The Femme Magnet: Firestar
Plenoptic
Howdy! :D What? New Beginnings? Er…
--Firestar--
"I guess she got dumped."
"No, I heard that she broke up with him."
"Good riddance! He was really dangerous, wasn't he?"
"Yeah, I heard he hit her and stuff…"
"Came in over-energized and would just start beating her…"
"She's better off without him…"
"OY!"
The little group of femmes looked up, startled, and all grimaced upon seeing Chromia standing in the doorway, arms folded over her chest and her optics narrowed dangerously.
"Er--"
"Lieutenant--"
"I don't want to hear it," Chromia snapped, and they all fell silent. "Gossiping about a superior officer is frowned upon, ladies. You think it's fun to poke your noseplates into other bots' lives?"
"We didn't mean--"
"I don't want to heart it, I said! Get out, all of you, get back to work! And none of you are to discuss Firestar's situation, ya hear?"
With some grousing and several glares, the recruits scrambled up and exited the rec room, with Chromia growling after them. Once they'd departed, she turned around and groaned.
"Not you too, Arcee!"
"I didn't say a word," Arcee defended meekly, peering up at her mentor. "I just wanted to know what had happened to Firestar."
Chromia sighed, sitting down on the couch beside her young protégé. "You could have just come to Elita or me."
"I had a feeling you wouldn't tell me."
"Moonracer would have."
Arcee grinned. "But Moon has been listening to the gossip. Not a very reliable source."
"But they were?"
Arcee shrugged. "Had to get it from somewhere. Besides, Moon would have tattled on me."
Chromia sighed again. "I don't know. Elita and I have been worried about Firestar for awhile. All of her relationships have gone bad, you know? The mech's been thrown in prison, or he's cheated on her, or the most recent one…"
"Abuse?"
"Yeah." Chromia scowled. "Femme just has a knack for picking out the worst mechs alive, I swear."
They were quiet for a moment, then Arcee piped up timidly. "Was it…was it really bad? What he was doing?"
Chromia considered, but deemed Arcee trustworthy enough. She knew the little femme wouldn't spread the word. "Yeah, it was pretty bad. He'd come in completely cratered, and he'd hit her and force interface on her and stuff. But the next morning he'd come to and feel awful about it, apologize over and over again. He'd be a complete sweetheart for an orn--you know, cyber-roses and stuff, to make up for it--but eventually he'd come back in in the same state and the whole thing would start over again. I guess Star had just had enough, and she left him."
Arcee was silent for a time, resting her chin on her knees and wrapping her arms around her legs. "I didn't know mechs did stuff like that," she said softly. "Elita said that most mechs treasure femmes because there's so few of us."
"The good mechs treasure femmes," Chromia corrected her. "Mechs like Optimus and Ironhide and your Springer treasure femmes," she added, making Arcee blush. "Most mechs are the same way, but there are the real rotten ones too."
"Like the Decepticons?"
"Just like the Decepticons."
"Most Decepticons," someone corrected, and Chromia and Arcee looked up to see Elita stride in and plop down beside her best friend. "There are some bonded Decepticons, Mia, remember?"
"Yeah, well," Chromia muttered, distaste writing itself all across her faceplates. "Where's that gossip whore Moonracer?"
"Chromia!" Elita cried, trying to look aghast, but a smile kept twitching at the corners of her mouth. "Don't call her that! She'll be here in a minute--oh, no, there she is now. Arcee, do you suppose you could give us a second?" she added gently, smiling down at the little pink femme. Arcee looked at Chromia, and at the older femme's pointed nod got up with a huff and departed the rec room.
Moonracer sat down across from them with grace, blinking curiously at her commander. "What's up? This about Firestar?"
"I think we need to do something to help," Elita said, propping her elbows on her crossed legs and cradling her face in the palm of one hand. "It's been one rotten mech after the next ever since she came of age. And each one has been worse than the last..."
"And what do you propose?" Moonracer inquired, arching an optic ridge. "Dating 101?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't have called you both down here," Elita sighed. "I just hate seeing her digging herself into these holes. And who knows? The next mech could really hurt her."
"This last one already has," Chromia growled, but Elita shook her head.
"No, I mean…damage her. Permanently."
"Oh, you mean like asylum damaged?" Moonracer piped up.
