((My first JazzProwl fic, Animated. Should have been all JazzProwl, and shorter, then the other bots decided they wanted a part too XD Beta is completely ooc, I basically used just the name for an Animated free adaptation. Warnings: slash))

SLIPPING ON THE DANCEFLOOR

There was nothing wrong in it, generally speaking. Quite the opposite you may say: it was undoubtedly commendable of Jazz to have taken upon the task of training Bumblebee, helping him improve... ok, helping him build from scrap some kind of fighting skills that didn't rely on messy improvisation. The very base of Circuit Su, just the first elements.

And of course, with a spazzy bot like Bee, it was only right to adopt a method involving a system of rewards. Perform this task good, learn your lesson, apply it correctly, get a reward. Simple, but functional.

But seriously, of all the possible ways to reward him for getting all in a piece to the end of the training... wouldn't have been possible to choose one that didn't involve turning the whole warehouse into a disco?

Judging from how much Jazz was having fun, settling the console ready, probably not. The bot took a microphone and tapped on it, to get everybody's attention. He touched something on the control panel, and a low vibe, slowly rising charged with expectations, started resounding in the warehouse. He grinned.

"Ladies" he winked at Sari, who giggled "and Autobots of all age, time to start our party! And we welcome the very special guest of tonight!!! He, who mastered the Ancient Art of Drunken Bot in just one day..."

"With the help of some twisted coolant" grumbled Ratchet.

"...he, who now moves as stealthy, as humans say, as a cat with a dirty deed on his mind. Quick as the lightning, silent as night... our very special friend BUMBLEBEE!!!" the music exploded loud, as beams of coloured light were projected over the yellow bot.

"Yes!! That's me!!" Bee jumped and caterwaulted happily, as Sari, Bulkhead and a good-willed Prime clapped their hands. Ratchet groaned. Prowl didn't even took the effort to do that. Music was too loud, it was already interfering slightly with his central processor.

"So!! We're here to celebrate his great results, and to party all night long! Are you ready?!"

"Yes!"

"Sorry, was that some car on the highway, some miles away? I didn't hear you, ARE YOU READY?!?"

"YES!!!!" This time Sari and Bee jumped, while Bulkhead started banging the ground with a feet.

"Then... LET'S ROCK!!"

The next hour was all for three bots (since this was Bee's party, Prime had decided to apply himself to it with the same effort he put in battles and strategy) and a small human who apparently had more energy than all of them, to move and dance like there was no tomorrow. Jazz sometimes joined them, with some kind of crazy bot-dance move, then he went back to the console to change slightly the rhythm. He had downloaded a bunch of songs humans used for those kind of parties, and was having the time of his life mixing and mashing them. Prowl observed his happy, easy-going attitude.

"Seems like we're the only ones left to keep some dignity" Ratchet was sitting on a bench, with a can of coolant. "Do you want something to drink?" Prowl shook his head. The medic bot shrugged, took a sip, and startled. "...Was Jazz in charge of the drinks too?"

"I think it was Bulkhead who did them. Something wrong?"

"Nope. They're good. A little too good, and too heavy for sure" He gulped the whole can. "Better I go and fix something lighter for the kid when he's thirsty, Drunken Bot my aft, I never want to see Bumblebee drink too much again..." he stood up, and then stopped, as something caught his attention. Prowl noticed it on his radar at the same time. There was someone out the warehouse, and they weren't human robots.

Damn. If Decepticons attacked now of all moments... he would have never been able to fight just out of the embarrassment...

Before they could warn the others, Jazz, who had brought a hand to his communicator, grinned and lowered the music.

"Very well!! Seems like the surprise guests have arrived..." he leapt to the ground and ran to the door. The others watched with curiosity, and then their optics widened as Jazz leaded three fembots into the warehouse.

"Sorry it took so long" said the first. "Got some delay with burocratic permits before leaving". She was tall, with a green and white paint job.

