon after, placing a hand over the back of the Prime's chair. Longarm noticed him and swivelled the chair to face Blurr, still smiling as pleasantly as ever, "Blurr?"

Blurr used both hands to gently push on Longarm's chest, making him lean back. He lifted himself up, one knee on the chair before the other followed suit, and then he was in Longarm's lap, the chair creaking a little from their combined weight.

Longarm placed a hand on his waist, and one on his aft, and looked up with that same smile, though now it was tinged with concern and curiosity as well, "…Blurr?"

Blurr kissed him. Leaned down, slid the hands on his chest to his face and kissed his lips slowly. Longarm responded with passion, their mouths sliding together and Blurr couldn't help but whimper a little, at how it felt like Longarm truly wanted him.

"You're extremely beautiful, Blurr," Longarm said breathlessly after they had parted, his hand slipping up Blurr's side in appreciation, "I cannot even fathom how lucky I am, some days."

"Do you really want to be bonded to me?" Blurr asked in a rush, the words he had been keeping inside of him for so long slipping through his lip components, overwhelming, "Would you be happy as my bondmate? Do you really want me?"

Longarm kissed the side of Blurr's mouth once, tilted his head and kissed Blurr's jaw, "I do. I want you. The both of us had agreed to this without feeling anything, I know, but I believe it is not impossible for me to fall in love with you, my dear. Now that I know I could have you, I cannot imagine wanting anyone else."

Blurr trembled slightly, suddenly feeling as if he would topple over, but Longarm's hands on him kept him steady. There was genuine emotion on Longarm's face, and Blurr didn't know what to make of it. It made him feel weak. Vulnerable.

"Do you think you could maybe fall in love with me as well, one day?" Longarm asked.

Blurr couldn't find an answer. He kissed Longarm again, instead, and hoped Longarm didn't ask him again.

/

"Two weeks," Rodimus repeated in disbelief, "Wow."

Blurr shrugged, toying with his fingers. It did feel kind of ridiculous, when mentioned like that, "Yeah. I mean there was talk about having the ceremony much, much earlier since we've met and known each other and everything and Override was all for the idea of establishing relations as soon as possible and my creators were too as well as Longarm so I guess it just…happened? But yes. Two weeks."

"Wow," Rodimus shook his head, "How are you feeling?"

The question made Blurr pull up his legs and hug his knees. They were sitting on the veranda of Blurr's hotel room, a really large, really lavish suite that the Elite Guard was apparently paying for. Blurr wasn't a stranger to luxury, but even this seemed excessive. He had begun his indefinite stay in Iacon for the ceremony's arrangements, had been whisked to numerous places for the preparations and dates with Longarm.

For some reason, he felt intensely lonely in this place. Rodimus' presence at the moment made him feel better. He was seldom alone, but he felt isolated whenever he wasn't with Longarm.

Longarm. Only Longarm had asked him about his feelings, aside from Rodimus.

Blurr sighed, "I'm alright. I could be better, but I guess I'm okay, too. I've…come to terms with things."

"That's depressing."

"It is, isn't it?" the racer laughed, turning to smile at his friend. Even he knew the smile didn't seem too sincere. Blurr rested his head on his knees, facing Rodimus, "But it could have been a lot, lot worse. Longarm isn't so bad. I hate the whole idea of bonding without any prior emotion and not to a mech I have chosen but I've…come to terms with it. Whatever. I'll just do what they want me to. I'm just glad Longarm isn't an afthole."

Rodimus nodded, contemplative, "I understand. He's one of the better Primes we have."

"Yeah," Blurr smiled. He did meet Sentinel Prime. He couldn't remember disliking anyone so fast, "You're on the way to become a Prime too, right Roddy? I mean that's what Longarm told me."

"That's what the masses have been saying," Rodimus shrugged, "Perhaps. Sucks that I'm not a Prime now, though."

Blurr tilted his head, and laughed, "It does! You could have saved me a lot of trouble if you were a Prime."

"We could have been really good roommates," Rodimus' smile was a little lopsided, but his face was serious when he next spoke, "That being said, I promised myself I'd tell you this."

"Tell me what?"

"You could run away if you want, you know. I could help you."

