Fandom: Transformers G1 Historical AU
Author: gatekat, Vaevade on LJ
Pairings: Mirage/Sideswipe/Sunstreaker, Jazz/Prowl
Rating: NC-17
Codes: AU, Sticky, Spark, Bonding, Twincest, Rape
Summary: When an untouched noble second creation joins the Autobots, the last thing he expected to find was love.
Disclaimer: The authors are only playing with their own twisted muses. Transformers belong to Hasbro.
Starcrossed Mirage 1: Wanting Something Beautiful
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~Hey Sides, you should see this mech,~ Sunstreaker purred deeply, his optics locked on the slender, light-armored racing frame that was watching rather than participating. ~He's gorgeous. I didn't think anything like him still existed.~
~Sunny, with your standards, I'm surprised anyone on base could be ranked as gorgeous,~ his twin answered with the clear sound of an optic roll coming over the bond. ~Lemme see. ... Ooh, he is. Damn I need to get to the start line, though. You'll have to initiate contact, bro.~
~Can't I just keep track of him...~
~Absolutely not! What if he gets away! Now go forth!~
~You know I suck at this.~ Sunstreaker sighed in resignation even as he made his way towards the deliciously lightly armored creature in light blue and white. "Umm. Hi," he extended his field to brush against the noble racer's, only to find it held much more tightly than most would and when he did make contact it was with a bristling leave me alone vibe that not even he usually wore.
A matching, archly cold expression greeted him when the mech glanced over his shoulder to see who was invading his space. "Yes? Do you need something?"
Definitely a noble. One with some rank to him, too, and an Autobot brand?
That didn't compute in a big way, but Sunstreaker steeled himself and gave the best, most honest complement he could. "There aren't many mecha who take care of themselves so well here."
A short, equally cold laugh greeted that and the mech turned to face him directly, with an expression that could only be described as scathing disdain on his face. "Right, let's hear it," he said. When Sunstreaker was too startled and confused by that to answer immediately, the optic brow just arched higher. "Well then, to cover my bases, I am aware that this is not a full service hotel and washrack. Additionally, I supply my own polish, thank you very much. If you're looking to discuss rates, you'll have to do so with my boss, but I warn you, I cost more than you'll want to pay, and if you try to lay a hand on me without both his permission and mine, first I will tear you apart, and then he will. If you don't have anything interesting or unique to say now, you can go away. Is that perfectly clear?"
"What crawled up your exhaust and rusted?" Sunstreaker's temper got the better of him and he puffed up in a reflexive threat display.
"Plebeians," Mirage said with a shrug as he turned back to the race that was beginning.
"I should have known. Noble isn't worth the scrap he's built from," Sunstreaker hissed, his temper escalating to the point that nearby mecha began to shift away uneasily. "You wouldn't survive a decaorn without protection."
"Luckily I have the kind of finesse so badly needed around here to warrant protection," Mirage said with a smug smile, not even bothering with a glance. "Run along, Sunbeam, I promise you don't want to mess with what I have in my corner."
Sunstreaker's engine roared with rage as he aimed a full-strength punch right for the noble's upper back.
The smaller mech ducked down before it could hit and then spun in a move that looked like it belonged in a dance instead of in a fist fight, leg shooting out and catching Sunstreaker's wrist with his ankle, knocking it effectively away.
And then he vanished.
As startled as Sunstreaker was at that, he's survived too long and trained for unfavorable conditions, including the loss of his optics, to be completely helpless against an unseen foe. He extended his field as far as he could and focused, seeking any hint of the mech that wasn't quite as helpless as he'd assumed.
He got about three nanokliks of notice to get his arm up next to his helm before the next kick could hit and he grabbed the leg, slamming the other mech down to the ground.
A surprised grunt as he hit, and a heel ground into his hand as the other leg squirmed away, and then Sunstreaker could make out the path the mech was taking through the crowds by the way mecha parted for nothing.
So he was running. Figured.
Sunstreaker huffed and let him go, slowly forcing his systems to stand down as he focused on the last of the race his brother was in.
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The next time either twin caught sight of the blue and white noble was at one of the regular metacycle base-wide combat meets, in which anyone in the Autobot army that hadn't won recently could sign up and compete for the top prize of double rations for the entire next metacycle.
Sideswipe was in the crowd waiting for his match to come up, watching the dozen or so paired-up circles in one of the early rounds when he spotted the flashing movements. ~Hey, Sunny,~ he smirked. ~Found that gorgeous thing that kicked your aft.~
~He did not kick my aft. He ran away,~ Sunstreaker snapped even as he focused where his brother was looking. ~He looks even better moving like that.~
Sideswipe purred in agreement. ~Better to watch from afar, though, the effect sours up close. Mm, your match is starting soon.~
~Yeah, thanks,~ Sunstreaker said, and took off through the crowd, leaving Sideswipe alone to watch.
His gaze kept coming back to the noble, fighting a heavier grounder, a small tank-former. His fighting looked more like a dance, and he was holding his own against a mech that looked three or even four times his mass.
Pit, better than holding his own, the noble was kicking aft. His opponent looked almost bewildered by the speed the smaller, lighter frame was capable of and it was an almost comical defeat as Mirage was moved along to the next round.
Sunstreaker's round came up, then Sideswipe's, and then the red twin found himself watching the noble as match after match went by and the three of them continued to advance towards the finals. By the end of the third orn, when it was down to the final eight mecha, the senior officers began to make their appearance.
Jazz could be counted on, both because he was social and because it was a given that at least one of his SpecOps mecha would be in the finals. It was a not-so-secret that Jazz was careful about which of his mecha were even allowed to enter. It was almost always restricted to the newer members, or those who didn't get into the field much. Sideswipe was fairly sure that Jazz also showed up because he and Sunstreaker were almost always finalists too, even if his brother disagreed.
What they both accepted was that Prowl's appearances were due to them. It was known that if they weren't in the finals, Prowl didn't show.
In the first round of the finals Sideswipe faced off against his brother, and that was by far the most attended match of the entire competition up to this point, including the others in the round. Just the news that the infamous frontliner twins were going up against each other seemed enough to draw most of the base.
Or at least it felt like it, with the way the crowd was screaming as they fought. That round lasted the longest, easily, as well, and in the end, Sideswipe only won by default, because he was the one more in control of the pin when the overtime ran out.
Everyone was so busy cheering at him as he limped out of the ring that the next match, the noble against a scout, went almost entirely unnoticed.
Sideswipe noticed, though, and he was starting to grow more and more impressed. And he wasn't about to admit it, but a little wary. The noble won in less than a groon.
Then it was four.
After quick field repairs he faced off against another frontliner, a big black mech with arm cannons that he'd watched level entire Decepticon units by himself. Blacklight was a brute, and one of the few cases where Sideswipe knew he had to rely on smarts and speed because strength and mass very much went to his opponent.
~Go get him. It's past time we got to enjoy the full spoils of your skill.~ Sunstreaker's mental support was completely with him, giving him an extra boost.
Sideswipe rumbled and stretched his neck as he stepped into the ring, his twin at his back and the crowd watching from every angle, and the cheer was absolutely deafening.
