A/N: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! I'm so sorry about not posting anything lately but a lot of stuff has been happening so I haven't had time. But I'll keep trying, planning, and writing I swear upon the Allspark! I want to say thank you to JediWolfGirl for giving me the idea for this one shot so go check out her stories on Wattpad and read and review! Also let me know in your reviews if you want me to make this a collection of one shots with other pairings.
"Ey Prowler! Here's da reports you've been bugging me fo'"
Prowl's door wing twitches as the saboteur saunters into his office and drops a data pad in his lap. It was literally in his lap! Looking up from his screen he saw Jazz was sitting on his desk, leaning towards him with his helm resting on his servo. Snapping his wing up into a sharp V, Prowl narrowed his optics at the bot.
"Get off my desk"
At this the bot just grinned before leaning in even closer towards Prowl.
"Naw, ah kinda like it up here. Never been this high up befo'."
Not looking up from his screen Prowl replied. "That statement is false. You have been sitting in places with greater height than my desk."
"Really? Like where Prowler?"
"My destination is Prowl. If we are referring to height as the distance from the bottom of your pedes to the ground, the C-17s we travel in when answering a possible Decepticon disturbance achieves greater height than my desk. You also obtained a great height when foolishly challenging Megatron atop a skyscraper in Mission City. A greater height was also achieved-"
"Rhetorical question Prowler. Anyway, you free tomorrow?"
"No."
Frowning, Prowl also saw that Jazz's day was occupied as well with two patrols, monitor duty, a medical check-up with Ratchet, and co-teaching a training session with Ironhide. This gave the silver spy about two hours to himself for the day.
"From what this schedule displays neither are you. Now if that is all I have other matters to attend to. I'll be sure to look over your report."
Allowing himself a quick glance at the silver bot he saw the mech's posture was slightly deflated, his lip plates had a downward tilt to them. But, to use human terminology, in a blink of an eye he had regained his carefree attitude.
"Yeah that's true. Thought ah do got bout two hours to mahself, care to catch a few cubes and kick it in the lounge?"
Prowl grimaced and shook his helm. "No thank you, I dislike the lounge and I have a sufficient supply of energon cubes in my office. Good cycle."
With that Prowl turned back to the monitor screen, signaling the end of the conversation.
Sighing quietly, Jazz hopped down from Prowl's desk grinning.
"Suit yourself Prowler. If ya change your processor you know where to find meh."
Prowl gave an acknowledging flick of his right wing as he continued to type until he heard the swish of the door opening and closing after Jazz. Pausing in his typing Prowl looked back at the door from where Jazz had left. Checking his chronometer, he decided to take a short break and took the cube Jazz had left for him.
Taking a sip of the plain energon, Prowl sat back in his chair and began to process. He was well aware of the motives behind Jazz's line of questioning. Tomorrow was the human holiday called Valentine's Day where the human's celebrated their love and affection for their mates. To Prowl the holiday was highly illogical. There shouldn't have to be a specific day where you make your affection for your mate known, you should do that on a regular basis otherwise what is the point of tying your life to them if you only show affection for them once a year?
Why spend so many credits on things that will not last? The little pieces of colorful, folded up paper will become lost within the week, the sweets eaten, the flowers discarded, so what is the point? It was illogical. Tapping a digit against the cube's side, Prowl was drawn out of his processing by the door opening.
"Hey Prowl I was wondering if-uh, hey you ok?"
Blinking, Prowl cleared his vocalizer and subspaced his half empty cube.
"I am functional and operating within normal perimeters. Is there something you need Major?"
"Uh, ok. Yeah, some of the guys were wondering if we could decorate the mess hall and have a dance or some kind of event for tomorrow. Here, I have a schedule of events and the plan to guys put together."
Leaning down, Prowl zoomed in his optics to read the incredibly small hand writing on the flimsy sheet of paper.
"Tell me Major Lennox, what is the significance of Valentine's Day? It is highly illogical and serves no productive purpose."
"Oh, gee. Well, I'm not completely sure how to explain it. But Valentine's Day is supposed to be a day where humans celebrate their loved ones by making a nice meal for them, cleaning up, buying them things, or taking them to a fancy place. It's where we men can basically show our women a good time and let them know we love and appreciate them even if we don't say it or show it as often as we should or like."
"Is that not things that should be done regardless of the day? As mates you should show your affection for one another no matter the cycle, otherwise what is the point of tying yourself to the other if you only express your affection for them once a year? The exchanging of gifts is also highly illogical since both parties will either lose or discard the gift a few days after. The flowers, candy, and pieces of paper you exchange have no significant or long lasting value so what is the point? They will be forgotten within the week and lost."