Blurr paused for the longest time. Running away. That was a choice he hadn't thought of yet. He forgot that it was a choice he could make. Blurr considered the consequences.

He'd be free, at least. Free from obligations and responsibility, from fame. He would have to modify his frame for people to not recognize him. He might be called a traitor. But the choices he would make from then onwards would be entirely his own.

But he couldn't shame Velocitron like that, he couldn't do that to his creators. Couldn't do that to Longarm.

He chewed the inside of his cheeks, wincing a little when he aggravated the slowly healing tear he had caused what seemed like ages ago. He had been speaking to Rodimus, too. It had been almost the same. But he was feeling differently, now.

"Tempting offer, but I don't think I can do it. I'll be alright, Rodimus. Thank you for giving me that choice anyway, it means a lot to me."

Rodimus nodded, and reached out to squeeze his shoulder, "I get it, mech. Just remember I'll always help you if you need me to, okay?"

Lifting a hand to place it over Rodimus' in reassurance, Blurr smiled, "Okay."

/

Blurr had never entertained the thought of being bonded to someone.

It was all he could think of now.

He had never met someone quite like Longarm, either, and the Prime invaded his thoughts. Blurr had fooled around a lot, had had temporary flings with mechanisms and people like Longarm usually didn't catch his optics. Longarm felt real.

A life of being bonded to such a mech suddenly doesn't seem so bad. Longarm lived a stable life, he was responsible and dependable and he treated Blurr like Blurr was the most important mech he had met in his life. Blurr felt wanted. He felt cherished. Blurr had never really felt like that before.

The promise of domesticity was suddenly appealing, if it was with Longarm. He found himself thinking of what could be more and more often, to be bonded to such a mech, to live a life where he'd come home to Longarm and be known as the Prime's bonded. It was inevitable anyway, so there was no harm in trying to get used to the idea.

Blurr had been living a life that was enjoyable, and while it was satisfying, it had always just been him, alone. Perhaps this was what he had been missing in life. The feeling of partnership. A specific mechanism he could trust with his life, with his spark.

Longarm was not making it easy for him, too. He told tales of the places he had been to, of bringing Blurr there after their bonding. He spoke of their future together as if it was inevitable (in a way, that was true), and made promises that caused Blurr's spark to whirl in its casing, swelling with hope of eventual joy. Longarm made everything sound perfect.

His kisses lingered a while longer, with every day that they meet. There was passion in his eyes as they spoke to each other, as they touched. He wanted Blurr, and while Blurr had been used to appreciation in his life, it had never felt this intimate. Never made an impact on him like this. He had never felt like this before. Sometimes Blurr wanted to lose himself in Longarm, just to be at the center of the Prime's world a little longer.

He wanted it. He wanted to bond to Longarm. Instead of dreading the days that brought the ceremony ever closer, he was excited, even as the anxiety never left. Perhaps it was okay to not be a lone mech, anymore. Perhaps this was not the worst thing that could ever happen to him.

Maybe it would turn out to be the best.

/

The ceremony was a blur. It was noise and lights and beauty and anticipation, and Longarm and Blurr had stood at the altar, fingers twined.

There were so many people. It was a Prime's bonding ceremony to a celebrity from Velocitron, it was to be expected. But there were honestly somany mechanisms, too many flashing lights, too many servos that had to be shaken and words of thanks to be delivered.

They had exchanged their vows and signed the document that would be written proof of their bond, and they had kissed, and the din of the crowd's applause made Blurr's audials rang. It almost made him bolt, but Longarm's hand in his was as steady as ever. Longarm was his rock. He wanted Longarm so badly he could feel the desire crackling under his plating.

There had been food and drink and dancing, and Longarm had twirled Blurr round and round and round till he was breathless from laughter, from delight. Blurr had optics for no one except for Longarm, and Longarm's own optics never strayed away from his own. There had been mechs he needed to be introduced to, promises for future interviews but Blurr didn't hear them. He was lost in it all. There was only one thing that mattered.

Only Longarm Prime.

They couldn't have gotten away soon enough. They were not bondmates till the actual bond had taken place, and thankfully enough they were soon ushered to the chambers that had been prepared specially for the occasion. Blurr had never wanted anything this much in his life.

