"Trick or treat!"

First Aid spun around. "Holy Primus!"

"Did I scare you?" Fireflight – because it was Fireflight, of course it was, even though it looked like Starscream for all intents and purposes – chuckled and walked closer. He pushed the mask up. "Guess it looks real enough, then?"

"The spitting image," First Aid confirmed. "Almost stopped my spark there." He waved a hand towards Fireflight, indicating the hollow plating attached pretty much everywhere to change Fireflight's blocky, broad silhouette into Starscream's sleeker design. "You've really gone all out on this one, haven't you?"

"Air Raid challenged me." Fireflight grinned. "There's a couple of cubes of high-grade in it if I can make it look convincing. I'm guessing I managed?"

"I'll say." First Aid walked around Fireflight slowly. "Who helped you?"

"Wheeljack. He thought it would be funny. Of course, he's also helping Air Raid turn into Ramjet." He giggled. "Said he didn't want to play favorites."

"Starscream is more scary than Ramjet, though," First Aid mused. "Who's the judge?"

Fireflight shrugged, jostling the fake shoulder vents concealing his nose cone. "Everyone. Whoops. Figured we'd ask at the party who did the best job." He spun. "Do you think he'll be impressed?"

"Who, Air Raid? I guess? You know your brother better than I do." First Aid reached out to straighten the crooked shoulder vent.

"Not Air Raid." Fireflight blushed prettily. "Guess I haven't told you, huh?"

First Aid leaned back against one of the medberths. So Fireflight had a crush, did he? Aid smiled at his friend. "Who are you trying to impress, Flight?"

Fireflight bit his lip, smiling back. "You won't laugh, right?"

"I never laugh at you," First Aid replied. He sat up on the berth.

"No, I know. That's why you're my best non-brother friend." Fireflight blushed again, looking down.

First Aid hadn't seen Fireflight like this in a while. The Aerialbot was adorable.

Please, let it be someone who's good to him this time.

"I really wanted to impress…" Fireflight took a deep in-vent. "Perceptor."

Thank Primus.

"Perceptor, huh?" First Aid reached out to snag Fireflight's hand, pulling him up to sit on the medberth as well. "How long has that been going on?"

Fireflight blushed. "Don't know. A while and not long at all? He's always there, always kind, and I can always ask him if there's something I want to know, he always explains. And last week he was telling me something about the Earth's core and how the pressure down there worked on the crust, and I suddenly realized I wanted him to kiss me." Cue another furious blush.

He really was adorable.

"Well, I can't imagine anyone not being impressed by your costume," First Aid said, giving Fireflight's hand a squeeze. "It's really good. So are you going to ask him to dance at the party?"

Fireflight giggled. "Perceptor doesn't dance. He says he's got a stationary alt mode for a reason. But I'm definitely going to talk to him. Hopefully. If I feel brave enough."

"You're plenty brave," First Aid replied. "I'll be cheering you on. Perceptor's a good mech."

"Thanks, Aid." Fireflight squeezed his hand. Then he looked up at First Aid with hopeful optics. "So can I see your costume?"

First Aid nodded. "Sure! I have it here somewhere." He winked at Fireflight. "Dim your optics."

As Fireflight complied, First Aid slid off the medberth and walked over to a set of drawers. He pulled the metal strip from the top drawer, and bent his neck to magnetize it to his helm. Then, all done, he whirled to face Fireflight again. "Ta-daa!"

Fireflight stared. Then he laughed so hard he near fell off the berth. "That's your costume!?"

"It is!" First Aid beamed, shaking his head a bit to make the eyestalk springs bounce. "I'm an alien! Like it?"

"It's ridiculously brilliant," Fireflight wheezed, doubled over laughing and clearly having problems getting himself back under control. "Eyestalks. Primus." He straightened slowly, still venting hard. "It's a good thing you're not going trick-or-treating with that. It's not scary at all. Just hilarious."

"I don't like the trick-or-treating anyway," First Aid chuckled, making the eyestalks wiggle again. "All those costumes freak me out. Besides, I have plans."

"I know. With Bluestreak." Fireflight got off the medberth and walked towards First Aid. "I want to have that kind of plans, too. With luck, I might." He grinned and gave one eyestalk a little prod, watching and giggling as it bounced back and forth. "Love this. Anyway, I should get out of this costume. Don't want to show it off too much before Halloween. See you, Aid!"

"Bye, Flight!" First Aid waved as his friend skipped out of the medbay. Then he pulled the thin metal strip off of his head again, putting it back in the drawer.

Just another couple of weeks.