So we decided that Optimus/Bulkhead was adorable, but we still like Optimus/Ultra. We're not the kind of people to turn down threesomes, though. It's all good o3o
Also, it turns out that ff dot net likes to erase your email addresses, everyone. If you put it in your anonymous reviews, I can not respond. There is no way for me to respond to it at all. Just... can you please just get an account?
It would mean I can actually respond, and that would be totally awesome.
Transformers belongs to Hasbro
It had actually started out very innocuous.
Optimus had always had a soft spot for large frames, so he was just... nicer to Bulkhead. It wasn't really something he had thought about. He shared more of his ration with the mech, curled up next to him at the end of the sol when they were finished cleaning the space bridges, things like that. It just... went from there.
He often found himself sitting next to the mech when they took their fuel, and the pair would frequently sit on the couch together, curled up under one of the rather small, sad excuses for heating blankets that their ship came equipped with. Bumblebee teased them endlessly, and Ratchet had ordered them to get viral protection updates, which was entirely unnecessary. They were not interfacing.
Not back then.
They had spent vorns just... cuddling together. There was no need to hurry. He was happy to go slow, and Bulkhead wasn't going to rush him either. They hadn't even kissed until he had crawled into Bulkhead's berth that very first time. The mech had given him an odd look and he was so afraid he was going to be told to leave, since it was unprofessional to even dare to be there, but Bulkhead had just... lifted his arm and tucked him close.
And they kissed each other goodnight.
After that, they did it every sol.
Bulkhead was an amazing warm, kindsparked mech. He loved spending time with Optimus, and Optimus loved it just as much. They kissed often, but only in private. There was no need to show such things in public.
When they had picked Prowl up, Optimus had worried that the ninjabot would not fit into their crew well, but he had incorporated himself rather nicely, and had made no negative comments about Optimus's inappropriate relationship with one of the mechs who served under him. For that, Optimus had been extremely grateful.
So he and Bulkhead had finally risked a kiss in front of the rest of the team. Just a brief brushing of their mouths before Bulkhead had to spend the night at the monitors instead of in the berth.
Bumblebee had laughed at them, and Ratchet had muttered that it was 'About fragging time you stopped trying to hide it,' and Prowl had just watched silently, as he often did.
Optimus just blushed brightly, pressing his fingers to Bulkhead's sides and reassuring him that they will be together in the morning. He gave his bot one last kiss and went to his berth, alone.
When they had interfaced, Optimus constantly worried about ninjabots in the ceiling, even if Bulkhead reassured him that Prowl was off doing other things. He knew that ninjabots adore watching virgins getting deflowered, even if they aren't the ones doing it. He clung to his beloved the entire time, hiding under the larger bot to the best of his ability.
Bulkhead had been experienced enough not to collapse on top of him after they both overloaded. Not at the same time, like Optimus had been hoping for, but close enough to satisfy him. He'd ridden out the waves of pleasure, trembling weakly under the larger mech as his spark pulsed.
It had been the best night of his life.
Well, the best night until the next night, when Bulkhead had shown him how to pleasure a spark with his glossa. Optimus really liked licking spark.
Then the Allspark and Decpeticons had shown up, and Earth had happened.
And now he's nervously holding a pot of paint in his servos along with a very special paintbrush he had never thought he'd ever make. "You really don't understand how important to me this is, Sari." He shifts on his peds, disliking how she's rubbing his dents out with her armored servos.
She makes a face at him, "You wanna get maaaarried," she says, drawing the word out, "I got it. You just have a different way of doing it. I helped you with it, didn't I?"
"You did, but Sari," Optimus shifts back and forth, "if he doesn't like it . . he might say no. Bots often say no to bonds if they do not approve of the brush or the paint, or if they just . . do not want to bond yet. Or at all." Optimus's spark quivers with terror. "What if he refuses to bond with me?"
"He's been dating you forever and a day, Optimus." Sari bangs on a dent until it vanishes under her servos. "There. You're done up all nice now. No way he can say no to you now."
He bites his lip, "Of course he can, Sari. It is really presumptuous of you to tell me to even bring any paint. I shouldn't have any at all. It means that I think we should get bonded right away, and-"
She pushes him, "Yup! You go ask him to marry you, and get married. He'll be glad to do it. He loves you, you love him. It'll be awesome."