"Don't worry, I'm just happy you were able to come!" Jazz hugged her friendly, and the femme reciprocated, before turning to the other autobots. Prime was the first to collect himself. His faceplate broke into a huge, surprised smile, as he moved forward.

"Chromia! It's been ages! How are you my friend?"

"Ages, indeed... I'm good" the two bots hugged. "Jazz told me you were here, and since I'm on leave, I thought I should have come and say hi"

"Leave? Since when Chromia goes on leave?"

"Since I have to catch up with very old friends. Till they call me, I mean. War-times..." She turned to the two other fembots: one was taller than her, somewhat heavily built and light-blue. The other was very petite, and looked a little shy. She was white and pink. "Let me introduce my friends, Beta and Arcee".

"Hi, guys!" Beta smiled, placing a hand on her hip. "So I heard there's a party going on..."

"And we're just started!" Bee exclaimed. "I'm Bumblebee, nice to meet you! Why don't you have something to drink?" He ran to the tables to get some cans, almost stumbled, then managed to bring them to the fembots.

"Thank you, cute..." Beta made a small chuckle. "But I think I'll have a dance first". She walked to Bulkhead, who turned around to see if there was someone else she was aiming to. "So you are...?"

"Name's Bulkhead. Uhm, nice to meet you..."

"I heard you were into space bridge repairing, right? I was too... I worked into System 8767, before the war I mean. I liked that job"

"Really?" Bulkhead optics lighted in interest. "Heard it was a lively place. Lots of troubles with sudden black holes and stuff..."

"It kept things interesting" She winked. Jazz had turned up the music again, and Beta started moving to the beat. Without thinking, Bulkhead started mirroring her moves, immediately hitting some machinery. "Ops, sorry, I'm a little..."

Beta turned and hit the wall with a arm, leaving a hole. "Clumsy? Oh don't talk me about that..." she laughed.

Prowl followed their disaster-creating moves for a while. "I think tomorrow we'll need reparations" he mused. Oh well, at least Bulkhead looked extremely happy. The ninja glanced around. Bumblebee was trying that thing humans called break-dancing, while Sari incited him to go faster. Prime and Chromia had moved near the table and were chatting, a drink into their hands. The party was going well. He could start consider leaving to somewhere calmer, and more silent. I wasn't like he would have been missed in this kind of situation, anyway.

"Ratchet, I think I'll..." he broke off. Ratchet was standing still as a statue, his hand holding on the empty can stiffly. The smallest fembot had taken a can too and was leaning against the wall, watching the others. Ratchet stared at her like she was a ghost. "Ratchet? Are you ok?" Prowl inquired.

"What?" Ratchet broke off his sudden spell, and his optics blinked at him. "Yes. Yes I am... I just... I think it's better if I go away..." He looked up, and froze again. Arcee was walking towards them. As she came closer, Prowl noticed she must have been way older than at first he thought. Her plates were full of smalls scratches, remains from way bigger wounds impossible to completely wax away. Her eyes looked weary too, as they had seen too much... she reminded him of Ratchet, Prowl suddenly realized. She must have fought in the old days.

Arcee made a small acknowledging nod to him, then looked up at the medic bot.

"...Ratchet?"

Ratchet looked like all his joints had melted and reformed into stone. He tried speaking and failed, then his mouth settled into the usual grumpy line, and his voice came out stern. Fake as it could be, Prowl noticed.

"That's me, yes"

Arcee looked like she was seeking for the right words. "I'm... We should have met before. That's what the records say. The reports you made I mean... do you... do you remember me?"

The last words felt much heavier than they should. Ratchet took a long intake, as he was debating with himself. The battle lasted only a few seconds, and whatever side won, or lost, it was with some degree of relief that he said "Yes, I do. The battle in the area 455y7"

"Yes" she straightened up, suddenly relieving the tension she was into. "So the records say. I've only got the chance to get those infos a while ago, and I've always hoped I was able to talk to you. Talk to you again, I mean..."