"Yes. Or worse…"
Chromia frowned. "Maybe she just doesn't know what to look for. Maybe we should hook her up with someone more trustworthy."
"Oh, good idea!" Moonracer said happily, grinning. "We could set her up with a really good mech, someone who won't mistreat her, and then she'll know what she needs to find in a mech!"
"And who do you propose we set her up with?" Elita inquired, raising an optic ridge. "Someone we know, I hope. I don't like the idea of setting her up with a stranger."
"Ultra Magnus?" Moonracer suggested. "He took me out once, he was really sweet, if a little quiet…"
"Nah, Magnus is no good at relationships," Chromia replied flippantly. "He's too introverted, he wouldn't suit Firestar at all."
"How about Rodimus?"
"Too much of a player. And he dated you, so Firestar wouldn't be into that."
"Dare I suggest Jazz?"
"He's with Prowl, Elita…"
"But he loves femmes!"
"But he's with Prowl. He hasn't seen a single femme since they got together…"
"Oh…"
"Ratchet?"
"Too old, too grumpy. Besides, he's into Moonracer."
"Hey!" Moonracer squawked, but her faceplates darkened. "I thought that was a secret…"
"It is, I'm just intuitive that way," Chromia assured her. "Wheeljack?"
"They're already close friends," Moonracer said dismissively. "Best not to push it. I think he likes her, but it'd be best to let him come to her when he's ready."
"Jetfire?" Elita threw out, and the other two stared at her, bewildered. "…Ooookay, maybe not."
"Primus, you're more insane than I thought," Chromia muttered, shaking her head.
"Oh, like you're one to talk…"
"Come on, there have to be some date-worthy mechs on this base," Moonracer said desperately. "How about Mirage?"
"Sure, let's hook the spontaneous Firestar up with someone who constantly has several poles shoved up his aft," Chromia snorted. "Good plan, Moon, that'll go over well, especially when she chains him to the recharge berth."
Moonracer giggled. "Oh, Primus, can you imagine?" She straightened up, adopting Mirage's prompt and rather haughty tone; "'Dear me, Firestar, this really is not appropriate--no, stop, wait--we really mustn't--'"
Chromia had collapsed into laughter, but Elita remained silent. It just so happened that she had thought of a good mech. A really good mech. A truly wonderful, extraordinary mech, who treated femmes like treasures, as precious as the Matrix of Leadership or the Allspark. An utterly gentle mech, who understood young femmes, who understood tormented sparks such as Firestar's. He was kind and thoughtful and selfless, not to mention beyond cute…the ideal partner…
Elita's spark sank. The perfect mech just happened to be her mech…
Elita One paused in Optimus Prime's doorway. He hadn't noticed the doors opening and was still bent over his desk, optics narrowed in concentration as he looked over a report. She stayed quiet, optics roving over him, her spark aching. It seemed that they'd been together forever; he'd been at her side since the very beginning of the war, and she at his. She'd never say it aloud, but she was nothing without her beloved…
"Optimus," she said softly, and his head snapped up immediately as if he were programmed to respond to the sound of her voice.
"Elita!" he said brightly, practically leaping up from his desk as he rushed over to her side. "Lita, what's up? What're you doing here?"
"I can't just come and say hi?" she inquired, pretending to look hurt.
"Of course you can just come and say hi," he replied quickly, immediately afraid that he'd hurt her feelings. "I love it when you come in to say hi…"
"You love it when I come in for other reasons, too," she snorted, arching an optic ridge, and a grin spread across his face.
"Well, yeah…care to come in?"
"Uh-huh. I need to talk to you about something…"
He stared at her, shocked, as she came in and closed the door. "You need to talk…oh Primus, you're not--"
"I'm not leaving you," she assured him quickly, and her spark ached at the relief in his optics. More the other way around… "Have you heard about Firestar?"
"Yes." Her small hands lifted to remove his mask, unveiling the distress now working his faceplates into a frown. "I'm concerned about her. This isn't the first relationship that's gone bad…and she's never been beaten so badly. He could have killed her."
"I think he nearly did," Elita replied quietly. "If she were anyone but Firestar, he would have. But anyway, Chromia and Moonracer and I have been thinking about setting her up with a mech who'd take care of her, so that she knows what a real relationship should be like."