He could see Jazz and Prowl sitting together with the other officers, and even the Prime had shown up by now. The noble was waiting with his designated competitor for the round, a Seekerkin flight frame.
So great, no pressure.
Still, compared to the Kaon arenas-Sideswipe smirked as he felt his twin's rumble of agreement with that thought-this was nothing.
In the ring everything was a flurry of ducks, dodges, weaves, and for once he was by far the lighter fighter so Sideswipe was having to use every last bit of agility in his arsenal. Of everything, he found himself remembering the noble's techniques, and in the end, he brought Blacklight down in a hard pin to the deafening roar of the crowd.
His jubilant twin greeted him with a heavy thump to the back and they settled to watch the next match to find out which of the light, fast frames Sideswipe would be facing last. While both their optics were locked onto the stage as the competitors were introduced, they were also both performing field repairs on Sideswipe. He'd need every advantage he could get.
Mirage was introduced to vocal encouragement from Jazz and much of the crowd. The noble wasn't socially popular, but he was a vision to watch fight. His opponent gave away his best advantage with his designation: Sonic.
Mirage, however, was fast. The balance of the match went back and forth almost faster than could be followed by most of the audience, but Sideswipe was starting to get the kind of anxious feeling that Mirage was toying with his opponent. Oh, not by a lot, but enough that the effect was noticeable when Sonic wasn't pushing him almost into a pin.
~Sunny...~ he said, frowning, as the noble took a very real, very hard hit that he turned right back around on his opponent. ~Is it just me, or is he just...~
~Playing with him. Yeah. That hit hurt. He's tougher than he looks. But ... well, Jazz is cheering for him. And he turns invisible. He's got to be SpecOps.~ Sunstreaker murmured, watching the match with an even more critical optic. ~What isn't to want in that package?~
~Any part where he opens his mouth,~ Sideswipe snorted, and started to stretch out, only to bite back a groan at the mental image his brother supplied of one activity where they'd want the noble to open his mouth, just not to talk. ~Fragging unhelpful, Sunny. Yeah, he's gonna win this round. All right. Let's see who calls my twin a plebeian and gets away with it.~
As predicted, the match was over within another matter of kliks. Both finalists were afforded a grace period with a combat-certified medic and Jazz came down out of the audience to lend a hand. It became quickly clear that no one else was going to help the noble, whereas Sideswipe had his brother and a solid group of battlemates to help, so neither twin could begrudge him their carrier.
Then the grace period was over, and Sideswipe was facing the deceptively slender noble across the ring. The light blue and white mech with the yellow optics looked nothing like a mecha that should have made it to face Sideswipe in the final round. He didn't teek of it, either. Oh, Mirage was confident of himself and his skill, Sideswipe could tell that by stance and teek clearly enough. Arrogant, too. Granted you had to be good to make it to the finals, but not even Sideswipe was that arrogant, not even with his brother at his side.
Mirage moved first, a lightning fast dart and feint to strike at one of the few weak points in his armor: the hip joint. He blocked it, just barely, and then he was pushed into the defensive against a rapid series of spins and strikes towards other weaknesses that, if hit the right way, would definitely lose him this match. In the part of his processor that wasn't working out how to switch this around to the offense as rapidly as possible, Sideswipe had to admit he was impressed.
Actually, he was very impressed. Mech knew his strengths and weaknesses and knew how to find his opponent's.
And as horribly tempting it was to start flirting with him, Sideswipe kept his mouth closed and focused on the fight. Extra rations were more important than pissing the haughty noble off. The bond pulsed with wordless support, a simple, solid presence that backed him up and made him stronger for not being alone even when he was fighting alone.
Sideswipe finally got a good move in and caught Mirage's shin with his hand. It hurt, it would take an orn or two to stop aching, but he knew how to catch a far more powerful attack without crippling himself.
A quick flip had the noble pulled from his offensive stance and the entire rhythm changed after that as Sideswipe pushed forward, larger, denser, almost as fast and now with the clear advantage. He forced Mirage into defending his right, then dove in and grabbed the left ankle and gripped tight enough to weaken the joint without truly damaging it.
Even after that he was working, hard, to keep his advantage, but every step on that side was slowing the noble down and Sideswipe settled into a careful rhythm of picking at his weak points until he was worn down, and then went in for the tackle and pin. Once he had his hands solidly on that frame there was literally nothing the much lighter and weaker mech could do but submit.
What really surprised Sideswipe was the lack of negative reaction to the pin. Sure, there was no doubt that Mirage was not pleased to have lost, but Sideswipe swore he teeked something like respect as he let the noble up after the match had been called. Nothing at all like the bitter, resentful defeat that he tended to find in these.
Mirage tested his ankle out carefully, getting a feel for how much weight it was likely to hold, then gave Sideswipe a graceful nod that somehow managed to look like a full bow. "Thank you for showing me the areas in which I need improvement," he said, and when he wasn't being a downright slag sucker, his voice was actually ... nice.
~Expected. Nobles do care,~ Sunstreaker mused over the bond as Sideswipe moved to join him in the riotous crowd. No matter who won, the end was always a party. It seemed unlikely that many bothered to watch, but both twins kept an optic on Mirage as he made a careful path to Jazz, Prowl and Ratchet. ~You know, when he said his boss, I never thought it was Jazz.~
~And he apparently didn't tell on you,~ Sideswipe said with a snort. ~Jazz woulda thrown you in the brig so fast. You know how he gets about his agents.~
Unspoken was the bitter knowledge that Jazz treated his agents more like his creations than he ever had the twins.
~Yeah, and that would have been getting off easy too,~ Sunstreaker huffed before they focused on enjoying the good mood around them.
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~Just what did you do?~ Sideswipe hissed to his brother as they met up to answer the mutual summons down to the underground Ops base.
~Me!~ Sunstreaker said, affronted. ~I didn't do anything!~
~Right, Jazz is summoning us to his personal office because he likes us so much,~ Sideswipe said with a roll of his optics. They had to stop at the entrance to be scanned and have their IDs approved and then took a lift several levels down and over. Both were painfully aware that they were never not being watched once they passed the entrance and there was always someone close enough to stop them if they left the route they were expected to take.
~You never know,~ Sunstreaker said as they pinged for entrance and the door opened. ~Oh, slag,~ he said as they stepped in and he saw Jazz and Mirage waiting.
~It was you!~ Sideswipe said, equally surprised. ~...Why am I here?~
But Mirage looked just as surprised to see them, and Jazz just looked bemused at the expressions on their faces. He gestured for them to sit opposite his desk. "I'm reassigning you from Prime's Guard, temporarily," he began. "This is Mirage, he has an assignment taking him to the frontlines and I need him to come back in one piece. You're going to ensure that."
There was no missing the slightly startled ripple of displeasure across Mirage's frame, but he held silent and otherwise still, accepting the unwelcome addition.
Sunstreaker looked between the noble and Jazz a couple times. "Err, why us?"
Jazz gave them expression that looked like a silent, Really? and leaned back in his chair. "Because I don't know anyone more qualified for this than you two, and I need this agent back. I'm not above using my connections to get you on the assignment to ensure that."