"In an ideal world yes that should happen and I do my best to do that. But you of all people know that life is far from ideal. We express our love for each other on other days too not just Valentine's Day. The holiday is just there to keep us humble and remind us of all the good things in life we have. It gives us the opportunity to show the other how much we care for them and for some of us the holiday gives us the courage to do or say something we normally wouldn't. You're right about Valentine's Day becoming too commercialized but isn't it the thought that counts? Just knowing someone cared enough about you to get you something special?"
Prowl sat there, slowly processing the things the Major had said. So this holiday served to honor the loved ones in a person's life. On Cybertron there was no such holiday and your actions were restricted by which ever caste you were in. The lower casts would work in the factories, in the mines, or fight in the pits. There was no time or credits to show affection for any bot. The middle classes were restricted but had more freedom to do as they please. They could walk the streets of Cybertron, visit the pub once in a while, and have a few extra credits to buy copper candy or spices for their mate or intended's energon. The nobles were restricted to show their affection for each other in private since public displays were considered shameful and not of their caste. Even before the war it was rare to find one's sparkmate whom they truly felt affection for. The caste system was unmoving and unmerciful, you were sparked into the same caste as your creators and you would offline in the caste of your creators. Bots of different castes were forbidden to mingle. The lower castes perhaps had more freedom in this regard, no bot really paid them any mind and their line of work often resulted in premature offlining. The nobles had their mates chosen to them by their creators based on status, wealth, and successfulness. The middle class perhaps had the best probability of finding a mate.
However, this holiday did not seem as illogical as before. What Major Lennox had said was correct. The world was far from ideal. If it was ideal they wouldn't currently be fighting a war, their home would still be able to sustain life, and there would be no unmoving caste system which placed the Cybertronian race in an age of stasis and began the war. Perhaps the closest thing Prowl could associate Valentine's Day is a bot's Sparking day. Similar to the human concept of a birthday, on the cycle for the bot's Sparking friends and family would do their best to celebrate the bot's existence. The bot being celebrated knew their friends and family held a deep regard for them, but the occasion was a reminder and the memory served to brighten dark days. They too would receive gifts, albeit more practical and long lasting. While some aspects of the holiday still seemed illogical, Prowl had all the data needed.
"Um, Prowl? You ok?"
Blinking, Prowl's wings twitched upward and he sat up.
"Yes, my apologies. Very well, I have no qualms about holding an event for the holiday. I am sure Optimus would not mind either, the team could use the moral boost."
"Ok thanks Prowl, I'll be sure to tell the guys." Turning, Lennox began to make his leave.
"Major Lennox"
Pausing, Lennox faced Prowl.
"Yes?"
"Thank you for informing me of the significance of this holiday. I wish you and the other soldiers a good time."
"No problem big guy. You going to come? I know Jazz offered to DJ and a few other bots will be there as well. The hanger is big enough for even Optimus and Ultra Magus."
Prowl shook his head, turning back to his monitor and powered it down.
"No I have other plans."
XXXXX
The next day when Jazz awoke he found a cube of energon, tin curls, rust sticks, alloy pretzels, and a datapad by his door.
Jazz
You are a constant distraction to me and deter me from my work. Trying to figure you out occupies most of my time and processing capabilities. You constantly find ways to bend the rules and regulations I set in place to maintain peace and order, finding amusement in testing just how far you can bend said rules and regulations. You're spontaneous and unpredictable, nothing you do has a logical pattern that would result in a predictable outcome. You chose to throw caution and logic to the stars. You constantly cause me to crash by the things you do and my apparent inability to compute and anticipate your next move. You are the most illogical being I have ever come into contact with and I pray to Primus that that will never change.
Your distractions often serve as comic relief from a long, stressful day of liaisons and reports. When you bend the rules and regulations I set in place you teach me to be creative and compute every possible outcome, even the illogical outcomes that have less than a 50% change of occurring. Your spontaneous and unpredictable nature keeps me intrigued and on my pedes. By throwing caution and logic to the stars you show me that often a leap of faith and determination is all you need to succeed. I enjoy trying to compute and anticipate your next move, me crashing as a result of you defying my calculations only serves to fuel my interest to learn more about you.
I once thought of you as the greatest nescience in my life and now I think of you as my greatest teacher in life. You keep me going when I feel like giving up. When logic fails you are there to offer a different solution, one so illogical that I would have never thought of it and even then I would remain skeptical. Often, when I become absorbed in my work and neglect my maintenance you are there to pull me away.
I had thought that my only purpose in continuing to fight was to avenge the deaths of the many fallen bots and uphold the autobot beliefs. Now, I find that I fight for you. It has taken me mega-cycles to see it and I am sorry for not seeing it sooner. I fight to protect you. I fight to keep you safe. I fight so that I may have a future with you. Jazz, you are my purpose, my drive, my teacher, my friend, and somewhere you became my intended.
I have cleared both our schedules for today. Will you do me the honors of meeting me at these coordinates? I wish to celebrate you this day and make you my Valentine if you will have me.