"That's selfless of you," he remarked, his optics glimmering with pride. "I don't know if you'll find any mechs like that around here, though. Can I be of any use?"
She swallowed and lowered her head, staring determinedly at his feet. "Yes, actually."
Elita fell silent, struggling to put her request into words. Optimus waited for a few moments before making a soft noise of concern, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her closer.
"Lita?"
She looked up at him, burning the moment into her memory banks. Optimus. Her Optimus. She memorized each smooth line of his face, the ethereal burn of his blue, blue optics. The concern that shimmered in his gaze, the underlying fear. Could he sense their love coming to a shrieking halt?
On a moment of impulse she threw her arms around him and kissed him, thrusting her glossa past his lips and moaning into his mouth. It took a few stunned moments for Optimus to respond, deepening the kiss and wrapping his arms around her waist to cradle her against his physique. Her mind screamed at her to spark--she couldn't do this, not now--but her spark was urging her on. Her mind reminded her of Firestar; her spark reminded her of Optimus.
She moaned again, and Optimus seemed to understand that it was more an utterance of distress than passion. He lifted his mouth gently from hers, panting slightly, and she leant her head forward onto his chestplates, struggling to bring her intakes up to speed. Optimus ran a hand down her back, brushing his fingers against her thigh. She shuttered her optics and rubbed her cheek against his armor to show him that she understood. It had been a while since they had made love, but as much as she missed being in his bed, there were more pressing matters to attend to.
"Firestar," she began quietly, inhaling deeply, readying herself for both her grief and his, "needs someone right now. There's no one on base that suits her right now except for--"
"No," he broke in, his arms tightening around her. "No, Elita--"
"Listen to me," she whispered desperately, looking up into his tortured face. When they were in bed, she always kissed his scars to ease his fears, as if she could wipe away the bad memories; it was hard not to do so now, seeing him so hurt and betrayed. "Firestar might not survive the next bad mech. She might choose someone who will kill her, Optimus. Please. I'm asking you as a mech to protect a femme. I'm asking you as your mate to protect my friend. I can't just leave Firestar like this, I love her."
He was quiet, shuttering his optics. "I was under the impression that you loved me," he whispered, and her spark turned to ice.
"Oh, Optimus, sweetspark…dearest, I do. More than I could ever say, more than you could ever understand…"
"But I do understand," he growled, his shutters lifting to reveal his blazing optics. He pulled free of her embrace, spark aching at the betrayal. "I love you the same way, don't you get it? We've fought so hard for this, for us--it's not right to cut it off now! Who's to say we'll survive it?"
"I say we'll survive it," she told him firmly, stepping forward to take his hands into hers. This time, he did not move away. "I say we'll be fine. Death is eternal, Optimus, this would only be for a few orns, two or so deca-cycles at the very most! I'd never forgive myself if Firestar got hurt, not when there was something I could do to help! Could you?"
"Up until a few breems ago, there wasn't anything I could do to help," he muttered. "Think of what you're asking me to do, Elita! Love a femme I barely know. I only worry over Firestar because I know you care for her, I can't spend my time trying to fix the every woe of every soldier!"
"But I know that you try, and that's what I'm depending on," she said desperately. "Optimus, please. If you won't do it for Firestar, then do it for me. I'm begging you. I know it's unreasonable, but this is love, isn't it? It's not supposed to be rational…"
"I'm not just someone you can loan out to whoever is having mech problems," Optimus argued weakly. "Rent-A-Mech, is that what this is?"
"It's not like that!" Elita cried. "Optimus, it's not like that at all! Firestar has been finding worse and worse mechs, she is going to find someone who will kill her! Do you understand? This could save her life, and you're not willing to let me go for a few slagging orns--"
He cut her off, seizing her and dragging her against him, pressing his mouth to hers. She struggled against him, but his grip on her only tightened, the kiss deepening. He released her mouth abruptly, holding her like a parent would a sparkling, one large, warm hand cradling her head against his chest.