"Yes, sir," Sideswipe answered for them both. "We'll bring him back alive."
"And unharmed, would be nice," Jazz said with a faint smile, but there was no mistaking the stress in his frame.
~So, never seen that look on him before,~ Sideswipe said dryly. Sunstreaker grunted in agreement.
"How long will you need to prepare?" Mirage asked with a sharp, icy efficiency. "I'm scheduled to take a transport out in eight joors."
"A lot less than that," Sideswipe said. "How long are we expected to be away from any base?"
"Nine to ten orns," Mirage replied coolly.
"We'll be ready," Sunstreaker nodded before Mirage stood without a word and left.
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Half an orn on a fast, light shuttle took them to the primary Autobot base in Tyger Pax and the twins saw the first reason they were going to be useful. Mirage was invisible when he followed them off the shuttle. Anyone watching would see the famous frontliners and not think about who they might not be seeing.
As per orders the pair were assigned quarters, got a ration and settled in to recharge for the night. The next morning they headed out on a patrol without any visible company. Half a joor into their drive Mirage finally made his presence known by appearing ahead of them and turning off the road.
A mental glance and shrug at each other and they followed without hesitation, driving behind the SpecOps mech until driving wasn't safe, and then walking behind him through conditions that they were well familiar with, and were somewhat surprised to see Mirage handling as easily as he was.
"We're camping here," Mirage finally announced when they reached a point that looked little different from the rest of it, but left them right on the frontline near a Decepticon base. "We will refuel and recharge ten joors per orn. You will offset your down time so at least one of you is on guard at all times. The rest will be spent there," he pointed to a ridge that would give a reasonably good view of the base. "You two will stay out of sight while I observe and get an idea of my target's routine."
~Haven't had that kind of schedule since we were in an active battle line,~ Sunstreaker muttered, both annoyed and quite surprised, and impressed, at how little time the noble was taking for rest and that he even knew how to organize a watch.
"Understood," Sideswipe nodded as he and his brother settled. They'd both recharged in these conditions more vorns than they cared to think about, and in worse ones for vorns they refused to think about. "Which joors do you want double guard?"
"When I'm off shift," Mirage said. "This is going to be a lot of sitting around and being bored, but if we're lucky, it should be over in five orns or so."
"Understood, nothing we're not used to," Sideswipe said, with emphasis on the we, still finding himself a little dubious about the noble's ability to stick to such a schedule himself.
"When are you starting your first watch?" Sideswipe asked, then to his twin, ~First or second?~
Mirage gave him a disdainful look that seemed to say, You're an idiot.. "Right now," he said, heading up towards his spot and pulling both a long-range rifle and a pair of field glasses out.
Sunstreaker glared at the noble's back as he walked away. ~You'd better take first watch or I'm going to punch him right in his stupid noble face.~
~No problem,~ Sideswipe patted his brother's shoulder and stood to follow Mirage.
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Four orns in, Sideswipe was getting a little restless. He was used to endless empty joors, but his joors had at least been filled with either walking or spending time with camp mates. Sitting in the same spot with absolutely nothing to do but watch the noble was about as interesting as the surrounding environment was scenic.
He'd spent a lot of time watching Mirage, actually, out of lack of anything better and he was more or less, well, shocked by how professional he was acting. Nothing at all like the finicky creature he'd expected. There were no complaints about the field rations or the recharging conditions, though he still took daily care of his frame, as much as possible given the environment.
Sideswipe checked his chronometer again-Sunstreaker was still in recharge-gave a dramatic sigh, and climbed up the hill next to Mirage.
"What are you doing?" Mirage hissed immediately. "You could be spotted!"
Sideswipe frowned at him. "And you couldn't?"
Mirage looked him pointedly up and down. "You are bright red."
"And you're bright blue and white," Sideswipe said with a shrug, settling down on his stomach next to him and looking at the base. "Whatcha looking for?"
"General Killdive. Starscream's SIC," Mirage whispered, his optics back on the base and its personnel movements.
Sideswipe looked back, and even straining his optics to the farthest focus he could barely tell mecha apart from this distance. He grabbed for Mirage's field glasses and looked through them, scanning the base. "If you're worried about being seen from here, why aren't you invisible?"
"You think that doesn't cost energy?" the noble scoffed. "The energon can't be spared for this mission."
Sideswipe tried not to roll his optics. "Just asking," he said, and huffed, settling in to watch the distant movements. After a while, during what looked like a shift change, Mirage slid back down the hill a little and reclined against it, pulling his rifle into his lap and taking it apart, as efficiently as he always did. Sideswipe actually thought that the noble might have spent more time on the weapon's maintenance than Sunny had on his frame.
The clicks of taking it apart were even and efficient and Sideswipe found himself a little mesmerized by the rhythmic movements and he slid down to join the sniper. "You ... really know how to take care of that," he said.
"Without it in perfect condition the entire mission will fail," Mirage pointed out simply, his focus on the movements of his hands over the parts as he inspected, polished, lubed and assembled them.
Sideswipe was reasonably sure that given a flat surface to work on, Mirage could, and quite probably had, done this blind. It took thousands of cycles of maintenance to get that smooth. It was something he expected of a frontliner in the field. It wasn't something one expected of a noble that up until now he wasn't sure had even been outside of Iacon's primary base.
"It's impressive, is all," Sideswipe murmured, leaning in a little closer to get a better look at the black hands. "For a noble."
Mirage shot him a scathing look.
"Er," Sideswipe tried to backpedal quickly, "For a noble as new to military life as you are," he said. "Just ... I was thinking you'd be a lot more, finicky."
"You don't know Jazz very well," Mirage managed to make the evenly spoken words a distinct insult. "I am Special Operations. No one is allowed out of training if they are not prepared to do what needs to be done without hesitation or complaint."
"Why don't I just stop trying to compliment you while I can still climb out of this hole, then, yeah?" Sideswipe chuckled.
That actually made Mirage pause and look at the red warrior with surprise. "You were trying to compliment me?" Even his tone was far less acidic.
"Well yeah," Sideswipe grinned at him, his best version of "dashing." "Social graces of a space slug, right? Can't blame a mech for trying." He leaned in a bit closer and lowered his voice. "Please tell me I did better than my less handsome twin."
An honestly blank look crossed Mirage's fine features. "When did he try?"
Sideswipe's optics cycled in surprise. "Oh, uh, just, you know, in passing. Obviously not very memorable. Luckily for me, because I really didn't do well with that. I'm usually a little better at this sort of thing, I promise."
Mirage turned back to his weapon, picking up where he'd left off without hesitation. "I do not recommend spending the energy. I do not indulge in affairs."
"It's always worth the energy to tell a beautiful, talented creature that I think he's beautiful and talented," Sideswipe said with an easy grin and shrug as he turned back to look over the desolate landscape, while he fought down a flare of disappointment. "Anyway, I'm not lacking in quick 'faces, wouldn't put nearly that much effort into it, believe me."
There was a flicker of something across Mirage's field. "What do you want from me then?"
