Miserably, Prowl sat fidgeting at his desk, fingering endless data pads while not really looking at them.
Suddenly a familiar hand gripped his shoulder and a friendly voice called out right in his audio, " Hey, Prowler!"
"Jazz!" he gasped, whipping around. " You nearly scared the spark out of me!"
"Whatcha thinking about, Prowler?" Jazz looked at him in concern. "I've called ya name like, eight times, and you never even heard me! What's up?"
"Nothing really." Prowl knew it was useless for him to lie to Jazz, but he tried anyway.
"Ya need to talk man? Ya buddy's right here if you need 'im."
Prowl heaved a sigh and rubbed at his temples. " Yeah sure."
Jazz pulled up a chair and sat down, all his attention focused on his friend.
Prowl fidgeted some more, but Jazz just waited patiently, not rushing him, waiting until he was ready.
"Well," Prowl finally began, " you see, I'm in love with someone, but I've never been in love before and I don't know how to go about it." He stared fixedly at the floor, feeling his faceplates heating up.
Jazz chuckled. " Well, you're askin the right bot! I've had more lovers more times then I can count! Have you told him ya love him yet?"
"Well, no." Prowl admitted, scuffing his peds.
Jazz reached out and hooked a finger under Prowl's chin, lifting it to meet his visor. " You need to tell him man, or you'll be miserable forever, especially if he goes and courts some other bot then you. Ya hear me Prowler?"
Prowl nodded.
Jazz held his gaze an astrosecond longer, then dropped his hand as his name was called out in the hall.
"Promise me you'll tell him, Prowl." Prowl knew he was dead serious if he wasn't using his favorite nickname for him. " Promise me."
"I-I promise." Prowl whispered, and he meant it.
Jazz had given him one of his gentle smiles, and left.
That was the reason, many weeks later, Prowl was standing awkwardly in front of Jazz's berthroom door this morning.
He wasn't the first one to pull this routine on Jazz; nearly all the base was in love with the eye-catching saboteur.
But he was certain none were as serious as he was that morning.
Prowl had been madly in love with Jazz for over a vorn now, and it was eating away at him more and more.
The tactician felt his spark die every time Jazz dated another bot in the base, then felt it revive in relief when Jazz inevitably called off the relationship, only to repeat the process a few weeks, days, or even hours or minutes later, sometimes even with the same bot!
After he had promised Jazz he would say something to the one he was in love with, he had caught the spy's searching gaze often seeking him out, looking at him curiously.
Out of all the bots in the base, Prowl was one of the last ones beside Prime himself to not have had a go with the assassin, and he sometimes wondered if Jazz was waiting on him, when he looked at him that way.
Of course he's not! He scolded himself.
But here he was, about to ask Jazz if he would maybe consider spending some more time with him; just him, Prowl, the most boring, driest, stuffiest bot in the whole base...
"Hey Prowl, why ya standin around in front of my berth room for? Am I in trouble again or did you forget I was out on a mission last night?"
Prowl nearly screamed.
"Jazz! You nearly scared the spark out of me!" he gasped, feeling a dreadful sense of deja-voo, "I was just wandering by. I won't bother you then; you're doubtlessly tired."
"That's a lie if I ever heard one. I've been standing here for five breems and you never once moved. You were waiting here for a reason. What is it man?" Jazz flipped over Prowl's head and stood firmly in the middle of the hall.
If Prowl was not going to talk to him, he would be forced to either push past him or take the long route to his office.
And Jazz knew something was up, and being Jazz, would pester Prowl until he was told what it was.
Prowl's optics found the floor again.
"Well, I-I, uh, you see…" he flailed desperately.
"Go on." Jazz sounded almost amused, not helping Prowl's embarrassment.
"Never mind." He burst out, feeling a sharp pang in his chest, but also some relief.
Jazz couldn't break his spark by saying no if he simply didn't tell the spy how he felt about him.
Jazz didn't move. " If this is something to do with that promise you made me, I won't laugh. You can tell me." He coaxed.
Prowl felt hot tears prick his optics, and he wanted to run away.
Who was he to tell this bot of all bots he loved him anyway?
Jazz would probably just toy with him and then dump him, like all the rest.