He stumbles, but catches himself just enough to start walking, "If you say so, Sari... I just... I don't want him to leave me because I asked him to bond to me, and he just wanted to stay how we are and not go any further."
"He keeps looking wistfully at his paintbrushes and sighing like a lovesick teenage girl, Optimus. Go and make him a happy mech."
Optimus is sure that Bulkhead is looking at brushes like that because he wants new paintbrushes, not because he's hoping that Optimus will ask him for a bond.
"I'm going to make a fool of myself," Optimus mutters. A fool of himself, and a miserable wreck of a bot, too. With his luck, Optimus would make Bulkhead go looking for a bot less eager to bond.
Sari rolls her optics, pushing him along, "No you won't, you'll see."
He sighs softly, and makes his way to his love. Threading his way past the various paint cans and other things, he reaches up and puts his servos over Bulkhead's optics, covering them playfully as he stays on the tips of his peds, "Guess who."
His lover laughs, lowering down so it is easier for him to do this, "Hey, Optimus, did you need something?"
He looks over at Sari, thinking about just saying no, but realizing she will do something terrible to him if he does that. "Actually... I..."
Bulkhead turns around, giving him a smile that makes his knees weak, "What is it, Optimus?"
'I . . I have something to talk to you about, Bulkhead." He shifts on his peds, staring at the ground, trying to work up the courage to just ask it. "It's very important. About our . . relationship."
His lover is quiet. So quiet that Optimus has to look up, and Bulkhead looks worried. "Are you not . . happy, Optimus? Is there something wrong?"
Optimus looks away again. "I . . Oh, Primus, I can't do this!"
Bulkhead gives him an alarmed look, "Something is wrong? What did I do? Am I-"
Sari stomps over, "Optimus, you're being stupid and scaring him, just show him the thing and get it over with."
Bulkhead looks even more nervous, "What thi-"
Optimus pulls out the bonding brush, "I know it isn't that great, I was planning on doing more. You should have the best since I love you with all my spark and-"
Sari punches him, "All of it, you fragger!"
He doesn't want to take out all of it. Bulkhead is going to tell him no if he does that. He sighs, and pulls out the bonding paint, holding it out to his lover, "... W-will you bond with me, Bulkhead?"
Bulkhead stares at the brush, and then the paint for so long that Optimus knows he's thinking of a polite way to turn him down, and his spark starts to break. He pulls the paint and brush back, only for Bulkhead to grab his wrists to stop him. "Yes."
Optimus's optics widen comically. "Yes?"
Bulkhead nods, breaking into the widest grin he's ever seen on the mech, "Yes, Optimus. I'll bond with you."
He clings to his beloved, pressing kisses to Bulkhead's mouth, "Love you."
He's held tight enough to dent, picked up and cuddled, "I love you, too." Bulkhead takes the paint and brush from him, carrying him to the common room, "Let's get painted, Optimus. The rest of the team should be here, shouldn't they?"
He blushes, nodding. "I wasn't actually... expecting you to say that you wanted me."
Sari leans over the edge of the couch, "He didn't believe me, and I had to make him."
Prowl drops from the ceiling. "I have already commed the rest of the team. They should arrive shortly."
Ninjabots listened in or watched everything. They were the worst kind of voyeurs, but Optimus couldn't bring himself to care that moment. Not when he was so happy that Bulkhead had agreed to bond with him. It was everything he wanted and more.
He offlines his optics and nuzzles Bulkhead.
He's going to get painted in just a few moments.
Oh, Primus. His optics shot open wide with fright.
What was he going to paint for a bonding mark?
Blulkhead kisses him, glossa flicking in daringly, "Is there anything you wanted me to put on for the paint, Optimus?"
He looks down, more than a little shamefaced, "I hadn't actually thought about it. I don't-"
Blulkhead kisses him, "Then we can both have plain bands. I just wanted to make sure we match. I didn't want me to put a plain mark on you, and you having planned on taking a megacycle working on mine. I'd have felt really terrible."
He smiles, feeling better, and nuzzles his beloved, "I'm glad we talked about it, too."
Bumblebee makes a gagging sound as he enters the room, "Oh, yuck, you two are at it again? I swear, you're gonna kill us all with your sap. You're like the living versions of sweet whipped energon shakes with crystal crunchies on top."