The door locked behind them and he was on Longarm in an instant, kissing him so hard as if their merge would occur through their mouths, not their sparks. Longarm had wrapped his arms around Blurr a few times over, lifted him up and deposited him on the berth, kissing him into it. Blurr's legs wrapped around Longarm's frame, and once he was able, he flipped them over, straddling Longarm's hips, not even caring if he was acting like a depraved mech.

Blurr was adorned with gems, faceted diamonds that artfully decorated his plating in patterns and glyphs, as per Velocitronian tradition and they had gleamed with every little movement Blurr made. They shone even more so now, as he arched and undulated above Longarm, the dim lights of the room refracted and reflected onto the walls surrounding them. Longarm himself was polished so thoroughly he was shining, and had glyphs of honour and loyalty and respect on his plating, values that a Cybertronian Prime held most dear. The red orb in his helm was so bright Blurr felt it sear into his processor, and it only proved to rev him up even more.

"Beautiful," Longarm purred, touching him everywhere, "Beautiful, lovely Blurr."

"Please please," he gasped, both his interfacing and chest panels retracted at the same time, "Don't make me wait any longer. Please, now, let's do it now."

Longarm's spike rose, sliding to part the lips of his valve and Blurr squealed, rolling his hips, trying to get it inside him. But the hands that had held on to his hips were relentless, and Longarm had pushed himself up to nuzzle Blurr's chestplates. He vented over Blurr's spark crystal and Blurr shook all over.

"This is it, love," Longarm said, looking up at him as he trembled and quivered, "Are you sure?"

Blurr was already so, so wet, and he angled his hips when Longarm lifted him up, and Longarm's spike slid into him perfect. He nodded, leaning to press needy kisses to Longarm's faceplates, "Yes yes yes I'm sure. I want this so badly please, bond with me, I'm ready for it."

Longarm caught his lips in a proper kiss, and lifted him by the hips a few times, and Blurr moaned helplessly into his bonded's mouth. They broke apart, and Longarm leaned back slightly, "Promise me you'll be with me forever?"

"I promise. Longarm, I promise, I'll be with you till everything turns into dust, till the ends of the universe and I'll be yours and you'll be mine, and it'll be forever. I promise. Please."

Longarm's chestplates unfolded and Blurr was aware of nothing but the bright glare of the Prime's spark and they met each other halfway. Blurr could feel his spark reach out of his chest and touch Longarm's, tendrils of energy twining and wrapping around each other and Blurr

saw

everything.

/

He woke up to the feeling of a touch to his face, over his waist. Blurr onlined his optics to the sight of his bonded—not Longarm—run a claw down his face in a caress. There were claws limiting his frame to the berth as well, a parody of a tender hold. Like a trap.

"You lied to me," he said slowly, too aware of the presence in his spark. The bond took. Longarm—no; Shockwave, that was his true name—pulsed acknowledgment through their permanent connection and Blurr wanted to tear his own spark out of his chest.

"I did not," replied Shockwave, his massive form looming over Blurr. He tilted Blurr's face up so their optics met. The red, red optic seared itself into Blurr's processor, again, and Blurr could not look away. "I meant everything I said to you. I will ensure your happiness and your health. I will cherish you till I am deactivated. And you, my love, will be with me forever."

Blurr looked at Shockwave, trying to decipher what he was seeing. There was no way of determining Shockwave's sincerity from his faceplates, unlike with Longarm. There was simply nothing there.

And yet the bond made itself known again, and Shockwave's honesty felt like liquid cement in his lines. Heavy. Final.

There were many things to be addressed. Blurr had seen, had known many things of this creature who was his bondmate during the short period of time that their sparks had merged. There were motives and intentions and plans that Blurr knew vaguely of, now, and he had the right to understand what all of it meant.

He was exhausted.

"You'll keep your promises to me," Blurr stated, not surprised with how detached his voice seemed from himself.

"Yes," Shockwave reaffirmed in return, and caressed his face again, the touch almost tender.

"Okay."

And Blurr let himself fall back asleep, soothed by the other being in his spark.