Prowl jumped as other hands took his own, gently rubbing their thumbs across his palms.
He looked up into Jazz's softly glowing visor.
"If you don't tell him, you'll be miserable forever." Jazz's voice whispered in his head even as the assassin rubbed his thumb gently along the underside of Prowl's trembling jaw, his visor glowing softly.
He just looked so beautiful, the tactician couldn't help himself…
"I love you!" Prowl blurted out, and promptly burst into tears.
"Aww, that's nothing to cry about Prowly." Prowl had never heard Jazz call him that before, and as Jazz brought him to his chest, he leaned his head into it, trying to quiet his flood of tears. "You won't believe how happy I was when you started eyeing me."
"R-really?" Prowl sniffled.
"Really Prowler. I always know when a bot gets 'that look' in his eyes, he wants me. And to be honest, I want you too." Jazz stroked Prowl's back.
"You, you want me?" Prowl stuttered in astonishment, his tears slowing to a stop.
"Yep." Jazz massaged the other ninja's doorwings. " I have only ever wanted you and one other bot. But neither of you showed any interest in me. So when I saw the way you would look at me, I couldn't believe my visor! One of the only bots I truly loved, loved me back! And when you told me about the bot you loved, I was so excited, like, wow Jazz, he might just say it now! But you didn't and now you did and what's wrong Prowly Bot?"
Prowl had gone still, and a hurt look was on his face. " Who is the other bot you love?" he asked quietly, in a voice of pain.
"No one you want to know Prowler." Jazz said softly. " Maybe someday I'll tell ya, but not now."
"Are you going to dump me like all those other bots?" Prowl asked unhappily.
"Dumped them? I never 'dumped' them, Prowly Bot. I gave them fair warning in advance that this relationship's not gonna last. They knew."
"What about me? Is our relationship going to last?"
"It's too early to know Prowler. Now, what say you we skip traditional breakfast and eat in this morning hmm?"
Jazz's visor glowed seduceively, but Prowl shook his head.
"No, I-I, not yet." Prowl stammered.
He didn't want to admit he was still a virgin himself, and was scared of interfacing, especially with a bot who had done it literally thousands of times in his life.
"Okay then. I'll just carry you to the dining room." Before Prowl could protest, Jazz had scooped him and cradled him snugly in his arms, carrying him down the hall.
To be fair, Prowl was surprised Jazz could carry him with such ease.
The SIC was, after all, slightly bigger then the TIC, but it didn't seem to slow Jazz down.
"J-Jazz!" he squeaked.
"Yes my love?" Jazz purred, and Prowl felt his spark stop.
Nevertheless, he managed to finished what he was saying. "You, you can't just carry me in there! Everyone will see!"
"That's the point, Prowly Bot." Jazz said smugly. " I want everybot to know you're mine. Why? You don't like being carried by me?" he pouted at Prowl, and Prowl fought the urge to kiss that pout.
"No, it's not that, I just…" Prowl trailed off as Jazz, seemingly reading his mind, bent his head and pressed his pouting lips to Prowl's.
After a second, Jazz lifted his head and smirked down at a flustered Prowl. "Well, punish me then, if you don't like it. How else will I learn what you do and don't want?" he teased.
He kept on carrying Prowl, who stared at him.
"How…do you suggest I do that?" he finally asked.
Jazz didn't miss a beat. "Well, you could spank me for one. I'm sure you can think of others. You've punished me quite well in the past if I remember."
Prowl remembered too.
Jazz was always getting into trouble one way or another, and it often fell to Prowl to dish out punishments in this base.
Jazz usually wasn't eager to be punished, but here he was asking for one.
It didn't make sense.
"Alright," he began hesitantly, "if you don't put me down you'll be on desk duty for the next week."
Jazz snorted a laugh. "Come on Prowl, you can do better then that. You know I'll just get out of it like I always do."
"Are you wanting a spanking?" Prowl asked in astonishment.
"What if I said yes?" Jazz purred again.
"Then you wouldn't get one, because it's not really punishment if you want it." Prowl said firmly.
Jazz exhaled slowly. "Have you ever been in a relationship before Prowler?" he asked.
"I-I…" Prowl stuttered, confused.
