This started out as a random thought, and was going to be a one shot but now it'll probably have another chapter or two, that being said I'm not completely sure when those chapters will occur...I'm going to shoot for very soon...but who knows.

Un-Beta'd and not at all owned by me.

with love- The Bunnynator

Base was quiet as the night cycle got late. The special ops corridor was a little less quiet, bots came and went from missions and many were on different recharge schedules. Seeing his way was blocked by his comrades going about their business, Mirage engaged his electro disrupter. Thankfully Jazz was on assignment so he wouldn't be caught trying to sneak to his quarters, Jazz had what Bumblebee had called magic from Primus; he could sense Mirage no matter how hard he tried to hide.

Heaving a silent sigh of relief he slipped into the quarters he shared with Bumblebee. Becoming visible once the door shut he began walking to his berth wanting nothing more than to fall into recharge and deal with the past day cycle in the morning. The blue and white spy took a few steps before stumbling, his equilibrium chips fritzing from the blow to his helm. Bumblebee stirred from the birth and Mirage cursed their training and prayed the yellow bot would just leave him be. Primus must have decided one small miracle was enough as the lights came on.

"Mirage? What's going on?" Bumblebee rubbed his optics tiredly as he walked over to where Mirage had fallen to his knee joints. Kneeling down to his level Bumblebee's optics widened as he saw the dents and energon on the normally pristine frame. Sweet blue optics darkened to a murderous sapphire, and a dangerous voice whispered "Who the frag hurt you?"

"Don't worry about it Bee, it was just a scuffle; I just need to lie down for a while." Mirage didn't want 0to admit what he had let happen, if he could forget then everyone would be better off. The former noble tried to stand up but couldn't seem to convince himself it was a good idea. His yellow comrade gently pulled him to his feet, slinging a blue and white arm over yellow shoulders and taking most of his weight. Bumblebee sat him on his berth and stood back up, with a firm 'stay put' he walked over to his own birth. Reaching underneath, Bumblebee pulled out a small first aid kit before returning to Mirage.

"I'm going to patch you up before Ratchet sees you like this and blows a gasket, and while I'm doing that you're going to tell me what happened." Bumblebee's voice was more firm than Mirage had ever heard it.

"I told you it was a scuffle," Mirage mumbled.

"That is pit scrap and you know it! Look you can either tell me and get it over with or you can wait and have a tired Jazz grilling you about it. You're still going to have to see Ratchet tomorrow, but it's up to you if it was a sparring accident between us or a mystery Jazz has to solve. It's your call 'Raj." The smaller spy never stopped his movement, gently cleaning the sticky energon out of the wounds. With deft, strong fingers Bumblebee patched the plating under his arm and on the back of his shoulders.

"Slag," Bumblebee shot him a surprised look; Mirage almost never swore. "It was Xenthic; I told him I couldn't see him anymore. He didn't take it too well, told me I was his and he'd decide when we were done."

The yellow mech's frame shook, and his movements stalled. "What happened then?" Bumblebee growled.

"He pinned me down and…well…proved I was his." A slur of curses to rival Ratchet's left the yellow bot's mouth. Taking a few deep intakes Bumblebee finished working on his shoulder

"I'm going to undent the armor on your stomach, if it gets too uncomfortable for any reason let me know." He looked up to make optic contact with Mirage, who nodded unsteadily. Bumblebee reached under the armor gently, locating the deeper dents he told Mirage to relax and then pushed; the armor straightened out with a 'POP'. Mirage kept his optics focused on the bright yellow armor, so different from Xenthic's dark blue and green. "Why didn't you fight back?"

"I didn't want to cause a ruckus, you know sometimes it's easier to just take it than fight back and draw attention to yourself. Xenthic is a hero, everyone looks up to him, idolizes him. I'm just a former noble with a bone to pick; who do you think everyone would believe if I killed him." Bumblebee nodded his understanding.

Slipping his fingers back under the damaged plating Bumblebee kept his touch gentle but firm and started to work on the smaller dings. The blue and white mech shuddered above him and he paused, assuming it was triggering a flux; "easy 'Raj, focus on me." Mirage leaned down; resting his forehelm on the top of Bumblebee's helm and Bumblebee took one blue hand in his own. Squeezing it, the yellow mech started to smooth out the plating again. Mirage tried to keep himself still but the gentle hand running along his abdomen was making it hard to focus. Knowing he was safe with Bee he let a little groan slip from his lips. Bumblebee glanced up startled and started to move his hand away but Mirage stilled his movements.

"Feels good, you don't have to stop." Mirage gasped out, keeping his helm rested on Bumblebee. The feel of those slim fingers massaging his plating eased the stress out of him. The former noble began to zone out, letting the protection he knew Bumblebee would provide soothe his tattered nerves.

"I'm going to switch to your back plating." Then those warm hands kneaded tense cables under the dented plating. Warmth flowed through him as the plating no longer dug into his back. Even after the plating had been smoothed out Bumblebee continued stroking and easing the tension from his cables. Shifting so Bumblebee now sat beside Mirage on the birth, he pulled the battered mech into a hug, never stopping the soothing movements along his back. The blue and white mech began to fully relax, letting his processor drift towards recharge.

