Author's Note:
Happy Late Valentine's Day! Sorry about any delays, I got sick and worked five days straight after two tests and an at-home-essay. You'd be amazed at how fast time can fly. Urg.
Without further ado, Thank You, my beloved fans, for reading and reviewing ^_^
Enjoy~
Prowl's P.O.V.
I sucked in a nervous breath at the sound of a responding ping. He responded, I thought to myself. I do not know what I had been thinking. The meeting had been finished and we all dispersed to do our duties. I would be doing mine now, if it weren't for Ratchet's keen optics. He figured out that I hadn't necessarily been taking care of myself and at my protests he had talked to Optimus, who then had pardoned me himself. Shaking my head, I wasted no more time to check my ping.
-When?-
My spark fluttered lightly, and I pushed the sensation to the back of my mind. I am to meet him for information only, I scolded myself for the 19th time. Once I was unable to work, I had come here to my quarters, and as I had nothing to do my thoughts drifted back to Jazz. He had seemed alright, deprived of some things even, however he had killed Seaspray without hesitation. I exited out of my quarters into the halls, before checking my chronometer. It was currently 1:17pm, and I took 32.78min to walk there. Satisfied with this simple fact, I pinged him back.
-40 minutes?-
Was he even the same mech? Or was he attempting to try something, to lure me into something? My processor was directing facts to conclude that, as a Decepticon, the natural thing to do would be to deceive me. Despite this, my tanks and spark argued against this. I've never felt such conflicting emotions. I shook my head, passing through another archway in the base, twisting around a corner to head for a less conspicuous exit. Another fact would be that he would either be late, debate or sneer at the time, or not show at all. Decepticons only followed commands of those with their respect, and never one of an Autobot's. My spark twitched uncomfortably at the thought of him not showing. Another ping. I opened it without hesitation.
-Done-
This nearly caused me to stall, before I forced my pedes to move once more. I would see if he would show once I got there, however something told me he would. I set a soft timer for 40 minutes, and was about to turn around another bend before I halted completely. I heard Optimus talking. I looked around, searching for a hiding spot, however I was no Jazz so I had to make do with flattening myself against the wall. Inching forward, I dared to poke my helm out slightly to spy on my own father. He was stationary and speaking with the twins, of whom still appeared to be battered. I strained my audio receptors to hear better.
"… Reason to believe that he will try to exit the base at one point, for I have Ironhide telling me that he has been seen coming in from outside when off duty." My spark thudded hard in my chest. Was he telling them to spy on me, or prevent me from leaving? I ducked back slightly, keeping the side of my face pointed in their direction. Obviously he now knows of the reappearance of Jazz, and he must have put the two and two together of why I was leaving. My tanks squirmed slightly in guilt – a feeling I haven't gotten since I stole a candy without permission from the candy jar as a youngling. What I am doing is strictly forbidden, I scolded myself, although I couldn't help but shake it off. This meeting could be used for information, I could help the other Autobots. I just had to make it to meet him.
"Alright, alright, we'll watch the doors. Just let Sunny fix himself up before he attacks somebody," Sideswipe chuckled, earning a sour glare from his twin. Good, I thought to myself. A normal touch-up of this extent from Sunstreaker takes about 1-2 hours. I turned my face slightly to watch a hesitant Optimus, before he sighed and nodded.
"Alright. Quickly. For agreeing to this, you'll have a slightly less workload, and a schedule that I myself will be making – Prowl can't know of this." He already does, I thought with a tad of dry humor. Sideswipe, to his credit, looked uneasy but nodded anyway before throwing an arm around his brother's shoulders.
"C'mon bro, let's get you looking new again." Glowering, Sunstreaker allowed his brother to lead him down another hallway, before Optimus sighed and rubbed his face in a rare show of openness. He seemed tired, however he hardened himself back into his formal self. He tilted his head slightly, and I tucked my head back around the corner. I could feel his heavy pede-steps leading down the hallway opposite of where the twins had left with the sensors on my wings, and I relaxed minutely. Sighing, I checked my timer. I had 35min left, and still had yet to exit the base.
Frowning, as I did not like to be late, I turned around the corner to head for the exit while thinking of possible ways to sneak back into the base.
- / -
Jazz's P.O.V.