"At the moment? Someone to talk to. I'm bored as slag. And I figured a compliment was more likely to get a response than an insult, right? But um..." Sideswipe hesitated. He really had just been bored, but ... well, no harm in trying. Worst that could happen would be getting clawed in the face, and that would heal in time anyway. It wasn't like they worked in the same department or saw each other often. He carefully lifted a hand to brush his knuckles almost against the curve of Mirage's helm down the side of his face, just a micron away from touching him, close enough to feel the warmth. "Long term, haven't quite decided."
He heard Mirage's vents, quiet as they were, catch just a fraction.
"I am only available to court for a bond, and only at Jazz's leave," Mirage said, barely above a whisper.
"...Oh," Sideswipe said, and his hand immediately dropped. "That's, well, that's kinda. Well." He cleared his vocalizer out a little, and got his grin back in face. "I can still talk to you, though, right? Without Jazz's permission?" He couldn't emphasize how important that last point was enough.
"Yes, I suppose so." Mirage settled himself by focusing on assembling his sniper riffle, a weapon that was nearly as tall as he was and heavy even by Sideswipe's standards. "You have a history with my commander?"
"We try to keep our interactions brief," Sideswipe said dryly. "He and Sunny are about as friendly as Prime and Megatron would be, I bet."
"Yet he trusts you with me," Mirage pointed out as he moved back up to the ridge.
"Yeah, 'cause even he can tell we're awesome," Sideswipe said, looking up at him and grinning, and let the noble settle back into his vigilant watch.
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On orn seven, Mirage was finally ready to set up for the shot.
"Remember, as soon as I confirm the hit, head back to base as fast as you can," he told the pair firmly. "I'll be invisible for the first joor, or until I'm sure we're clear of pursuit."
"Yeah, we've got it," Sunstreaker growled at him. "Just because we didn't have some fancy education doesn't make us morons."
Sideswipe elbowed his twin sharply. "Confirm the hit, book it to base. Got it." He looked up at where Mirage beginning to set up. "Can we watch?"
"So long as you can guard my back while you're doing so," Mirage shrugged before settling on his front and setting the heavy sniper riffle to his shoulder, two shorts flip-down legs supporting the long muzzle about halfway down the length.
The pair watched as he took several kliks to settle, calm and center himself.
~Snipers are creepy.~ Sunstreaker muttered, half his attention on Mirage, half on the surroundings. ~No way he makes it. Not even that gun is good at this range.~
~Betcha he gets close, though,~ Sideswipe sat as he tried to find the target that Mirage was focusing in on. ~He's obsessive about that gun.~
~Wish he'd be obsessive about something else big and hard that can shoot,~ Sunstreaker smirked.
~Not going to happen. Not when he needs Jazz's permission and courting to bond to spread his legs,~ Sideswipe muttered. ~You ever heard of such a thing?~
Sunstreaker snorted. ~Noble slag. They're so weird, good thing we got out early or we mighta ended up like him.~
Sideswipe spent a moment not actually sure which he would have preferred when he felt Mirage's field go completely cool and still. ~I think he's going for it.~
There was a heavy snap-crack of a physical projectile being sent downrange at several times the speed of sound. There was an actual delay, a distinctly noticeable one, while the heavy round flew towards its moving target.
It was so far outside expectations when the Seeker dropped that the twins didn't register it until Mirage was already moving and speaking to them.
"Go!" the noble hissed sharply before going invisible.
~Scrap me did you fragging see that?~ Sideswipe gasped as they scrambled down the hill. ~He made that shot!~
~I saw. I saw,~ Sunstreaker muttered, still in shock from it. ~Made it and that was no lucky shot. He's awesome.~
~Primus, he's amazing,~ Sideswipe said, and then when the roar of jet engines began to creep over them from the sky they ducked for cover. Sideswipe held his hand out, searching for Mirage and not finding him.
~He could be hiding in plain sight, you realize that,~ Sunstreaker said, swatting his twin.
~Yeah but...~ Sideswipe said.
~You're sweet on him,~ Sunstreaker taunted his brother, conveniently ignoring the fact that he was too.
~Am not!~ Sideswipe gasped as he pulled completely under cover to wait out the fly-over. ~Prissy little ... gorgeous, kick-aft, sharpshooter ... Ah, frag me,~ he groaned.
~Once we're clear.~ Sunstreaker snickered across the bond. ~Could be worse.~
~Could be worse?~ Sideswipe demanded, punching his twin's shoulder and glaring at him. ~Could be worse than needing Jazz's permission to touch him? Jazz's permission for his favorite agent? Not to mention, courting? Are you ready for courting? Because I am not ready for courting.~
~Never said it was good, just that it could be worse,~ Sunstreaker shrugged. ~He could be a Con.~
~Point,~ Sideswipe said as they peered out before taking off again. ~And-oh, then we'd have to deal with Prowl. Yeah, it could be worse.~
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They finally made it back to the base that had been set up as their recovery point-a relatively small outpost, but with enough mecha there to warrant several bunkers and a red area-and they still hadn't seen or heard from Mirage. The base's commanding officer was on duty when they arrived and got through clearance, and Sideswipe found him quickly.
"Our partner, Mirage, did he make it back? We haven't seen him yet," Sideswipe said, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Oh, yeah, little yellow opticked thing?" the commander nodded, and jerked his head down the hallway. "He got here last night. Hangs around in the rec room."
"Check, thanks," Sideswipe grinned at the mech as they headed off that way.
~Not surprised he doesn't want to be in the barracks,~ Sunstreaker said. ~Probably hasn't recharged yet.~
Sideswipe cringed a little. ~Wish I could say he's just being paranoid, but...~ They knew full well that just wearing the Autobots' symbol didn't make mecha any more honorable than they had been before, and the army had picked up its fair share of starving gangmecha. Both sides had. ~Is offering to stand guard too much, d'ya think?~
Because no one should have to go into recharge wondering if they'd boot to an overcharged, groping assaulter. The twins knew that too well.
~If we phrase it right, he might not be insulted...~ Sunstreaker suggested hesitantly. ~I don't know, maybe 'ready to recharge with us' and be real exact with the harmonics and all?~
Sideswipe mused that over for a bit. ~...Yeah, that might work.~ They got to the rec room, or what passed as it, and quickly spotted Mirage sitting by himself, back to a corner, and made their way over.
"So we were just there to be a get-away diversion, weren't we," Sideswipe said, not bothering to ask and pretending he didn't notice Mirage's startled look when they sat down with him. "Come on, you can be honest, we can take it."
"If I fired, yes. He did actually insist that I be guarded this time," Mirage huffed. "What is between you and Jazz?"
"What, that that slag sucker would offer us up as bait?" Sunstreaker grinned, and shook his head. "Couple bad brawls and I kicked his aft each time."
Mirage considered him, them simply hummed a light acceptance of the statement.
"So ... We were going to recharge. Ready to get some yourself?" Sideswipe asked cautiously, trying to be careful with his harmonics and glyphs.
Mirage studied them both for a long, hard moment, then nodded. "I believe so."