Optimus is rather flattered by that. He loves whipped energon with crystral crunchies. It is a delightful blend of textures and sweet flavors. "Thank you, Bumblebee."
Bulkhead, enabler that he is, pulls out a energon sweet and starts to tear it apart and feed it to him, a little at a time, as he says, "Where's Ratchet?"
The bot comes out of the medical bay, "Where do you think I am? I'm always here. And you need to stop feeding him those. He eats so many if you feed him them. Optimus will get fat if you do that, Bulkhead."
"He won't get fat. It's not in his coding." Bulkhead nuzzles Optimus, licking a tiny bit of energon residue from the corner of his mouth. "And even if he was, I'd still love him." Bulkhead kisses his cheek. "You'd look cute with bulging armor plates." He places a shy servo over Optimus's sparkplates. "Especially if you were bulging here. From . . sparklings."
He squirms at that, revving happily, "I'd... I'd reallly like that." He'd like to do that right now, but he can't risk sparking when they're fighting Decepticons. It just isn't safe. Decepticons don't care if the carrier is there or not. It isn't unusal for an Autobot to be stolen just for the sparklings. He kisses Bulkhead lovingly, "Maybe later on."
Bulkhead gives him a dim opticked look, rubbing his plates slightly possessively, "Later." Bulkhead stops, picking up the bonding brush and paint, "Should you start, or should I?"
"You." He holds out his servo, which shakes a little bit with nerves. He's not sure what to expect from this. He knows if he paints first, the mark will end up an utter mess. He can't afford to have Bulkhead regret allowing this. "I will paint you after."
The paint feels wet and slick on his finger, no different than any other paint application he's done to retouch his base coat, but so very different at the same time.
This is a bonding mark.
Bulkhead blows on the paint, drying it completely, "There. Now it won't smear at all." His beloved gives him a slightly lopsided smile, then kisses it, "Your turn." The bot pauses, chuckling, "When you stop shaking."
He laughs weakly, "I can't help it. I'm just so excited, Bulkhead."
He's adjusted in his lover's lap, "I know." He's kissed softly, "Take your time. There's no time limit on bond painting." Bulkhead puts out his servo, "I love you."
He relaxes a little bit, taking the paintbrush, "I love you, too."
His servos shake again, and he has to stop himself, holding the brush until he's calmed once more. When he finally feels that he can paint the mark without embarrassing himself, he does so, very carefully marking the ring, filling it in with bright red paint.
He's finished faster than he thought possible, and left to stare at the mark with wonder in his optics. It's a beautiful thing.
Bulkhead carefully caps the paint back up, and kisses him, "There. We're officially bonded."
Sari frowns next to them, "That's all? Really? I'd have thought you'd have to, like, inform someone on Cybertron or something."
Optimus puts the paint in his subspace and the brush in Bulkhead's, "No. That's all. The only official announcement is whoever we want to tell. We'll likely tell your father, and possibly the human news, but that's all. Cybertron can be safely ignored. They haven't contacted us since they demanded the last set of reports from us and denied us our request for back-up and more supplies, so I'm not really going to deal with it." He smiles at Bulkhead, "I'm going to spend time with my bonded."
They spend the entire night in the berth, celebrating their bond.
Optimus stands at attention in front of Ultra Magnus, waiting for the mech to give him permission to relax.
"At ease, Optimus," Ultra Magnus sits, and gestures for Optimus to do the same. "I have some difficult news to share with you. I was not willing to inform you of the Council's most recent decision over the comline."
He sits down cautiously, wondering what this is about, "Yes, sir?" He's never been fond of anything that the Magnus says in that tone of voice involving the council. It always turns out for the worse for him.
Ultra Magnus shifts a tiny bit uncomfortably in front of him, "Well, as you know, the council has been very... " the mech looks away, trying to find a word, "pushy about me not being alone lately."
He gives the bot a blank look, "No, sir. I actually have not. This is news to me."
"They claim that I isolate myself and that it is having a negative impact on the morale of our citizens. I have told them this is not the case, but they refuse to listen. They have even taken to ignoring Perceptor and Alpha Trion." Ultra Magnus looks away from him. "As such, they have ordered me to bond."
Optimus tips his head, puzzled by the statement. "That is very unfortunate, sir. Do you have an intended bondmate in mind?"