"Is it okay if I…" Mirage trailed off.

"Recharge 'Raj, if you want I'll be here when you wake up." Mirage nodded and melted back into the caresses, he was in recharge within moments. Bumblebee continued rubbing for a few moments longer before gently resting Mirage back onto the birth, he left the first aid kit out so Mirage would know it wasn't a flux if he woke up before Bumblebee returned. Silently he left their quarters, once outside he schooled his expression back to his normal cheerfulness. Walking past two other op's bots he turned down one of them, Striker, when she asked if he wanted to join them for a spar and a cube. He excused himself with a smile, saying he had errands to run.

Once he got out of the Spec ops corridor he melted into the shadows and silently made his way to Xenthic's quarters. He used all the knowledge Jazz had drilled into him in order the avoid Red Alert's millions of cameras and made it to his destination in just a few kliks. Looking around and turning his sensors on their highest gain he began the tedious work of mapping out the air duct he'd need to climb through. Backtracking down a corridor, he hacked into a maintenance closet and, with one last look around, slipped inside. Looking up at the vent Bumblebee silently climbed up the storage shelves, using the wall he barely put half his weight on any given point. Amused in spite of himself Bumblebee remembered Jazz teaching him how to climb using weird goo bombs the saboteur had made for pranking. Fortunately when Sideswipe had taken the bombs to prank the rec room Bumblebee had been ready; after all it had taken a special solvent from Wheeljack to get that slag off. Once at the top he removed the grate and climbed in. Placing the grate back and using magnets in his fingertips to pull the pins holding it in place back in; the yellow mech began shuffling on his hands and knees.

Following his mental map he found the opening to Xenthic's room and slipped in, landing silently. Xenthic was deep in recharge on one berth while his roommate Fast Lock was recharging on another against the other wall. Padding over to Fast Lock first Bumblebee watched him for a moment, trying to gather how deeply he was recharging. A small turn was all the yellow spy needed to see. Gently he slipped two fingers under a cable in the back of the larger mech's neck and pinched. Fast Lock fell offline without so much as a dent; he would just be very well rested in the morning. Taking a step back Bumblebee closed his optics and steadied himself, letting his processor slip into the dark murky place few knew existed.

Stalking over to Xenthic's berth he crouched down low. "Wake up scumbag." The low growl was all it took for the frontliner to shoot up. Like lightening Bumblebee had him pinned against the wall, a hand over his mouth. "Now calm down sweetspark, we have some business so why don't you just settle down, hm?"

"Frag off!" Xenthic hissed, "Fast Lock will wake up any moment."

A dark chuckle answered him, "I don't think so, it seems your friend was very tired, so I made sure he'd get a good rest. Now I'm sure you think you're some big shot who can get away with anything you want just because you've killed some 'Cons. Well let me clue you in, I've killed more 'Cons than you'll ever realize and I could just as easily kill you. However I was raised to have some decency, something you seem to lack, so I'm going to give you a warning. Mirage says it's over, so it's over. Don't come near him again got it? Don't comm. him, don't find him, and don't talk to him. If I hear that you have, and I will hear about it, I won't be responsible for what happens to you. Understood?" Bumblebee let the other mech go and stood back. Xenthic tried to lunge at Bumblebee but the yellow bot was too fast. He sidestepped and tripped the blue and green mech, sitting and pinning him face first against the floor. "Who the frag do fragging think you are you stupid slagger," the frontliner hissed.

Twisting a heavily armored arm into the mechs back and forcing a pained cry from the other, Bumblebee pressed a small blade against the side of his neck. "I really hate pathetic losers like you, especially someone who beats the scrap out of his lover because they want to end it. You strut around here thinking you're and hero when really you're as bad as any 'Con. Cowards like you make me sick. Now it's time for you to go back to recharge, and when you wake up you won't even know who to tell. Who's going to believe the big strong Xenthic got shaken down in his own room with his buddy right there. Now if you don't mind I think I'll be going, I have somewhere to be." Pinching the same cable in his neck as he had in Fast Lock he hauled the now offline bot onto his berth, arranging him in the same position he'd been found in. With a running start Bumblebee jumped up and caught the edge of the vent before hauling himself back up.

In a blur that he barely remembered he made it back to his quarters. Taking deep intakes to steady himself and pull his CPU out of the abyss Bumblebee looked over at Mirage, still in recharge although he could see the thermal blankets twisted around his legs; Mirage had been having fluxes. Walking over to his own berth he heard cables shifting, realizing he hadn't turned his sensors down, and turned to see Mirage's optics unshutter slightly. "Bee, are you still here?"

"Right here 'Raj." Bumblebee walked over and sat on the edge of the other spy's berth. In an uncommon show of affection Mirage pulled Bumblebee further on to the berth. Once he was settled down Mirage rested his helm on a yellow shoulder and fell back into recharge. With Mirage safe in his arms Bumblebee let himself recharge as well.