"Because some punishments are wanted and well received when you are dating a bot." He said as though Prowl had answered, pressing his forehead into Prowl's, tilting his head so that their horns rubbed together.
Prowl didn't get it, though it was hard to think with Jazz rubbing their horns like he was; it was arousing the tactician. "But if you like being punished, won't you always make me mad so I'll punish you? That would be detrimental to a relationship I would think."
Jazz chuckled. "If would be, if the other partner didn't enjoy it too. Tell me Prowl, didn't you feel at least a little excited spanking me the other day, when I pranked Ratchet like I did? When I welded all his tools to the table?"
Prowl had.
He had enjoyed tugging a reluctant and pleading Jazz over his lap and giving him a well-earned spanking.
He had also enjoyed comforting him after, but Prowl supposed that was beside the point.
He fidgeted a bit in his new lover's arms, uncomfortable both from the pleasing image Jazz popped into his head, and from the slight tugging on his horns as Jazz hooked one and pulled back a little.
"I can see that you did." Jazz said, smirking down at him as he pulled back his head all the way, a gasp leaving Prowl's mouth as the horn Jazz had been rubbing was yanked roughly. "Don't you supposed I enjoyed it too?"
"I can't see that you did, you tried to get out of it enough." Prowl frowned at him as he tried to fight down his sudden desire to pull Jazz closer to him and massage those twitching black horns himself.
"And it earned me a harsher spanking, didn't it?" Jazz's visor twinkled merrily. "With corner time after so you could stare at my punished skidplate."
"I didn't exactly stare…" Prowl squirmed.
Jazz looked thoughtful. "You know, if you keep insisting on lying to me, I'll be the one spanking you." He looked sternly at Prowl, who shrank slightly.
Jazz quickly leaned in and kissed him again, cooing reassuringly.
As he pulled back he murmured, " I'll teach you to love it. I'll teach you everything you ever want to know about a relationship my dear Prowly Bot."
Prowl smiled. " Thank you Jazz."
Then he realized they were entering the dining room, and everyone else was there already.
"Jazz!" he hissed urgently. "Put me down before-"
"Hey everyone!" Jazz called out gaily. "Look what I caught when I went fishing this morning!"
Prowl thought he was going to explode from embarrassment as the whole base turned to see him being cradled in Jazz's arms, Jazz leaning down and pressing his lips against Prowl's again, this time for the whole base to see.
He was sure his faceplates were glowing with heat as he hid his face in Jazz's chest, whining with mortification.
"Ah, got yourself a new lover, eh Jazz?
"Prowl!? Never would have guessed that stuffy bot even knew what love was. He sure didn't when assigning me to the brig the other day!"
"Not fair Jazz! I was next on the list!"
"Congratulations Prowl!"
"Jazz, what did I tell you about breaking any more sparks?" This was Ratchet.
"Not to do it." Jazz answered brightly.
"Well, you just broke mine. I wanted another go with you."
"He's mine!" Prowl snapped his head up and glared viscously at Ratchet, who took a couple hasty steps backs as Prowl's fingers closed tightly around Jazz's wrists.
"Whoa, protective. Never seen it like that in a Jazz lover before." Sideswipe whistled.
Jazz had gotten very still when Prowl snapped like that.
"So it's going to be different, huh." He mused softly. "I'm yours, instead of the other way around."
Carefully, he set Prowl down and looked at him thoughtfully, letting Prowl keep hold of his wrists.
"So, how's this gonna work? Never been owned before," Jazz started.
"That's not what I meant!" Prowl frowned at him and released him. "I only meant-"
"So no one else is to so much as look at me, is that it?" Jazz interrupted, stepping away from Prowl and arching his back coyly slowly spinning a circle, showing off his smooth frame.
Almost every optic in the room was hungrily trained on Jazz, who appeared to take no notice as he stretched his arms over his head lazily as he finished his turn and faced Prowl once more.
"Not in a certain way, no." Prowl wanted to sink into the floor as several bots made kissing noises around them.
"But somebot might try to seduce me when you're not around! You need to be sure everyone knows you're serious about this." Jazz's visor was glowing again as he slid closer.
Prowl stuttered, "H-h-how am I supposed to do that?"