I stretched my arms over my head as I approached the site where I had first seen the beautiful mech that was Prowl. A smirk played on my lips, and my sharp denta poked through to taste the air. Just the thought of him sent shivers of energy racing through my circuits. Hence why I couldn't think of 'im of late, I chuckled to myself. If Soundwave could read my thoughts, and Shockwave could dissect one with a mere look, I would have to be very careful that I didn't appear out of place. If I did, then they would investigate, and I would be nothing better than a pile of scrap metal. I glanced almost carelessly at the picked-clean bone half buried in the soil, the only remainder of the bear. Can't believe ah'm darin' to do something so… forbidden, I thought, although I couldn't bring myself to care. The feeling I got around him…
A tremor of excitement shot through me, and next thing I knew I was in a tree at a fair height, swinging around the trunk like a leaf in a strong circular wind. I breathed out a silent howl, closing my optics under my visor and sniffing the air. I smelled pine, dew, rot, calming me. I also smelled something familiar, yet tantalizing. I onlined my visor and smiled softly, knowing who it was. Warmth grew in my chest as I spotted two black and white wings, bouncing slightly in the wind. A mischievous feeling wormed its way through me as I saw him enter the clearing, looking around with an unreadable expression. I watched him with that playful smirk, noting every move, every twitch. He seemed to grow restless, and that was when I decided to make my move. Slow, cautious, I stalked forward on my branch, moving until I found a clear space in the air in between me and just an inch behind him. I launched myself then, slicing through the air and tilting myself so that I managed to flip over to my feet.
I landed smoothly, quiet as a cat, and froze. In the corner of my vision I could see his wings twitch slightly, however all he did was turn to see the now barely waving branch that I was on. Smiling in victory, I straightened and turned to find myself in between his two wings. Prowl shifted his weight, before scanning the base of the tree, falsely assuming that I had just dropped down. My grin widening, I slowly inched forward, however my shoulder brushed gently against his right wing. He tensed immediately, and before he could spin and attack me, I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around him. I was hoping to stay quiet, mysterious, and even imposing, however I couldn't hold back a breathless laugh, holding on tight to the alarmed Autobot. He tried to turn around, and almost seemed to flail, however I brought my face even closer to the back of his helm, taking in that sweet, dusty scent. His warm neck seemed to beckon to me, and his whole body was warm against mine. Ignoring my body's response to his, I grinned.
"Guess who..?" I laughed breathlessly. I was not expecting, however, an almost silent growl. Before I could react to it, a sharp pain flared in an old scab just under my chassis, and I grunted, letting go of him. Something swept my legs out from underneath me, and I landed hard on my aft as the unimpressed Prowl spun around.
"Never sneak up behind a mech with wings," he warned, his tone low. I couldn't help but admire this behaviour, chuckling. He didn't move, and judging by the height of his flared wings I assumed they were in an aggressive position. I raised my hands up, open in surrender.
"Alright, alright," I chuckled lightly. So it appeared that he was a good fighter, and a keen observer. Ah like, I hummed to myself. I didn't move from my position on the ground, and he seemed to relax a little, his wings dropping down into his tight 'V'. I tilted my head in curiosity, a smile still lingering on my lips.
"Well? Any… particular reason ta callin' meh?" I smirked, stressing the one word suggestively. I crossed my legs, however, before waggling my eyebrows. This caught his attention, and I spotted a small frown before he had to quickly glance away, coughing lightly, embarrassed. I noticed that his wings had tensed with the rest of his body, before moving slightly closer together. Interesting, I mused. They moved apart but remained tense, before he turned slightly to face me offhandedly.
"What happened in Tarn?" I dropped my smirk, and stared at him, silent. Was this what he'd called me for? Information? My spark sank low, and a slight pain emanated from it. When he got no answer, he turned around fully to face me again. I stared at him impassively, and he stared back with cold optics. We stared at each other for a few moments, before I broke contact and stood up. I could feel his stare pierce my armor, and I gave him the cold shoulder, dusting my legs off. It took a few moments for him to realize that I wasn't going to answer, and he sighed.
"You attacked two of my only friends, Jazz." I growled lightly, and stood up to my full height and faced him.
"What'd ya expect!? We're on opposite side 'ere, mech!" I barked, causing him to flinch. I stalked up to him, unsheathing my claws to their full length, tapping one against the center of his chest before he could move. As a result, he tensed so bad he could've shot an arrow. Even though my finger tip was just touching him, I could feel his spark racing under his armor, making my spark beat harder in response. It calmed me, despite my anger, and I drew back, sheathing my claws back to their short, harmless length. I huffed, crossed my arms, and glared crossly at an innocent tree a few yards away. I did my best to ignore the fact that our bodies were maybe a foot away from each other. After a few moments, he spoke.