~Worked!~ Sunstreaker crowed as they all stood up together and headed towards the public barracks. All three of them got more than a few looks on the way, just for being unfamiliar faces. The twins casually flanked their companion, close enough to serve as a warning while still making it seem unintended, and Mirage didn't say a word when they found a set of three bunks, pushed them together and one twin lay down on either side of him. They weren't quite touching, but it was close.
Despite the impropriety, it allowed Mirage to finish several small defrag cycles with only booting halfway up in between as the big frontliners and their obvious positions made it clear it was a bad idea to approach Mirage. The past few orns had proven the twins' trustworthiness to guard him, and he had to admit, it was nice to have a reasonably friendly field so close. It felt ... safe.
It was pleasant, so very pleasant, that Mirage was reluctant to rouse when his internal alarm went off because the twins hadn't booted yet. There was no real reason to get up yet. Rations wouldn't be distributed for another three joors and the shuttle they'd take back to Iacon wouldn't be here for two more orns. So instead of getting up to begin another empty orn full of mecha not used to a noble's presence, he came fully online and stayed there on the berth between the twins, just enjoying the unique strangeness of being able to let his guard down for a little while. The twins were certainly committed to their assignment, he'd give them that. He'd been expecting them to get as far away from him as possible once the mission was officially over; he was aware that he wasn't the most friendly of creatures even on a good day. But they'd actually talked, which was a surprise, and despite their vastly different backgrounds they had at least a few things in common.
Oh, he knew that they'd be back to Iacon soon and the twins would return to the Prime's Guard and tell everyone about the strange noble they'd been assigned to guard, he would disappear back into Ops, and the chances of their different worlds interacting was almost nothing. He rarely ventured out of Ops unless on assignment and few were allowed to venture in. For now, though, being able to just relax a bit was a small miracle.
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Their paths crossed with Mirage's more than they would have expected, to the point where the twins almost wondered between themselves if the spy was helping it happen. Not actively, necessarily, but he showed more often at racing events and didn't make himself too hard to find or approach. They'd had another guard mission with him a few vorns after the first when Mirage had to go undercover, fittingly, as a Kaon noble with his own personal guard. Standing around silently looking intimidating had been simple enough, at least.
And after all of it, and growing tension that both parties knew existed but that neither would talk about, he was still unavailable except by courting. And that was starting to seem less and less daunting as time went on.
But still daunting enough that they'd waved it off as an encounter that was unfortunately never to happen, and put it, for the most part, out of their minds. They still had each other.
They shared quarters with the other mecha who served on the Prime's Guard, a common room with somewhat private berthrooms separated by curtains, and for once, they had it to themselves. Not that it tended to stop them when they didn't. Sideswipe moved over his twin, panting and gripping, face pressed to Sunstreaker's neck as they groaned in unison.
"Ha... ha... close," Sideswipe managed, and when his optics shuttered, he was imagining Mirage beneath him, around him, writhing and moaning in his arms.
"Good, want it, give..." Sunstreaker gasped in reply, his own imagination a mixture of Mirage between them and Mirage on top of him, driving into him.
"A-ah-!" their cries mingled into a unified cry of bliss, their frames stiffening from the cascade of energy surging relentlessly through them as Sideswipe pumped burst after burst of crackling, thick transfluid deep into his brother.
It was ... intense. The shaking was harder, longer, images of the noble vivid as they clutched each other and rode the waves out before collapsing back down, a little stunned.
"...Scrap," Sideswipe said.
"We're so fragged," Sunstreaker agreed with a groan. ~Who'd even know how to start?~
~Prowl,~ Sideswipe said firmly, carefully laying his head on his twin's chest. ~Prowl would know.~
~Yeah, Prowl would know. Or know how to find out. He could get away with asking that kind of thing.~ Sunstreaker agreed as he held his twin and they slowly cooled off. ~He's technically off duty in half a joor. Drop in on him just at shift end?~
Sideswipe nodded. ~We're ... actually going to look into this?~ he said, almost needing to hear it to believe it.
~Just questions,~ Sunstreaker said. ~Just to know. No harm in that.~
~Right, no harm in that,~ Sideswipe agreed quickly, and they gave a resigned sigh together.
Half a joor later and cleaned up better than they needed to be, they were peeking hesitantly around the corner into their sire's office, and Sideswipe cleared his vocalizer out.
"Come in," Prowl called out, his harmonics the usual flat tone that indicated his tac-net was running at full capability.
The twins glanced at each other and did so, coming to linger in front of his desk. "We ... had a question, if you aren't busy," Sideswipe said.
Prowl simply looked at them, waiting.
"Right, then." The red twin shifted on his pedes. "We were wondering-"
"-Hypothetically," Sunstreaker added.
"-Hypothetically, right," Sideswipe said, nodding, "If one were to want to go about courting a noble, how would one do that?"
"Hypothetically." Prowl repeated the word, turning it over in his processors several times as the tac-net backed off, recognizing this with Prowl as a question that was more in the mech's realm than the AI's. "The first thing to determine is the rank of the other mecha. Courting works very differently between relative equals than it does between a first and second creation. Then you need to determine what kind of arrangement you desire. Courting for a political bond differs from that for a lover or for a love-bond. Do you know any of those answers?"
They glanced at each other. ~Second creation, right?~
~Right.~
"Second creation," Sideswipe said. "And..." He looked back at his twin. ~I don't know, lover?~
~Didn't he said he was only available to court to bond?~
~Frag. He did.~ Sideswipe frowned. "Lover, or love-bond, I guess ... What does it mean, only being available to court to bond? It'd have to be courting for a love-bond?"
"Or a political bond, yes," Prowl nodded and a flash passed across his optics. "Mirage is a very proper second creation, even now. You will need to court for a love-bond, and Jazz will not let him go easily. Do not expect to bond before the war is over. You are unlikely to interface with him before that, either, at least in the context that you would think of it."
The twins' armor gave a startled, simultaneous twitch. "Who said Mirage? We didn't say Mirage," Sideswipe said, but it was a badly executed lie, even for him, and Sunstreaker just rolled his optics at his twin.
"Fine, but what do we do?" the yellow twin asked. "It's like we see him everywhere."
"Literally," Sideswipe muttered ruefully.
"You said a noble second creation. There is exactly one of those you've come into contact with. The other noble on base, excepting your carrier, is a first creation," Prowl informed them. "The first step is to ask permission of his creator or House Lord. In this case, Jazz."
"...Exactly how important is that step?" Sideswipe asked.
Prowl gave them a look that warned of dire consequences. "Very important. Not only is it an insult to Mirage to ignore getting permission, it will make Jazz furious if you try to steal his prize agent, SIC in-training, and probable replacement from him."
"So we ask Jazz," Sunstreaker said. "Seems simple enough. What else?"
"Comm ahead for it to be a proper meeting," Prowl instructed firmly. "This is a formal event of great importance even if it is only a few words exchanged in his office after work. Mirage will be there. Be clear what kind of bond you are seeking. If he agrees he will make it reasonably easy for you to spend time with Mirage to court and woo him. There will be an escort until you have proven you are honorable and will not take advantage of him. A formality in this case, but a very important one for Mirage to feel valued by his House Lord."