"Me too. I couldn't find out what happened to you after I brought you back to the base and I... well, I felt responsible. For the state in which you were. It was..." he started talking quickly "I'm sorry, I should have found another way, there was no need to do that-"

"No" she reached to place her hand on Ratchet's arm, freezing him again. She smiled. "That was the only way, and you reported I asked you to. I know it's true, 'cause now I would do the same. So, thank you. For saving my life and my mission".

Ratchet shook his head, at loss. "You don't have to thank me..." he resumed the grumpy approach, that always worked so well as defense. "We were soldiers doing our duty".

"Yes" Arcee didn't stop smiling.

Prowl had silently moved away from the two as soon as the talk started circling around the past. It was their business. He decided it was really the time to go. As he reached to door, the music lowered again, changing to something way slower and softer. He stopped against himself to listen, drawn by a low, melodious sound that always caught him. It was that human instrument... the called it "saxophone". It sent enticing vibrations.

"Time for something a little more romantic, whatcha think about it?" Jazz voice had lowered too, taking a soft, hypnotizing vibe. He was moving his hands on the console like he was shaping the music, then he let it go, pulling back, and just enjoying the atmosphere he created.

Beta had led Bulkhead big hands on her shoulders, waving off his protests of not being able to dance a lento with a good-sparked laugh. Next to them Bee was leaning so that Sari could keep her hands on his index fingers, and they were laughing together at their clumsy moves. Prime turned to Chromia, making a small smile.

"A dance with an old friend?" he asked. Chromia smiled back, moving closer.

"Just don't crush my feet like that time at the Academy" she joked.

"Don't worry. I got better. Elita taught me..."

She nodded, asking no more. They both had lost their mates in war. Chromia put her arms around him and let herself be guided in the slow dance.

Next to the wall, Arcee sent a wistful glance to the bots dancing.

"Do you..." Ratchet caught himself in time, and inwardly groaned at the words that had slipped. Was he going to make a total fool of himself? He was too old for those kind of things.

Arcee looked at him. "...Dance? Uhm, not really... I've never been a good dancer. Got no sense of rhythm whatsoever"

"Neither am I. A good dancer I mean." Silence stretched a little more, and Ratchet started feeling less sure of what he should do. He wanted to explain Arcee how much she had meant to him, how what they went through together had shaped what he was, in good and bad, and how much it had meant to him that she didn't blame him. How big was the burden that she had pulled from his shoulders. But how could he? Those were feelings only sharing a spark could convey...

They said you can tell a lot to a bot, with a dance. Well, of course if you were a good dancer.

"I was thinking..." Arcee made a small laugh. "Maybe two bad dancer can make a good one?"

That's it. It was left to him.

"I don't think it works that way. They're more likely to make a worse one" he said. Then, after a good, long intake, he offered her his hand. "Care to try and prove me wrong?"

Arcee took it with a bright smile.

Prowl stood in front of his tree, his optics off, listening to the dimmed sound from the other room. He remained like that for a while, till the song changed to something a little faster and upbeat, but still graced by the sound of that marvellous instrument.

He was so caught into the music it took him a second more than usual to perceive the other's presence behind his back.

"You like this kind of music. Even if going away when I play it is a weird way to show it". Jazz sounded amused. The black bot turned to face him.

"I can listen to it here too. And everybody seems busy, there".

"Oh yes they are" Jazz chuckled, moving to stand next to the other mech. "I guessed everybody needed a break, and a party was the perfect excuse".

"Nice thinking" Prowl voice was even, but he was a little surprised. It never occurred to him that Jazz had planned all that to give everybody some time to relax. It was a quite considerate thought, on his part. "Now you'll say that I should try and ease off for a while. I tell you, you can save your intakes, I'm fine". It sounded harsher than he meant to. "Don't take me wrong. I think all the others really needed this. They will be grateful" he added.

"While you don't. Need some relax, I mean".

"No. And not by dancing and partying up, anyway".