"No, I'm not," he whispered, his thumb caressing her back. "I'm not willing to let you go. I love you. I don't…" his intakes hitched, his voice caught, and he blinked rapidly. "I don't want to be apart. I…I need you. You are my everything, my life is nothing without you in it. I love you…"
She sniffled, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding him close. "I love you too," she said softly, pressing her face into his chest armor. "So much. But Firestar's my friend. She…she needs me as well, Optimus. Please, I can't do this alone. I need your help. And it'll only be for a little while," she added, her voice growing quieter with each word. Optimus's shoulders were shaking with the effort of trying not to cry. "Just until she understands what she needs. And then I want you to come back…I want you to be mine again…"
Optimus sobbed, clutching her close and shaking his head, but offered no further protestations. Frag it, this hurt! He didn't want to be away from her, he wanted to watch her sleep at his side, wanted to kiss her goodnight, wanted to lower her onto his bed and make love to her. He wanted to be hers, and hers alone…
"Tonight," he whispered, trying to stop his own tears as well as hers. "Just give me tonight, and I'll do whatever you need me to do."
She looked up at him, shuttering her optics when he bent to kiss away a stray tear on her faceplate. She felt like such a child, crying to him like this, and she was sure he felt the same. But they'd never been apart for more than a few joors, let alone a few orns…the mere thought of not spending time with him for a whole deca-cycle was pure torture, but…
When she thought of Firestar…one of her few close friends…wild, unpredictable, strong-willed but so fatally ignorant…
"If we do this now, we'll never have to do anything like it again," Elita whispered, tracing his lips with her thumb. "I know it's hard. It's hurting me too. But I owe it to Firestar, and I can't do it myself."
He nodded slowly, leaning into her touch when her hand encompassed his cheekplate. "I know," he said shakily. "I know that…if it means that much to you, I'll do it. Just for a little while though, right?"
"Two deca-cycles at most," she reassured him, caressing his face with the utmost tenderness. "And then I'm all yours again…forever…"
"Tonight will do for now," he sighed, resting his chin on her head and rocking her gently. At least until this mess is all over…
Firestar didn't get many office calls.
Moonracer or Elita popped up every now and again (Chromia was usually too "busy" in the shooting range), but she was almost never visited by a mech, with the exception of Wheeljack. Though, by now, she and Wheeljack were so close he was pretty much another one of the girls…
Nevertheless, Firestar was shocked to open her door upon hearing the knock and see Optimus Prime standing awkwardly in the hall.
"Er…hi," he said sheepishly, and she blinked.
"Uh, hey."
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing much. You?"
"Just…coming by to chat."
"…Oh. Where's Elita?"
She could have sworn she saw a look of pain in his optics, but it was gone in an instant. "I don't know. Working in her office, I would assume. May I come in? I'd like to ask you something."
"Oh, uh…sure, sure…" Firestar backed up to allow him entrance and turned to return to her desk, suddenly painfully self-conscious of her tiny, cluttered office. Optimus was almost too big for it…shaking her head, she mentally prepared herself for what was to come.
What could the male commander possibly want with her? A blowjob? Highly unlikely, he had Elita for that sort of slag. A drink? It was conceivable, but Chromia was a much better candidate, and again, he had Elita. Advice on a gift? It was possible, but Elita's creation day was ages away…A report? It was entirely probable that she'd lost one that was supposed to be in circulation…
"What did you need, sir?" Firestar questioned, turning to face him and leaning against her desk. She took note of how entirely uncomfortable he appeared. "Er…I'd offer you a seat or something, but I don't…"
"It's quite alright, and please, call me Optimus…" He glanced around, and then shrugged. "Well, we could just…" He sat down upon the floor, looking up at her. "Will you join me? This isn't going to be easy, and it's much more comfortable down here…"
She stared for a moment, bewildered, but then came to her senses and managed to find a patch of floor across from him. "I've been looking everywhere for this stylus," she muttered, having found it beneath a pile of old data pads.
"Is it of some sentimental importance?" he inquired innocently, and she blinked.
"O-Oh. Well, um, sort of…not really…my brother gave it to me, it was all he could afford…"
"You have a brother?" Optimus asked, slightly surprised. Elita had never mentioned that before…He halted his train of thought. Thinking of Elita hurt, and he wanted to focus on the femme before him.
"Hm? Oh, yeah," Firestar said off-handedly. "Jetfire."
Optimus stared, stunned. "…Wait. Wait. Jetfire is your brother?"