"Leave your mark on me Prowl." he said sweetly, cocking his head to one side and folding his hands in a silent plea. "Everyone'll know I'm yours if you do that."
Whistles and hoots followed Jazz's request.
Prowl glared at him. "No." he said shortly, thankful he had not eaten yet or he would have purged.
He should have guessed Jazz would ask that; almost every bot who dated him wound up interfacing with him in public at least once, though normally Jazz did the job, not the other way around.
And almost every bot had a J carved into his chassis somewhere from when Jazz got possessive and wanted to be sure no one would touch his new toy.
Jazz made them promise to have it removed after they broke up, but not every bot had, and they dated and re-dated Jazz considerably more then the others.
Sideswipe, who was currently licking his lips and creeping closer, was one such bot.
Suddenly pandemonium broke out.
"I'll do it for ya!" Bluestreak lunged forward and almost stumbled over Sunstreaker who dove in his path. "No, I'll do it!" the yellow twin cried as he was shoved by Tracks. " I'll do it." The blue saboteur growled.
"NO!" Prowl yelled. " Jazz is my bot now, and cut that out!" Jazz had wrapped his arms around Prowl and was grinding up against him, biting gently at Prowl's throat.
Wishing he could just disappear, Prowl shoved Jazz back and the spy fell flat on his rear, pouting up at Prowl.
"Carry meeee?"
"No."
"Whhhy nnoottttt?" Jazz whined, scrambling to his feet and trailing after him as Prowl turned on his heel and marched across the dining room to the energon dispenser, snickering bots parting in front of him and sneakily reaching out to trail their fingers across Jazz's armor.
"Because you keep embarrassing me." Prowl hissed, feeling a mix of anger, jealousy, and some glee as he saw several bots whisper and point to them, some of which looked ready to purge with envy.
He squeaked when Jazz wrapped his arms around his waist, leaning his forehead against the back of Prowl's neck. "Come on Prowly, pwease? We can keep surprising them; no one's carried me before."
It was true.
Jazz was always the protective one in the relationships, though some bots did try to dominate in his relationships, they never carried Jazz around either.
"If that is what you want." He sighed.
Jazz suddenly stepped back. "No, changed my mind." He said simply.
Prowl eyed him, but didn't say anything, just took both beakers of energon and silently marched back to his usual table, Jazz trailing behind him.
"I think Jazzy's in trouble." Prowl clearly heard the snicker from Hound, but he steadily ignored it.
"He ignoring you Jazzy?" this one came from Cliffjumper.
"I bet Prowl knows just how to torture you!" Sideswipe.
Prowl gritted his denta and sat stiffly down, his back to the rest of the bots.
Jazz plunked himself down in front of him, and grinned. "Hope ya don't mind me sitting here." He said and propped a ped up on the table as he leaned back.
"Peds off." Prowl snapped.
He felt way out of his league with Jazz, and he wished the ninja bot would knock it off and act, well, normal.
Jazz gave him another pout and placed his peds back on the floor-but only for an astrosecond before Prowl suddenly felt weight on his legs and Jazz's peds were twitching in his lap.
"Is this how you always act with your lovers?" Prowl hissed in annoyance as he shoved off the offending weight from his lap.
Jazz let his peds hit the floor with a ringing clang.
Prowl winced, and he heard more then a couple snickers from the room behind him.
"Yep." Jazz winked at him. "But I'll behave-for you."
"Thank goodness." Prowl muttered as the saboteur proceeded to sit still and stare at him.
"What?" Prowl asked, getting annoyed again.
"Are you going to feed me?" he inquired, and even though Prowl's systems started heating up pleasurably at the thought, he declined.
He didn't want to push Jazz; he wanted to learn what made the spy tick, and go slowly so as not to scare him.
Prowl had observed many, many relationships between Jazz and the others, and Jazz, much to his displeasure, almost always got hurt in some way, and though he hid it under a cocky attitude, Jazz was actually as fragile as he was strong.
Prowl was going to be certain that Jazz was always happy and feeling safe while with him, not to mention Prowl himself was uncomfortable with showy affection.
He just hoped Jazz would not become bored with him.
"Well, if you're not going to feed me, why do you still have my energon? Are you going to make me beg? Or are you starving me for my bad behavior?"