Ultra vents, and it's a painful sound to hear. "They chose one for me."
He really doesn't like the sound of that.
"And who would that be, sir?" It can't be anyone good, since he's the one being told. In person. It is very likely Sari. She is going to be the Pristess, after all. She's going to be a very prowerful femme and no one can stand in her wa-
"You, Optimus."
"... What?"
"The council discussed the subject for several sols, Optimus. They all agreed that you would make the best consort for me." Ultra looks deeply uncomfortable as he talks. "I could not persuade them otherwise, and I tried. They intend to announce our impending bond to the public next sol. This trip to earth was meant to be my chance to propose to you."
He gives the Magnus a very blank look, then very carefully puts his servo on the desk in front of him. "I am already bonded. I have been bonded. For the last five stellar cycles." He gives Ultra a very dark look, "I do not appriciate the council's intention to have you break my bond apart."
Ultra actually looks relieved at that, "You are? I had thought you were, but I hadn't been sure. If I had, I would have told them. I mean, Ninjabots don't bond, and-"
His look turns poisonous, "I was never with Prowl. I'm with Bulkhead."
The mech is silent for a long moment, and then-"Really? I had not suspected that at all. You are very discreet. I suppose it's too late to offer you congratulations?" Ultra Magnus smiles and rifles through his subspace, finally pulling his servo out with an energon sweet covered in delicate crumbles of crystal. "I'm afraid I don't have a proper bonding gift, but I do remember you enjoyed sweets when you were at the Academy."
He carefully takes the treat, putting it in his subspace with the full intention of eating it with Bulkhead, "Thank you. I'll be sure to tell Bulkhead you gave it to us."
Ultra Magnus smiles, "Good. I'd have gotten you more, but that was all I could do in the short notice I had. They were forcing me out as I was protesting. I will return on the spacebridge and tell them you are already bonded, and they can not make you break that apart. I'm glad you have found a bot to love, Optimus." His leader pauses, giving him a scrutinizing look, "Are you... are you planning on a sparkbond?"
"We have discussed the possibility of it, yes." Optimus ducks his head, "But we are aware that it will take a very long time before there is an actual chance for us to bond. Sparkbonds take a lot of time and effort. Our sparks will not be in synch for many decavorns. If they ever synch up at all." Too many bots have tried for a sparkbond, only to find that their spark frequencies denied them.
The Magnus smiles at him, "Well, I hope you manage it, Optimus. If anyone deserves it, it is you." His leader stands up, putting a servo on his shoulder and patting it softly, "I may be back later to give you an actual bonding gift, rather than that candy treat, but for now I'll just return and tell the council that you are bonded and they can't tell me to break you and Bulkhead up." The bot pauses, smiling, "Where is Bulkhead?"
He frowns, "I think he's on patrol, but he should be home soon. Why?"
Ultra shakes his head, "I just wanted to congratulate him on my own, but I suppose I can do that later. You go ahead and share that treat until I come back with something better later."
"Thank you, sir." Optimus watches the Magnus go and slumps down into his seat with disbelief.
He cannot accept that the council had just . . ordered him to bond with Ultra Magnus. He was a free mech. They could not control who he chose to bond with, though they were well within their rights to deny him a bond to a Decepticon. But to force him to bond with Ultra Magnus; that went too far.
Thank Primus he was already bonded.
It is only a few megacycles later, with Optimus stasis napping on Bulkhead's lap that Ultra Magnus returns.
The bot flops into the chair next to him, startling him online. He clings to his bonded, optics wide, "Sir? Is everything okay?"
The Autobot leader looks at all of them in the common room, and says flatly, "I would like to appologize for my behavior. If I seem a little unprofessional right now, it is because I am not very happy about something I had happen to me and to Optimus and Bulkhead just a little bit ago."
Optimus sits upright and watches him cautiously. "The Council did not react well to your announcement?"
The Magnus leans forward, "They declared your bond to Bulkhead to be null and void because you had been exiled for the majority of your relationship with him."
Ratchet leaps to his peds, snarling, "That's a load of slag! The council can't do that! He wasn't exiled when he did the bond, and they don't have the authority to nullify a bond unless the other bot is a Decepticon."