"Mh" Jazz leant against the tree and tilted his head to watch him. Prowl noticed he took care not to touch it with his arm too fast, like he feared to damage it. Jazz was a way more thoughtful mech than he thought at first.

"What about just dancing, without the partying up part?"

"I don't dance"

"I see, "Real men don't dance"" Jazz laughed. "Sorry, just a human movie I downloaded yesterday. Quite funny". He looked at Prowl's visor. "You don't, really? As in, you don't like, you don't know how to, or...?"

"Both. Why are you so interested, anyway?"

"Well, I like dancing, I think I'm quite good at it, no false modesty, and it's not like I'll get a partner back there, so..."

Two pieces clacked into Prowl's central processor. He thought that the sound they made was almost audible.

"You're asking me to dance?"

"...uhm, yes?" Cocky smile.

"...no"

"Aww, why not? Just for a time... I bet you don't like it simply because you never tried"

"I have no plan to"

"Wait, seriously? You never danced in your life?" he made it sound like it was some kind of unbelievably absurd thing, and it made Prowl feel uncongruosly embarrassed, even if he didn't have to.

"I told you".

"But you like music!"

"So? I like to listen to it. And most of the music used for dancing is not exactly of my taste".

"What about the piece I put on before?" Prowl considered it for a moment.

"That was good. Still, I don't dance to it, and it's gone anyway" The routine music coming form the other room was now more similar to the kind with which the party had started. He briefly wondered if Ratchet was still dancing, and decided he didn't want to know.

"Mh..." Jazz appeared thoughtful for a moment, then he reached to his audio and pulled a thin cable out of its underside. He offered it to Prowl.

"What now?"

"Plug it to your audio. I'll play that piece again, just for the two of us".

That sounded more intimate than the ninja probably wanted it to be.

"Look, I..."

"No. Prowl, listen to me. I'm not going away knowing there's a mech here who has no idea of how's dancing. Seriously, I couldn't look at myself again in a mirror if I did!"

"You're taking such a trivial thing way too seriously"

"So what? I like to take trivial things seriously. Makes your spark feel free, and anyway you never dancing is not so trivial. It's a tragedy!"

"I don't think I follow you."

"Ok, just think about this: give me a chance to show you it's good. If you think it's not, you'll avoid it your whole life with a good reason. It wouldn't be very logic, otherwise, don't you think?"

Prowl sighed. "...You just won't shut up till I give up, right?"

"Of course" Jazz grinned. "C'mon..."

Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea... Prowl's processor chanted the notion as he reached to take the cable and connect it to a small port into his head. It was short enough he had to stand very close to the other bot. He stated clearly to himself that he was doing this just to shut him up, he wasn't putting... other meanings into that. And he knew he was going to be a horrible dancer anyway, so maybe Jazz would have called quit before the end of the song. A bot can always hope.

Only it wasn't exactly for that he was hoping.

Jazz was still grinning, he looked a little bewildered that Prowl had really surrendered. He reached to take his hands and placed them on his own hips, then resting his own on Prowl's, who immediately stiffened.

"Relax... it's not like I'm recording you or anything..." chuckled Jazz. Prowl glared daggers at him through his visor.

"You better not"

"Aww". Jazz retracted his own visor, looking at him with deep blue optics. "C'mon, I'm giving you my honest look" he said that smiling, but Prowl quickly averted his own gaze, planting it firmly on the wall beside Jazz's head. Music started to play into his head, and since he really had no idea of how he was supposed to move, he let Jazz take lead, letting him move the two of them around in slow, rocking circles. The music was really beautiful, he let it vibe over his body, as usual... only this time his body was moving with it, it was like an output to the gentle, coying sounds. And it felt good. He let his optics dim and the music guide him.

"So, whatcha think?" Jazz said the words in a whisper, as he didn't want to intrude too much in the music.

"Nice".