Startled, Prowl glanced down and saw to his embarrassment that he had filled Jazz's energon and never gave it to him.
Quickly, he shoved it across, Jazz squeezing his hand gently before he withdrew it.
As soon as they were done refueling, Prowl abruptly stood up and headed out of the dining room at a fast pace, Jazz trotting behind him.
More teasing came from the other bots, but Prowl ignored them best as he could and just got out of there, breathing a sigh of relief as he closed the doors.
"Did I earn myself any punishment?" Jazz asked, leaning in close to Prowl.
"No." Prowl snapped. " But don't you dare look at another bot like you were looking at Trailbreaker, got it?"
"I was wondering if you noticed." Jazz pressed himself against Prowl, and rubbed his head on his shoulder, yawing sleepily.
"Of course I noticed." Prowl liked having Jazz lean against him, and he hesitantly placed an arm around him, drawing him even closer.
"There we go." Jazz murmured, shuttering his visor slowly as he let his head drop on Prowl's shoulder. "So tired…"
Prowl stood perfectly still as Jazz proceeded to drop into recharge then and there.
"Aw." Prowl said softly, as he gently scooped up Jazz's limp form as the other ninja slid towards the floor. "I'll just carry you to bed then."
As he walked down the hall towards Jazz's room, Prime seemed to materialize out of nowhere, making Prowl jump, again.
Jazz woke with a start, but didn't move to get out of Prowl's grip.
"Prowl I was looking for-" Prime broke off as he saw Jazz in Prowl's arms.
"Don't mind me." Jazz chirped brightly. " Just resting in my lover's arms."
Prowl's faceplates glowed hotter then ever.
Prime, even behind his mouthplates, seemed to struggle to regain his composure for a second, then continued. "Right. So Prowl, any idea on what the Decepticons are doing? I suppose you already received Jazz's report."
"Uh, no." Prowl wished he could sink into the floor as his leader stared at him like he'd just grew an extra head.
"My fault." Jazz said cheerfully. "I distracted him."
Prime gave Jazz an amused look, then turned back to Prowl. "Okay, When you get it out of him, meet me in my office. Things have been far too quiet lately."
"Yes sir." Prowl replied, and Prime nodded and moved off to get his own breakfast.
Jazz started laughing the moment Prime was gone.
"What is so funny?" Prowl demanded as he set the smaller bot down.
"You!" Jazz gasped. "You forgot to ask me what I had learned from my spy trip last night! And it's all because of me!"
Prowl about saw red.
"Jazz." He snapped. " Stop it."
"Stop what?" Jazz grinned cheekily up at him. "Stop trying to get a reaction from you, my love?"
"Yes that." Prowl tapped his ped on the floor.
"Then punish me." Jazz opened his arms wide. "You know I want it. I've wanted it for a long time now. Haven't you noticed how badly I've been behaving here lately?"
"But I've spanked you dozens of time already." Prowl said, flustered.
"But I want more. I want to know you're aroused by spanking me, I want you to know I'm aroused when you spank me. So, will you spank me? Please?"
Jazz sounded almost desperate, and Prowl caved. "Alright, but first the report."
Jazz drooped, but obeyed. "Nothing much really. Starscream and Megatron's been quarreling like the couple of brats they are, the others have been lazing on the job until Starscream beats it out of them, Soundwave and his runts are making life difficult for us all by spying on us while we mind our own business out on patrols, that's about it. No master plan, just Decepticons being Decepticons in their own base."
Prowl eyed him suspiciously. " Are you lying to me? Normally your reports are far more, interesting."
"Of course I'm lying to you! You're making me wait! I would tell you all is okay if Megatron was standing behind you just so you'd get on with it! The real report is that they're planning on attacking tonight; they have a new Combiner; Starscream is going to kidnap Skyfire this time personally, Soundwave is coming for me, Megatron is coming for you, and they all are a bunch of interface crazy demons today."
Prowl stared at him in a alarm.
"And how do I know all that? Soundwave had me all last night, and it was a fun fun night we had indeed." Jazz winked at him as Prowl went stiff with fury. "But don't worry, that was a lie too." He laughed as Prowl glared daggers at him.
