He's beautiful and that's why Megatron wants to destroy him.
He's powerful and that is why Starscream wants to be him.
The rationale makes no difference to me.
Megatron will either take him by force or he won't. He will either bend those delicate wings backward and push the Seeker down for a brutal interface or he will continue to swallow his desire along with his energon and glare at the Air Commander from across the sky, pretending not be enraptured by how beautiful he is when he flies.
Starscream will either survive or he won't. It will either be a life at Megatron's side as his second, muttering darkly about the failures of his command, or a glorious and painful death.
I'm betting on the second one. For both of them.
It's just as well. A sparkbond between them would be impossible. They both would go offline if it were attempted. I think Megatron knows this and so keeps his distance. I think Starscream suspects this and so taunts Megatron with his beauty, keeping just ahead, just out of reach. But he will overreach himself one day and that will be the day Megatron will have to choose between lust and victory. I know Megatron well. Starscream is doomed, either way.
Unless … I take it to myself to save him. For love. He needn't know about my desire for him. My love for him. He thinks me incapable of it anyway. Perhaps it's better that way. He needn't know the choice I have run through my processor. He needn't know. I cannot save him, I know this. But I can keep him on-line for a bit longer. Perhaps that will be enough.
Megatron is waiting, and I have made my decision. I rise and go to his chambers. He calls me forward.
"Well, Soundwave?"
I hear the desire in his voice. I do not need to read his mind to know that it is not the name he wants to say, not in that voice.
"I am at your command, Megatron."
I wait for his nod. It does not come. He removes his fusion cannon instead. I see him look over my shoulder as if waiting. I say nothing. I know that the Seekers have not arrived yet. I know that their mission was a failure, that the Autobots soundly defeated them. They did not complete their task to fill the requisite energon cubes. There will be punishment, but it will not be as severe as it could be. Thundercracker and Skywarp will get off lightly, but Starscream will receive some harsh treatment, perhaps just words this time. My presence in Megatron's chambers insures that. After overload, Megatron is more relaxed, almost friendly. He won't have the energy to use violence. I will ensure that, as well.
Megatron has stopped looking past me. He engages the lock on his chambers and I see his optics spark and glow like the deepest crags of the Pit.
"Come to me, my loyal officer." His vocalizer is heavy with desire, but his optics are closed. I can see into his spark. It is not me he is calling, but I come anyway. He places a servo on my shoulder and forces me to the ground. His cable is already exposed and dripping slickly. I look up at him, wondering if he will watch me, knowing he will not. I touch his processor, gently so that he will not notice my intrusion. Yes … he is imagining warm grey lips on his cable, but not mine. His processor is whirring, images of Starscream in flight, spreading his glorious wings are prominent. I find it interesting that he is not fantasizing about Starscream doing what I am to do, but rather he becomes aroused by images of the Seeker in flight or in battle. They excite me, too.
I lean forward and touch my glossa to the tip of the cable. I hear him hiss and I continue, encouraged. The Seekers have returned. I can feel their apprehension, their fear at telling Megatron they have failed. I feel Starscream's fear of ending up in medbay again. I coordinate my movements to my leader's sharp breathing. I must not fail to please him. It's the only way. It is always the only way. One day, it won't matter. One day, Megatron will not be so easily soothed and Starscream will be doomed. It is inevitable.
But it will not be today.