"Only nice?" he tightened his hold, dragging them a little closer, a little too much. Prowl kept his gaze firmly away. Of course Jazz was trying to pull a reaction out of him, something that showed the appreciation for the dance... only he probably was going to stir more vivid reactions than he planned to. No, of course Prowl was in perfect control of himself, there was no way he would have slipped like that. But he could play along and... revel a little into he could never get.

Jazz was more considered of the others's needs than he had thought at first. That was only a point more to the growing list of reasons for which Prowl watched him from far when he wasn't noticed, for which he listened to his voice and memorized his way of moving, of battling, of being... A hobby, one could say, nothing more. Even assuming that Prowl had some chances (which he was pretty sure he had not: Jazz was completely different, and undoubtedly looked for someone completely different from Prowl), they were in war times, and he was stuck in a foreign planet. That really wasn't the best situation for planning to get together.

He never thought he would have got the chance... to pretend for a little that things could be different. That was nice, and it was a game harmless enough. Even if he highly doubted that he would've ever danced with Jazz in a crowded room, in front of other optics, even if they were in a relations.

The thought made him smile.

"Here..." Jazz's voice sounded satisfied.

"Here what?"

"You start to ease up. You see, it's not so terrible"

"Maybe not"

"We should dance together more often. I like it"

Prowl found himself at loss. Maybe it was time to end the game. He stopped, making Jazz stop with him and look at him curiously. Prowl returned the glance, but before he could speak Jazz had lifted a hand and placed it on the other's faceplate side. "I mean it. I like it" he said with a smile. Prowl opened his mouth, not really knowing what to say... and Jazz closed the distance, pressing a gentle kiss on his lips.

Prowl felt like all processing had stopped for an age, but it couldn't have been more than some seconds, before Jazz pulled back. He looked at the other mech somewhat apologetically, a look not usual on Jazz's face, but he didn't end their embrace. They were really holding each other now, Prowl realized, his own arms had crept up Jazz's torso sometime during the dance, or... the kiss.

"If you want to punch me now, I'm not trying to duck. Not sure I could, anyway". Jazz said, finally. Prowl considered the words.

"You kissed me" he spoke slowly, as if wording things helped him analyze them.

"Uhm... yeah?" Jazz smiled, that open, easy-going, beautiful smile that always made Prowl think of how would be to caress it with his own lips...

He did it, and Jazz answered eagerly, and suddenly logic and analyzing didn't matter anymore, at all. The two mechs were holding each so other so close there was no room for even oxygen between their bodies, and it felt more comfortable than anything Prowl had ever, like they were meant to be like that... He felt Jazz lips moving softly against his own, then the tip of his glossa tracing a slow line on them, gently asking. He parted his lips...

"...Just come and be quiet, you HAVE to see this..." the muffled voice startled them both and in less than a breath they were standing at the opposite corners of the room, while a confused Bumblebee peeked at them from the door. Sari was holding on his hand and trying to pull him in, she glanced at the two mechs with a disappointed look.

"What's up?"asked Bee.

"Nothing. We were talking" Prowl said quickly. His faceplate was burning, and he was quite happy that it didn't show, like with human blushing... Jazz nodded, scratching his head.

"Oh no! They were dancing... and kis-sing!! I saw them!!" the little girl had a huge, excited smile on her face. Bumblebee stared at her.

"They were what?!"

"We were not" Prowl voice was blank. He avoided Jazz's optics. He needed... just a little to get this through into his processor. He needed to talk with Jazz. He just needed NOT a girl and a bot bragging around about what had just happened.

"You were!" Sari nodded with convinction, then she showed her cellphone. "I've got pictures".

".........."

Six faceplates lifted at the same time as a yellow car shot through the warehouse full-boost and disappeared in the street, closely followed by an extremely angry looking motorcycle. Everybody exchanged puzzled glances.

"What happened?" asked Prime as Jazz walked out the room and joined them. The ninja couldn't stifle his laughing.

"Nothing... someone slipped on the dancefloor" He smiled. "I'll better be here to catch him, when he's back"

FINE