Title: Ketchup On the Half-Shell
By sexyspork
Fandom: Transformers
Pairing: Will/Sam, Epps/Mikaela, others hinted
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Language, slash, het, fluff
Summary: Will doesn't need to ply Sam with food to get to his heart, but it does help getting into his pants. Companion fic to "Do You Want Fries With That".
AN: Because I couldn't leave this alone, so it's kinda-sorta Will's POV. So it'd help to read Do You Want Fries With That, as some dialogue is taken straight from it. And unlike DYWFWT, this is continual rather than sequential.
--
"Oh come on." Will groaned, tossing a wad of inconsequential paper at Bobby's head. His second-in-command just grinned, flash of white against dark skin, and moved his wheelie chair to the left to avoid the incoming projectile.
"That's not a question you're supposed to ask," the Army Lt. Colonel continued with a downward twist of lips. "Seriously, 'don't ask, don't tell' is there for a reason."
"It's a valid question!" The Air Force Master Sergeant said, the grin turning into a sly smirk. "You're both my friends, and as a duty to each of you, I have to make sure there were no underhanded techniques to get into each other's pants."
Will calmly, oh so calmly, contemplated suicide by drowning through the coffee in his mug. Then he contemplated homicide. Neither was particularly appealing.
"Hypothetically, say I know two people who've been in a homosexual relationship for almost a year, why would you need to know now?" That was the hardest thing about loving Sam. When he had been married to Sarah, he'd been about to shout it from the rooftops. Now even his closest friends couldn't know (though they did), and Sam deserved so much better than that.
Something flickered across Bobby's face, something grim and acknowledging the difficulties of his CO, before it disappeared behind a dark smile. This was the smile of battle, a "try me, you fucker, I dare you"; a show of camaraderie between soldiers with their back to the wall and guns pointed at their heads'.
"A couple rumors started about the same time as this hypothetical relationship, something about a rebound before they were silenced." Another brutal grin, and Will, though ice was clenching his stomach, grinned back. He didn't understand why, but those under his command would follow him into hell itself. If he told them they were going to take on the whole damn United States military, the only question he'd be asked is 'when do we start?'
Will wasn't sure if that humbled or terrified him.
"Some more have popped up, but mostly concerning a base-wide pool and this hypothetical relationship and various facts about it."
"Bobby!" The other man snickered at the look Will gave him. "How much money did you bet?"
"Enough," Bobby said with an evasive smirk.
"I'm not reimbursing you when you loose your life's savings." Will muttered, shuffling the requisition papers on his desk.
"I'm not going to loose if I can get the info first."
"I'm not going to tell you anything, you fucking ass."
"I can always go ask Sam…"
"You bother Sam to make a buck and I'll tell Mikaela." Will growled, insanely pleased to see a flicker of fear. His 2IC was so whipped, and it was funny as hell. Another pair that wasn't expected, but at least Sam had someone to commiserate with about harsh reality of the military that their better halves had devoted their lives too.
Bobby shifted in his seat uncomfortably, "You wouldn't do that, would'ya, Colonel?"
"Don't bother Witwicky and I won't go to Banes." Will compromised, though with a great deal of order laced through his tone, as his muscles tensed in the 'fight or flight' response, eyes narrowed and looking very much like the officer that he was. Asking this of Sam would freak him out and make him worry unnecessarily, and Will would not tolerate that.
"Yes, sir."
Will nodded, relaxing and easing out of his officer mentality. He was on duty yes, but he was also with his best friend in a semi-off duty conversation.
"Speaking of our so-called better halves, aren't we supposed to meet them for dinner?" Will mused, and Bobby nodded, happy for the conversation change as a dopey grin crossed his face. Will was a bit amused at the expression the other man was wearing until he realized a similar smile had crossed his own.
Placing papers in their proper places, Will lamented a moment at being stuck behind a desk more than he liked as he moved to join Bobby at the door. Of course, seeing Ironhide muttering under his breath and stomping through the corridor further down, Will knew he wouldn't give up this job for the world.
Lennox and Epps, because they were no longer in the safety of his office and were on duty again, moved through the base efficiently, avoiding Autobots and personnel alike as they made their way to the mess-hall. It was crowded and the chatter washed over them like a tidal wave as they entered, heading towards "their" table.
In reality, Lennox hated the thought of "their" table, because it reminded him far too much of high school, and considering how long ago that actually was for him… Plus, no one beside original number that had first encountered the Autobots sat there, making Will feel like an elitist and he'd rather not think he was that far removed from those under his command.
"Colonel!" Mikaela grinned at him, perking up in her seat and just as beautiful as always even with stray curls flying everywhere and grease stains covering her jeans. She looked up at Epps through her lashes and purred, "Sarge."
Epps dark skin hid most of the blush, but from the younger woman's delighted laughter, she hadn't missed it. He still sat down next to her, ducking his head like an embarrassed schoolboy.
Hmph. And people called him a perverted lecher.
Maggie poked Mikaela in the side, drawing the younger woman's attention back to her, much to Epps relief. Lennox could relate, because having the attention of a much younger, incredibly beautiful lover could be so very intimidating. But that ability to relate didn't take away his enjoyment, after all, because he remembered that his and Sam's "courtship" had similarly been hilarious to those who knew them.