"And after that we..." Sunstreaker said, looking a little overwhelmed with just that much. They were used to something more like, "Hey, wanna frag?"
But Mirage was worth it. They hoped Mirage was worth it. That assurance pulsed over the bond between them. They'd thought about Mirage, wanted Mirage, more and for longer than they'd wanted almost anything short of their freedom.
"Will spend vorns going out with him to public places. Having energon with him. Getting to know him and allowing him to know you. Giving him gifts. You will court him as best you are able." Prowl paused and considered the pair. "It would help to try to make friends with Jazz as well. I know there are hurts that may never heal, but it would be good to try. You are asking for Jazz's creation. That you are his creations is not so relevant. You are the ones making the approach, what will be the dominant mecha in the bond. You may have noticed, or not, but Jazz is savagely protective of any he lets close to him. I would very much like to see you both join that small number."
The twins grimaced a little, glancing at each other.
"...We'll see," Sideswipe finally said. "So it comes down to survive Jazz..."
"...Refuel with him in public..."
"...Get him things-what kinds of things?"
"Pretty things," Sunstreaker shrugged. "And be nice to him." He looked at his twin. "Sounds easy enough, right?"
"Right," Sideswipe said, and grinned expectantly at Prowl.
"The gifts that will make the best impression on Mirage fall into two categories," Prowl offered the pair a small smile. "Things that show you understand culture, even if it is not much a part of your lives now, and things that show you have been paying attention to small details of his desires and preferences. He will not be obvious about it. As a second creation his function included being a background element until his bonded wished to show him off, then he was to dazzle all." He leaned back and watched them mull that over. "I will be here to answer questions in the future as you need it."
"Oh please," Sideswipe said. "We've got this, Prowl."
"Oh and, could you not tell Jazz?" Sunstreaker asked. "Just, let us do that?"
"Unless he asks me directly about our meeting, I will leave this to you," Prowl inclined his helm. "I wish you luck."
"Thanks!" Sideswipe said, offered a casual, mock salute, and left with his twin.
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A full orn after arranging the meeting with Jazz and the twins were becoming frustrated. The one time they really needed to find Mirage and he wasn't to be found in any of the spots they usually crossed paths.
~What do we do? We have to talk to him before he finds out in the meeting.~ Sunstreaker's frustration boiled over into shutting down much of his upper processor functions.
~You know, we could comm him,~ Sideswipe said, rolling his optics at his twin from where they were sitting in the mostly deserted viewing area for the race track. He had his pedes up on the seat in front of him and was absently watching the few racers down on the track practicing. ~Primus you get ridiculous under stress.~
~It's not like you thought of it very fast.~ Sunstreaker huffed back. ~And you never complain when it's a fight and it helps me move faster.~
~Yeah, well, never commed him before,~ Sideswipe grumbled, loading the frequency that neither of them had ever attempted to call before. ~And it's a good thing in a fight. Right now it just means I can't make you do it because you thought of it.~
~It's your job anyway. You're the oldest.~ Sunstreaker finally had a reason to find that tidbit amusing.
~Oh frag you Mister-I-Should-Have-Been-First,~ Sideswipe said as he pinged a connection request on Mirage's frequency. There was an unusually long delay, but just before Sideswipe was ready to give up the ping came back as accepted.
::What do you want?:: Mirage's smooth, haughty tones rolled across Sideswipe's internal receiver.
::Missed you too,:: Sideswipe said dryly while suppressing the odd thrill in his spark that the voice created. Primus help him. ::You're usually around these orns and the track is missing that particular condescending aloofness that we've gotten so used to. It's so ordinary and pedestrian around here. And boring.::
::So you are looking for a mech who can leave you in his dust?:: Mirage might have been laughing in good humor. Maybe. It was hard to tell at times. ::I believe I can spare a few joors to remind you what my taillights look like.::
::Spare me,:: Sideswipe said, grinning like an idiot. ::You know it doesn't count if we're looking at them from a lap ahead.::
::As if you have ever managed that,:: Mirage's haughty laugh sent a small charge racing through Sideswipe's frame, enough to catch his brother's attention. Sideswipe tried to quell it and just got a knowing smirk. A few breems later, that same voice came up behind them, making both twins start and turn to see Mirage appearing there, looking smugly down at them. "Well, are we going to race or watch others loop the track?"
Sideswipe's engine gave a funny turn-over. ~...I'm gonna chicken out if we don't talk to him before we race,~ he said.
~Then say it.~ Sunstreaker's side of the bond was positively buzzing with nervous anticipation. ~We can't not ask him first.~
~Me?~ Sideswipe protested futilely even as he stood up and stretched, giving Mirage an easy, relaxed grin. "Can we talk, first?" He jerked his head towards the side of the galley. "Less exposed than this."
Sunstreaker twitched and ruffled his armor to resettle it, earning a sharp look from Mirage as they walked. Despite his normally impatient attitude with them, Mirage allowed them time to get whatever they intended to say out.
"Okay, here's the thing," Sideswipe said once they were in a removed area of the stands, just a leftover corner that hadn't been useful to the design but necessary to the structure that gave a secluded alcove. Sunstreaker pulsed his support across the bond, his steady reassurance, and it gave Sideswipe the courage to step in close to Mirage and lift his hand, following the same, almost stroke along his helm that he'd done their first guard assignment. "We like you. We like you enough that ... we're willing to go through this whole thing, the courting thing, to see if..." He trailed off, looking into the spy's wide, yellow optics.
"If maybe, you might like us too," Sunstreaker said, and stepped in behind, hands ghosting over the curves of Mirage's frame without touching him.
"And so we have an audience, with Jazz, to ask for permission to, er, court you, for a love-bond. But only if you want to," Sideswipe added quickly. "If you don't it's okay and we'll back off and you don't even have to pretend like you know us. We just thought..."
"...Maybe if we feel this..." Sunstreaker murmured behind him.
"...You might too," Sideswipe finished, spark pulsing painfully in his chest.
Mirage's field gave a sharp flare that had settled by the time they'd finished talking. Shock, desire, disbelief were all there, but it was the fear that caught the twin's attention. In all their time together, Mirage had never teeked of fear. Not even when things weren't going well.
It had an immediate almost panic effect on Sunstreaker, as uneasy as normal social interaction made him when going well, something this important potentially going badly was enough to make him move immediately away in several long paces.
Sideswipe looked at his twin, then back at Mirage, uncertain, and then decided that backing away seemed like a safe course no matter what Mirage was thinking. "Sorry," he blurted. "Did we-is there some-did we screw up already? Frag I'm so sorry, Mirage."
"No," the spy answered quickly. "I never ... I apologize. I never anticipated that anyone other than another noble, a first creation, might even think to try for me. Jazz made it very clear the last time that he is not going to give me up easily. It is a shock. I ... like you both. I do not believe he will allow it."
That got both twins immediately and raptly focused. "Why?" Sunstreaker growled, aggression in the subglyphs that was directed at several sources, none of them Mirage. Simmering anger quickly chased away the mild panic, and Sideswipe frowned, cocking his head at Mirage.