Ultra flinches, then reluctantly pulls out a datapad, "Which is something I don't want to bring up, but have to. One of the bots said that Bulkhead's former lover, Crumplezone, is a Decepticon, and that brings up doubts of his loyalty, and means the council can nullify the bond on that count." The Magnus groans, putting the pad on the table. "While we all know this is nonsense, the council is pushing this insanely hard."
"Do they want us miserable?" Optimus snaps, and then forces himself calm again. "I'm sorry. I know this isn't your fault, but the council are being . . idiots. Why are they so insistent that I be the one to bond to you? You should have the opportunity to find a mech you can love, and-"
Ultra Magnus looks away, shame lighting his faceplates. "I was . . asked during the proceedings which mechs or femmes I considered close enough for a possible bond. I . . admit that you were on that very short list."
Sari crawls into Ultra's lap, patting his servo, "You didn't know. You were expecting him to be unattached, or if this had happened, the council to back off, just like it did with all the other bots on the list." She curls up on him, optics dim, "We'll figure something out. It isn't your fault."
Optimus is a little mad, but he can't really blame the Magnus when Sari isn't angry at him. She's normally very good at telling when a bot is at fault for something, especially since the Allspark has started to talk to her about things. "So what do we do?"
She shrugs, "I dunno." She reaches for the datapad, "How about you look at that with Bulkhead? Allspark says it's filled with pictures of Crumplezone. He's pretty."
Optimus's spark twinges with jealousy, and he takes the pad as casually as possible, cycling through the files. Crumplezone is pretty. Prettier than Bulkhead had ever mentioned to him. The mech looks like a femme for frag's sake. How is Optimus supposed to compete against that?
He's glad he's already bonded to Bulkhead. If Crumplezone had come back, the mech might have tried stealing Bulkhead away from him. Mechs that pretty did not generally share.
His bonded kisses him, rubbing his side softly, "Worried about him?" He doesn't say anything, but Bulkhead knows anyway. "There is a reason I left him, Optimus. And a reason I'm bonded to you. I'd have never accepted a paintbrush from him. He didn't make me feel safe."
He gives Bulkhead a tiny smile, "Well, I'm glad I can do that."
His beloved shifts him just a little bit, rubbing their foreheads, "You're prettier than him to me, too. I know you're going to tell me I'm just saying it, but you look like a mech, and not a femme. It is very important to me."
Optimus flushes, "I didn't realize you were that interested in mechs, Bulkhead." He strokes a servo up Bulkhead's chest. "But I am very glad for it. I love you very much." He won't let any council break them apart. He firms himself and turns to Ultra Magnus, "You can inform the council that I refuse to accept their bond annulment. Bulkhead is loyal and I am loyal, but I will not break a bond just to satisfy them."
Ultra smiles, "I've already told them that. They have started to build our bonding brush, ignoring my wish, and told me that it does not matter. I am to bond with you next sol, no matter what." The Mangus looks at Sari, more than a little pleadingly, "I was hoping that you had a solution... High Priestess Sari."
She giggles softly, curled up in his lap, "I didn't know that you were going to call me that."
The bot shakes his head, "How could I not? You constantly talk to the Allspark, and Optimus and everyone else on Earth all agree that you do it without any consequence, so either you're crazy or the Priestess." Ultra smiles, "You don't look crazy to me."
Sari taps him on the nose, "You're a wise bot, and if I was into your model type, I might claim you for myself. Sadly, you're lacking the spoiler I need to be interested." She pings his shoulder with her fingers. "You know, Optimus used to self-service his spark to thoughts of you."
Optimus pales, "Sari! Why would you-"
"It's true," she says smoothly, interrupting him. "You used to touch yourself and imagine him on top of you. And then you met Bulkhead, and your dreams changed. But there's no reason why you bots can't come to some arrangement."
Ultra gives her an odd look, "An... arrangement?"
She smiles, flopping back down into Ultra's lap bonelessly, armoring up in one smooth motion, "Yes. An arrangement. Something you all can agree on. Did you know..." She trails off, optics glowing a faint blue, indicating that the Allspark is talking to her, but she will not be talking to them for a bit.
Bulkhead and Optimus know it well, so they start to talk to Ultra, "What do you think she is talking about."
Ultra looks down at her, "Is she okay?"