Jazz wrapped his arms around the SIC again. "Maybe," He whispered, " Maybe, I won't tell you the report. Maybe I will be kidnapped and then I can see just how far you are willing to go to rescue me. How would you like that?"
Prowl started at his lover for a long moment, then, " Come Jazz." And turned and marched for his office.
"Yes!" Jazz punched the air and followed eagerly behind him.
Once they entered Prowl's office, Prowl snapped his fingers and pointed to a chair. "Sit." He ordered briskly.
Jazz looked confused but obeyed.
Prowl quietly took a pair of hand and ped cuffs from his desk and approached Jazz, keeping the equipment behind his back.
Jazz looked at him eagerly.
Rapidly, Prowl cuffed the saboteur's wrists to the chair, and then his ankles as well.
Jazz sat still for a moment, reading the expression in Prowl's optics, then, "What?! Wait, Prowl, what?!"
He peered up at Prowl, a pitiful look on his cute face.
"I told you after the report, and you gave me false reports, and admitted to lying even if it was important. That is betraying my trust Jazz, and-"
"Oh Prowl, come on! That first one really was the real report, I just couldn't resist saying I lied when you gave me the perfect opportunity to do so! And you know I would never do that! Honest Prowl! Honest!"
Prowl tapped a ped on the floor while Jazz struggled in the chair. "How do I know you're not lying to me again?" he enquired sharply.
"You don't, but you have to trust me Prowl. Think about it, have I ever lied about a report before?"
He hadn't.
"Do you think I would really start that now, when I'm trying to gain your trust so you'll love me as much as I love you?" Jazz was practically in tears by now. "I'm sorry, really sorry, I won't joke about lying again, just don't do this to me Prowl!"
"Don't do what?" Prowl asked icily.
"Don't act like I'm your enemy when I love you!" Jazz wailed, a tear trickling out from under his visor, which was flashing alarmingly.
Prowl wondered why Jazz was so sensitive about this, but he waved away his worries.
"You wanted punished, you can stay here while I talk with Prime about this." Prowl said sternly, ignoring the fact Jazz seemed to panic when he said that. "I'll let him decide what to do with you."
Ignoring Jazz's frantic pleas, Prowl walked out of his office and locked it behind him.
He could still hear Jazz wailing his name, so he quickly moved down the hall to Prime's office.
"What's wrong, Prowl?" Prime asked in concern as soon as he entered.
Quickly Prowl told him, hanging his head when he had finished.
Prime looked thoughtful. "It would seem Jazz is desperate for your attentions, Prowl. I would feel proud."
"But lying, or joking about lying, about a report is unacceptable!" Prowl protested.
"I agree. I will take care of this." Prime said gravely. "I think you should just let Jazz know how much you love him, quite often. I've noticed he craves affection and reassurance a lot especially from me." Prime looked sad, knowing that he had to punish Jazz in just a few minutes.
"Okay. Thank you Optimus. This is all so new to me. Jazz promised to help me, but I'm scared he'll think I'm not worth it when he finds out how ignorant I am about the whole love thing." Prowl hung his head once more.
"He loves you Prowl, that's more then most of the others can say." Prime patted Prowl's head comfortingly, then left to take care of his unruly TIC.
Prowl left to send out patrols for the day a few moments later, having collected himself and his new flood of emotions.
He wasn't sure he liked it.
"Boo!"
Prowl had seriously had enough of being scared that day.
"Who-Jazz?" he gaped in shock at the grinning saboteur, who bowed with a flourish.
"The one and only." He replied.
"Prime wants to see you." Prowl informed him once he recovered himself, and Jazz's grin vanished.
"Prowl, you didn't." he moaned. "I told you it was a joke!"
"And joking about lying is unacceptable when dealing with our enemies." Prowl told him sternly, and took one of his arms in a steel grip. "Come along."
Tugging an unwilling Jazz behind him, who dug his heels into the floor and made Prowl drag him, they met Prime in the hall.
"There you are." Prime boomed, glaring down at Jazz, who quailed under his gaze.
"It was a joke, Prime, honest! I didn't mean anything by it!" he pleaded feebly as his leader took his arm from Prowl and began steering him back to his own office.
Prime began lecturing Jazz, and Prowl felt bad as he turned and made his way to the main room to check on the patrols for the day.
He was late already…