Fig was sitting next to Maggie, and Lennox watched them for a moment before shrugging it off. Mikaela would let Sam know if anything interesting was going on, even though the on base drama made both men feel like they were living in a soap. Ratchet, on the other hand, loved to observe the humans in their "native" element.
Speaking of Sam, he wasn't there and Lennox was pretty sure they had agreed to meet in the mess-hall for dinner.
"I think he forgot again." Mikaela, God bless her, piped up as she watched him with warm eyes.
Lennox sighed, and gave Sam's best friend a tired smile. "He works too damn hard."
The young mechanic returned a smile, "But that's why he has us, to remind him there is life outside his office."
The Lt. Colonel gave the few residing at the table a wave of goodbye before collecting a tray of food to bring to Sam. The younger man was probably starving, having yet to get over his 'teenage garbage disposal phase', and didn't that thought give Lennox the hives.
Damnit, he was not a perverted lecher!
It did help to think that Sam was technically old enough to be Annabelle's father, because Lennox wasn't sure he'd survive with that wide of an age gap. And the fact that Sam loved Annabelle like he was her father warmed the older man to the core.
Giving a grin to an amused Miles sitting at his desk and a nod to Trent standing at attention near Sam's other best friend, crew-cut shining in the lighting, Lennox purposefully did not think about why the marine would be hanging around the personal assistant.
Not bothering to knock, as Sam always had his door open for a literal 'open door policy', Will shut it behind him. Because now it was just the two of them, and Lt. Colonel Lennox was always left at the door.
He set the tray on the side of Sam's desk, taking the sight of the younger man. Sam's head was ducked close as he squinted down at the paper in front of him, obviously not realizing that the sun was descending and he was in need of a new light source. His hands were marked in differing colors of pen inks and band-aids were scattered over his fingers to cover the varying papercuts. The impeccable suit he had donned this morning was wrinkled with a loosened tie and untucked shirt, though Will would admit (with a smirk), that was more his fault than Sam's.
And even with all these obvious flaws, Sam was still one of the most beautiful people he had ever seen.
A moan filtered through the room as Sam noticed the food.
"I don't think I get that sound even in bed." Will said with a chuckle. It didn't mean he wouldn't try, though.
"If you brought me breakfast in bed..." Sam's smile was bright, and really, Will was too damn old for his heart to skip a beat like that. He was a thirty-six-year-old seasoned army officer, not a sixteen-year-old walking libido.
Of course, Will totally ignored his supposed age when he tried to kick Sam in the shin.
"Hey! It's your job to protect my person." Sam said between laughs as Will sat on the corner of the younger man's desk. It was also the only clear spot, and he winced internally at the sight of the tray now covering all of Sam's work.
Lord, please let this meal happen without an incident.
"We were supposed to grab dinner tonight, weren't we?"
That took Will completely of guard, because really, he hadn't expected Sam to remember. It wasn't that important, but from the look on Sam's face, apparently it had been.
"Sam, it was only plans for the mess-hall, stop freaking out." Sometimes, and he was sure this was something more than the age difference, Will didn't get Sam. Loved him with all his heart, yes, but actually get how he ticks? Usually never.
"I'm not freaking out." Sam was looking away as he was eating his burger, and the fry Will had snatched earlier began to churn in his stomach. Sam, I'm begging you, don't make a big deal out of nothing.
Because even though they had a great relationship and were as married as two guys working with the military could be, that didn't mean they didn't have problems.
"You have a PA," He ignored Sam's low mutter of secretary, because he didn't know why Sam insisted on that in the first place, "and I could have called Miles, or you, for that matter, to come and meet me."
The uncertainty he could see running through Sam's eyes was like a punch to the stomach. Will wished this self-doubt was the result of something, anything, physical, because that was something he could fight. But these doubts came from Sam, and Will thanked God that the younger man had such strong support from his family and friends. They believed in him, Will believed in him, and he knew it was only a matter of time before Sam realized that and began to believe in himself.
So instead of saying anything, he leaned over to gently wipe some ketchup from the corner of Sam's mouth so as to catch his eye.
"We are having dinner together, and I think your office is a bit more romantic than where everyone can ogle my so-called boy toy while calling me a dirty, old man."
"Who even says 'ogle', these days?" Sam's laughter rushed over him like a waterfall, and Will grinned as he relaxed.
And as Sam offered him a french fry, cold and soggy though it may be, Will couldn't help but grin wickedly. Wrapping his fingers over the soft skin of Sam's wrist, and the flutter of Sam's pulsepoint was accompanied by a feeling of such relief that he couldn't even begin to describe it, Will ate the food from the younger man's hand. Licking Sam's fingertips wasn't exactly standard, but…
…The flare of heat in Sam's eyes made it worth it. More than that, Sam was worth it.
Sam was worth everything.
"I do."
And he meant it.
--
So… yeah. I really have no comment. Except that, to me, Will would be much more likely to be bothered by the age gap than Sam. And there are some slight inconsistencies with these two companions, but I'm putting it down to differing POV. I couldn't fit everything in.
PS – Everything I know about the military is from the Stargate universe.
3
sporkie