"If there's some problem, we'll fix it," he said. "We'll learn all the little rules and things, we can wait long enough to do it all right and proper and stuff."
Mirage looked between the pair and decided to explain as best he was able. "How much do you know about noble society in relation to bonded mates?"
Sideswipe carefully stepped back in when they decided that the noble definitely wasn't upset with them. "There can be courting for political bonds, love bonds, and to be lovers," Sideswipe said, almost proudly, remembering what Prowl had said.
"But also contracts," Sunstreaker cut in sharply. "Creations can be sold into bondage, too."
"It is all true," Mirage inclined his helm as his field reached out hesitantly for Sideswipe. "The primary factor here is that I was an untouched second creation when I came to Jazz. Without a House or bonded to look to, he became my Lord, the leader of my House. The one with the right to decide my fate. Once my coding decided that he was my Lord, I adapted to suit him and what he needed of me. However, once I bond, that same code will focus on my new bonded, my new Lord, and Jazz will loose control of it. He will not give me up easily."
"Yeah but ... we're just asking to court, right?" Sideswipe asked as his field brushed back, and when just that touch made him shiver. "There's not even a guarantee of a bond at the end, and besides, that's a huge step."
Sunstreaker snorted in agreement. "We're not looking to rush into that either. But..." He hesitated, glanced up at his twin, silently asking him to explain what he was feeling, pulsing through the bond.
Sideswipe smiled slightly. "Look, we're not good at this slag," he said. "Obviously. Just, if the only way we're allowed to touch you is to court you..." He leaned in, mouth almost against Mirage's as he whispered. "...Then it's worth it. What harm could Jazz find in that?"
Mirage's vents caught at the almost-touch and brush of air across his sensitive plating, want flaring in him. "But in the end, you want more than to just touch?"
"Dunno about the end," Sideswipe murmured.
"Just what we want now," Sideswipe said, behind the smaller noble again. "And we know that we aren't allowed to have all we want."
"But anything would be better than nothing."
"Please, Mirage, say we can at least try," Sunstreaker whispered longingly.
"Yes," Mirage shivered at the tone and intensity of desire in their fields as they mingled with his own. It was nearly enough to draw a groan of frustrated want from him. "Yes, ask Jazz for me."
The elated thrills that went through their fields did nothing to dampen the twins' own want that pushed in heavily around the noble, pressing him from both sides, desire that had been pent up for so long coming free.
"In three orns," Sideswipe said, not moving.
"...Is this okay, what we're doing?" Sunstreaker asked.
Mirage groaned, his field flaring hot and bright between them as he pushed back. Slender fingers reached out to grip the top edge of Sunstreaker's chest plates. "So long as you know how to finish."
They took that touch as permission and stepped in flush on either side of him, fields twining and wrapping together. "We know," Sideswipe whispered, hiding how uncertain he actually was of that fact, just barely managing to suppress his shivers and nervousness from what they were doing.
Frames came closer, touched, pressed and Sideswipe brushed lip plates together while Sunstreaker settled his hands on Mirage's waist. The lithe noble moaned and shuddered between them, flaring his field out, caressing circuitry and even their spark chambers.
With a groan of his own Sunstreaker pressed his mouth to Mirage's claiming a chaste but heated kiss that only broke when the noble whimpered and tried to pull back. Their armor was panting lightly, flaring and contracting to force additional air movement. Mirage's field moved with their armor, his optics lightly glazed and bright with arousal.
"We ... we shouldn't..." Mirage tried, trembling as coding snarled to life inside him, angry and demanding that he behave. "Should ... a first creation. I'm broken. I shouldn't feel this. Only for a first creation."
The twins glanced at each other, optics that were dark with lust but that suddenly understood something.
"...Our carrier is a second creation noble," Sunstreaker said. "Well, was."
"And we were his first carry," Sideswipe added as he drew back enough to let Mirage be able to understand what they were telling him. "Sparked by his contract bonded."
"Kind of counts?" Sunstreaker said, hopefully.
Yellow optics flashed in shock, but Mirage's field fluttered with hope. "Yes," he managed not to moan. "Who emerged first?" he glanced between them, rapidly reviewing what he knew and making an educated guess as he looked at Sideswipe.
"Me," Sideswipe confirmed with a nod. "And um..." He reached out to his twin as they shared a question over the bond.
~Do we tell him?~ Sunstreaker asked uncertainly.
~He'll find out eventually and it'll probably be worse if it isn't us and now,~ Sideswipe sighed. "Actually, Mirage..." He curled his finger under the noble's chin, tilting his face up and relishing the flicker of pleasure he felt for the contact. "Our carrier was Jazz."
Two facts warred for Mirage's attention in the next instant. Who, and the past tense. He settled on asking about the tense to give himself more time to think about the who.
"Was?"
"He mighta carried us, sure, built our protoforms," Sideswipe said with a shrug.
"But that's all the carrier he ever was," Sunstreaker said, his voice laced with a growl. "He was never a creator to us."
Mirage processed that, snug between the larger, heavier frames. "What happened?" He asked softly. So many possibilities swarmed through his processor that he wanted to know the correct one.
"...In brief?" Sideswipe said, cringing a little. "Dunno if he's told you about Vortex? But he had to have this blocker put on which blocked the carrier bond too and then he glitch hallucinated us as Vortex and tried to kill us, so Prowl sent us away. Aaand he probably doesn't want us telling you all that."
Sunstreaker snorted, dipping down to nuzzle against Mirage's neck. "Yeah, and?" he said. "Who cares what he wants?"
"We do," Sideswipe hissed at his twin, then forced himself to settle. "We have to, now."
"I will not repeat what you've just said," Mirage promised softly. "That is why you look nothing like your creators, then?"
"They think we mighta picked up the frame traits from their Simfur builds," Sideswipe said. "Most of the protoform development was from those. They didn't move to Praxus until after we emerged."
"And Vortex was just spark, they left before he could contribute," Sunstreaker said. "Unfortunately for my ground-bound twin."
Mirage opened his mouth to object to the idea that superficial frame design and protoform design had much in common, then thought better of it. "So you are first creation nobles by spark line." He couldn't quite help the giddy pleasure at that. "It does explain the attraction we have."
"Sure, I guess?" Sunstreaker said, engines rumbling contently, mostly just focused on how good Mirage's armor felt, clean and smooth and polished.
"If you say so," Sideswipe agreed. "Is that why Jazz said no to the last mecha that asked?"
"Mmm, no, he was a first creation," Mirage hummed with pleasure. "I am not sure why he was turned away, though I am glad he was. I do not like him."
"Good," Sunstreaker said firmly, and there was a possessive tone to his voice.
Sideswipe soothed his twin over the bond as best he could. "So it's more than us just being first creations," he said, and couldn't stop his huge grin and the incredibly proud flush that came to his field. "You liking us."
"You respect me, respected my limits even when they made no sense to you and went against your own desires," Mirage murmured, content between them. "It will help with Jazz, he does want his agents happy, at least when it is possible. I am glad he is only my adopted Lord and creator, or this would be very odd."
"Heh. A little," Sideswipe agreed, nuzzling the noble's helm. "Helps that we don't think of him as a creator. That's Prowl if it's anyone."