"She is communicating with the Allspark. She does this at times. More often now than she used to." Optimus watches her closely, until the blue fades from her optics. "What did it have to tell you, Sari?"
She smiles, lounging on Ultra like he was part of the furniture. "It has promised that if you three agree to bond, it will allow you a triple-spark-bond in the future."
Optimus must have misheard that. Such a thing does not exist.
Ultra gives her a wide opticked look, "... Sari... Did I... Did I hear that-"
She hums softly, "You'll get bonded, and you can get sparkbonded. Promise. That's how it is. It'll make the council happy, won't it?" She smiles, "Tell the council that Bulkhead isn't a Decepticon, though, since it just makes them look stupid. Especially for blocking Percy, Bottie, Alpha, and all those others out. They really need to get their heads out of their afts." She slips off of Ultra's lap, giving them a small smile, "Use the bonding brush in Bulkhead's subspace, and the paint in Optimus's."
Optimus flushes, "Sari, you cannot be suggesting that we bond so soon. I have spent much time with Ultra, yes, but we are not close enough to bond without any planning or time to-"
Sari growls at him, optics flashing bright blue, "You will bond with him or we will bond you."
Optimus quiets, feeling the all-too-familiar glare of the Allspark. "I . . was only hoping for more time to get to know him. You must be aware of how I feel about bonding."
The Allspark crosses Sari's arms, "You will bond now before the council tries to break Bulkhead and your bonding apart in far more dangerous of a fashion."
He flinches. He can imagine how that can happen. He doesn't want Bulkhead hurt because of his stubbornness. Even if he really would prefer more time before he gets bonded.
Bulkhead moves behind him, wrapping arms around his waist and kissing him, "We'll have time, Optimus. Don't worry." His bonded's voice lowers to the seductive whisper that never fails to get his spark pulsing, "You never said you used to frag your spark to him. We're going to have you be fragged by him after we paint the bands on."
Optimus's engine revs, and his spark throbs in his chest. "I . . yes. We will bond now." He pulls the paint out of his subspace, offering it to the Magnus, "Here, sir. I hope a simple band is ornate enough for your tastes. We decided to keep our marks simple."
Ultra Magnus takes the paint, and then the brush, which he turns carefully in his servos. "Simple is perfect, Optimus. This brush is lovely. I assume you made it yourself? It looks like your work."
He nods, holding out his servo, "I did. I wanted Bulkhead to know that I wanted him to realize that I wanted him forever, and Sari assured me that I was doing it ri-"
Bulkhead kisses him, silencing him demandingly, "I loved it. Ultra loves it, too. We're going to go to his place when we're done, right?"
Ultra takes his servo, placing a matching band next to the one Bulkhead did on Optimus's finger. "That is what I was planning, yes. We can stay here if you like, of course. It is just that my berth is larger, and in order to finalize a bonding, you need to interface."
Optimus flushes, staring at the new paint on his servo. "I . . of course, sir. I will be happy to go to your berth."
The Magnus takes Optimus's chin and tips his face up, "Please do not call me sir now, Optimus. I may still be your commanding officer, but I am also your bondmate now. Titles do not suit us in the berth."
He nods slowly, moving out of the way to let Ultra take Bulkhead's servo to paint. When that is finished, Bulkhead takes the paintbrush, and pulls Ultra into a standing position. Optimus is suddenly reminded why exactly he had self-serviced to the bot so much when he was in academy. The mech towers over him as he stands, and Optimus looks at the floor nervously, blushing brightly.
He barely even notices as the brush is pushed into his servo, and he paints one of Ultra's finger's to match. Bulkhead picks him up, rubbing his aft and sparkplates possessively, "I think that we need to go celebrate our bonding. Don't you agree?"
"Yes." Optimus hears a whine in his own vocal processor, caused by his engine working too hard, and he tries to calm himself as best he can. "I . . mm. . I hope you do not mind if I am a bit nervous, Ultra. The only mech I've ever interfaced was Bulkhead."
Ultra's engine revs loudly as Bulkhead offers him over, and the larger mech curls possessive, careful servos around his frame. "I do not mind at all, Optimus."
Please review
Again, the site likes to strip out your email account if you put it in here, and I can't respond to it. It would be very nice if you had an account so I could write back. Also, I have this on my livejournal, so I can respond there if you really must have it anonymous. I don't mind.