"Yeah."
"…Oh. I see. I can sort of see the resemblance." He paused, thinking, then snorted. "Your brother is a moron."
She barked out a laugh. "I'll be the first to attest to that. Hey…do you know why Jetfire is afraid of pointy objects?"
"Why?"
"He's afraid they'll pop his ego," she replied, grinning. He laughed, and it surprised her; he'd always seemed so stoic, but his laughs sounded like he pulled them right from his spark.
"Who came up with that?"
"Our mom," Firestar answered, twirling the stylus between her fingers. "It was a family joke when we were kids…"
"So he was the same way when he was young as he is now?"
"Pretty much. Why?"
"I thought it might have been something psychological," Optimus snorted, removing his mask and sub-spacing it to allow her to see him smiling. "Like his overconfidence was a way of making up for his insecurity…"
"Nope," Firestar laughed. "He really is that self-obsessed."
They continued to laugh, and Optimus found himself immensely grateful that they already had some common ground to stand on. He was a little regretful that he hadn't gotten to know Firestar earlier. She was strangely care-free, relaxed, and she had a sort of bubbly energy and aura about her. Just being in her presence made him want to smile and act like an idiot. She's Jetfire's sister alright…
"Anyway," Firestar pressed as their laughter died down. "What's up?"
Oh. Optimus's sense of comfort faded immediately, and he was right back to being awkward and sheepish again. "Oh…well…I…have you ever been to Crystal City?"
She blinked, then grinned, and Optimus once again felt a wave of contentment wash over him. "Once, when I was little. Mom took me. Why?"
Optimus clasped his hands in his lap. "I was considering going there at the end of the orn--you know, just to get away from it all. I…I'd like to know if you'd like to accompany me."
Firestar stared at him. No way. The Autobot commander was asking her out? But… "What about Elita?"
"Elita's been busy as of late," Optimus lied. "She already told me she wouldn't be able to attend. But I heard that Jazz is performing at the Dome, and it seemed a terrible waste of a ticket."
"But why me?" she inquired, furrowing her optic ridges.
"To be perfectly honest, I'd like to get to know you a bit better," Optimus said earnestly. "And Crystal City is wonderful at this time of the vorn, all of the artists will be showcasing and…please?"
She thought before shrugging. "I guess so. Why not? You're not so bad for a mech," she added, grinning, and he smiled back. "…Uh, this doesn't have anything to do with that mech I was seeing before, does it?"
He smile faltered slightly. "Er…somewhat. How about I explain when we arrive in Crystal City?"
"You and Elita aren't scheming something, are you?" Firestar asked suspiciously, and Optimus was impressed (and alarmed) by her intuition.
"We have a plan in motion, but we are not scheming," he assured her, getting to his feet and offering her his hand. She took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet. Optimus was surprised by how light she was; she seemed just as delicate looking and feminine as Elita now that he could see her closely. So this was to be his femme for the next deca-cycle…
"What are you guys up to?" she inquired, uncomfortable with his close proximity. He blinked twice before frowning slightly.
"I really would prefer to explain after the orn, when we're in the city." He smiled bitterly, brushing his fingers over her cheekplate. "Right now, our wounds are too fresh, yes?"
She frowned. "What?"
"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head. "Anyway. We can plan everything out later, it's late. I'll let you return to your work."
"Sure…" She clenched her hand around her stylus as Optimus headed for the door. "Um, hey…Optimus?"
"Yes?" He turned to her, his optics questioning, a slight smile dancing around his faceplates.
"…Thanks," she said slowly, and his smile broadened to a grin.
"You're very welcome. I'll see you soon, Firestar."
"Yeah."
He left, closing the door behind him, leaving her alone with her brother's gift.
Phew. :D That chapter took a long time. Firestar will get more later--she and Optimus form a very complex relationship, so she'll get a few chapters.
The joke about Jetfire being afraid of sharp objects is a crack at TF Cybertron. There was an episode where Red Alert had to give them all shots (I forget why, it was so long ago) and Jetfire absolutely freaked out. They had to corner him and hold him down. That always struck me as funny :D
Sorry this was more Optimus and Elita than anything else...I promise it'll be OptimusXFirestar in future chapters. It just seemed like a good set up to me...
Next up: Moonracer!