"Only a little?" Mirage quirked an optic ridge at him.
"Maybe a lot?" Sideswipe shrugged. "Dunno, we've got a strange family. Sunny 'n me are only the half of it."
"So I am gathering." A touch of humor danced across Mirage's field. "Have you ever shared before?"
"Sometimes," Sideswipe answered, and his twin rumbled in pleasure from the memories. "Mostly 's just us."
"Just ... us?" Mirage repeated, uncertain at asking but needing to know. "You are mates?"
Sideswipe suddenly teeked very uncomfortable and Sunstreaker growled. Mirage cringed at their displeasure.
"No one ever..." Sideswipe said, looking firmly to the side. "We didn't know we weren't supposed to, and ... we've always had the spark bond, it seemed like what we were supposed to be. Sunny, he's..." He looked at his twin. "He's Sunny. He's mine. I'm his."
"Other twins that we met were the same," Sunstreaker said.
Mirage simply nodded, acceptance weaving outwards along his field. "It only matters so I may know what to expect if Jazz agrees." His voice soothed them. "Legally we are all brothers and I hope you may court me."
"Hope so too," Sideswipe said, and arousal licked back around the edges of his field.
"Who was the other?" Sunstreaker asked suddenly. "The first one that asked for you. Why didn't you like him?"
"Tracks. He wanted a trophy mate and thought that because my House Lord was not related by spark that I would be easy to acquire." A mischievous smile crossed Mirage's features. "Jazz showed him otherwise. I may not be related by spark, but I am his far more than even my creators cared for me."
Something bitter went through the twins' fields that was quickly pushed aside.
"Tracks can suck slag," Sunstreaker said, smirking. "Slagger's worse than I am."
"Just because he called you dingy," Sideswipe said, rolling his optics before they focused back in on Mirage. "We'll get through Jazz." A nervous thrill, as if he had suddenly remembered where his hands were when he looked down at the smaller mech between them. "Um ... Prowl said there would have to be an escort?"
"Yes, likely another spy." Mirage nodded. "They are to ensure you behave well towards me. It will be a good sign when Jazz calls them off and allows us to meet unescorted." He leaned in close to Sideswipe and lowered his voice. "That is when you may ask for a contract," he purred. "With the contract signed, my seals are yours to break."
"S-seals?" Sideswipe almost stuttered.
~Untouched, moron,~ Sunstreaker said, currently the calmer of the two, basking in being able to touch and stroke the loosened plating beneath his fingers.
~I thought that meant like unbonded!~ Sideswipe snapped. ~Who even has seals anymore?~
~The mech we want.~ Sunstreaker replied evenly and kissed Mirage's neck.
"Yes, Jazz respected my desire to remain untouched for my training," Mirage purred, openly proud that he was still a proper second creation. "Only my Intended has a right to use me that way."
"Right, yeah," Sideswipe said, staring and trying to force himself to settle. He didn't know how to break seals properly, and there had to be a better way because their way had hurt like slag and the idea of doing that to Mirage was horrifying. Sunstreaker reached across the bond and caught him before he could go into a downward panic spiral. "Guess that's a while from now, though. Can we still..." His fingers moved in tandem with his twin's, stroking and caressing. "'Cause Jazz got in slagging tons of trouble just for kissing Prowl, should we stop?"
"I ... should not have allowed you to touch at all," Mirage admitted. "But I want ... I know how to pleasure without interfacing."
Sideswipe's engine revved up in pitch but he managed to throttle himself back somehow. "...After Jazz gives permission, with the escort, will that still be okay then?"
"Not at first," Mirage murmured, pressing against the powerful red frame. "Not until the sixth date, at the earliest."
Sunstreaker made a noise that was almost a whine. Now that they'd stopped fighting it and given in, the idea of letting go was almost painful. "No one's escorting now," he said quietly.
Mirage flared his field into them, hot and seductive. "Just hold on and allow me."
It made the twins shake and clutch him. What Mirage had done in just a moment was lightyears beyond the kind of field work they'd been doing earlier, just pressing their arousal and desire into him. It was ... not like anything they'd ever felt.
"How..." Sideswipe whispered, optics wide.
"I was well-educated before the Towers fell," Mirage said as if it explained everything. His field swirled around them, through them, caressing circuits and their spark casings until they both were trembling with the charge. "There are many ways to pleasure another without breaking seals."
"Um-good," Sideswipe managed, as Sunstreaker experimentally pulsed his field in return, feeling and mimicking what the noble was doing, trying clumsily to return it. At the very least, he could press back how much he wanted this mech, this talented, polished, confident mech.
Sideswipe leaned in and took Mirage's mouth in a sudden kiss, deep and wanting and moaning against him. As Mirage returned it, expressing his intense desire by breaking the rules he'd existed by for so long, he delved his field deep, thrumming against their spark chambers in time to their sparks and focusing energy in the interface arrays between their legs.
Covers slid away, automatically and with no way to stop them, the twins having never learned the kind of self-control that Mirage was still displaying. Sideswipe delved with his glossa, dancing with Mirage's, and his spark soared in his chest, trembling and hot and the bond was alive with excitement and risk.
Sunstreaker leaned around and turned Mirage towards him, breaking off the kiss he'd been sharing with his twin and taking his own. Mirage returned it just as ardently as he had with Sideswipe, a reminder that it wasn't just one twin he wanted.
The pulse and intensity of Mirage's field pushed and caressed, stroking their charge and poured energy directly into it. The noble moaned softly at the feedback, holding his frame still and focused on his field and what he had long ago given up on ever using to fuel their pleasure.
It took almost no time at all for the twins to peak and then crest into a shuddering field overload as they gripped each other and the smaller mech between them, their fields spasming with new-finally-bliss-joy-yes! as they shouted together.
Mirage continued to work their fields as they came down, softening the descent for them and holding still only through willpower. It was distinctly uncomfortable now that they'd overloaded and the twins easily teeked as much.
"You didn't..." Sideswipe finally managed, and with effort, closed the panels that had opened while Sunstreaker did the same, purring against the spy.
"It is not yet time for that," Mirage said with surprising ease. "I should not have let any of this happen." He tried a very light push against the much heavier frame of Sideswipe. "We should not touch until it is time."
Sideswipe sighed and rested their helms together for just another moment before backing away out of touching range, but stubbornly not leaving teeking range. "The meeting with Jazz is three orns from now, he said he'd make sure you were there. Not sure what he thinks it's about, we didn't mention that part."
"We kind of want to live at least three more orns," Sunstreaker said, rolling his optics and slinging an arm onto his twins shoulder as he came around to face Mirage.
"He didn't deactivate Tracks, he won't deactivate you," Mirage told them, once more completely his proper self with no hint of the charge racing through his systems. "I look forward to his approval, if it can be arranged," he lifted his helm slightly. "Are you still inclined to race?"
"Are we," Sideswipe said, grinning. "With the temptation of getting to look at your taillights on offer?" He looked at his twin, who smirked back at him, and jerked his head towards the lift. "C'mon, let's go make sure this prissy little race model doesn't scrap our afts, at least."