"Then why did you not flay me, right then?" Just ignore 'im Jazz. I could hear his pedes shuffling, before he moved an inch closer. His vents stuttered softly, tearing down my defenses. I chewed my lip with my sharp denta, and I couldn't help but think of what it would feel like to get his on mine… No, stop it, I scolded myself, shaking my head harshly. Just then I remembered that I was to never expose my back to anyone, and I turned to face him, pressing my lips together. His face was calm, although I could see his cautiousness in his optics. Instead of answering that tricky question, I decided to redirect it towards him.
"Ya didn't answer mah question," I breathed, taking in a sigh to calm myself. There was almost no need, as for when he tilted his head for me to explain I caught a whiff of his scent. I dropped my arms, and looked somewhere off to the left before looking at him again. "Why'd ya call me 'ere?" His vents stuttered softly again, before he broke eye contact and glanced over my shoulder.
"I…" He sighed, shaking his head, before staring at that same, poor tree. Frowning, he flicked his wings in annoyance. "An honest answer..?" he breathed, before darting his optics to me. Frowning myself, I nodded. His wings drooped slightly, before tensing and moving inward – as they did when he was embarrassed. He shook his head. "I don't know. I… wanted to see you, I suppose," he ground out, his voice lowering at the end into a whisper.
I wasn't expecting that response, and I could feel my spark hammering in my chest, growing warmer as opposed to colder. He continued to stare at that tree, tenser than I've ever seen anyone. I couldn't speak for once, as my breath caught in my throat. I've never been in a situation like this, and all I could think about was how he wanted to see me. I was ecstatic, however his wings trembled lightly and something in me wanted to stop it. The next thing I knew, my arms were around him once more, my face buried in his neck cables, breathing in that wonderful scent of his.
He froze, before relaxing immensely, awkwardly patting my side. My left arm was draped around his shoulder and under his wings, which were surprisingly soft. My right wrapped securely around his waist, drawing him into me. Some voice in my head was dimly shouting at me to stop, this was not what Decepticons do, you've been trained against it, but I was too far gone to care. His scent was sweet and dusty, like old tree bark, calming and soothing my whole being. I could feel his spark race under his armor once more, and he awkwardly raised his other arm to wrap around my shoulders. A jolt of warm electricity raced through me when he rested his head against mine, and I smiled softly into his warm cabling. Mine, I thought resolutely, clutching on to him a little bit tighter.
It seemed like an eternity that we stayed like that, however in reality it must've been a few minutes. I was saddened when Prowl gently detached himself, although thoroughly pleased at how relaxed he was. I smirked slightly at him, not bothering to move apart. I traced a design on his abdomen, before he gasped lightly and backed away a few steps. His wings were fluttering almost all over the place, although they kept inward and upward. I grinned at his now-open face, full of wonder and confusion.
"We should do this more often," I offered, smiling more at his embarrassed twitching. Once he calmed down a little, he sighed, and looked at me with a level gaze.
"My f-leader..." He coughed, and alarm sprung through me, before he composed himself more. "He's figuring out that I leave on my time off, and asked – my two friends," he stammered, realizing that I might not know their names. "He asked them to watch the doors. I don't think I'll be able to leave again," he admitted softly. I pursed my lips together in thought. Was his father like mine? Running my gaze around his shoulders again, I knew that he didn't train or punish him as my father did me.
"Wha' would he do if he found out?" I would be lying if I told someone I wasn't curious. My lord always told me that Optimus Prime had started the war, however he would never speak past that. Prowl shook his head.
"I do not know. I've never really done something I'm not supposed to." I gave him a look that I hoped screamed 'really?', and a small smile played around the corner of his lips, causing my breath to catch again. "Well, most certainly nothing of this scale," he amended dryly. I couldn't help but chuckle lightly at that. He sighed softly, allowing his wings to spread more outward, diverting my attention. They were mainly white with some black undertones, and highlighted with a few red lines. Prowl seemed to notice my attention on his wings, as he drew them closer to him and coughed softly. I turned my gaze to his face, and I studied him for a moment. His optics showed his discomfort, however had a red chevron gracefully twisting above them, whilst his face was angular. He showed no signs of fear, which led me to believe that the Autobots did not discipline their troops. Then how did their Twins get'a be such great fighters..? I pondered.
"Ah'm sure whatever he does when he does find out won't be all bad," I tested, shifting my weight onto my right leg. He tilted his head, before frowning. He still seemed curious to why I was looking at him so.
"And why do you say that? What punishment would you be expecting?" I let out a small huff, and crossed my arms.
"Oh, Y'know, beatin's, lashin's, clawin', th' norm," I expressed casually, shrugging. This caused Prowl to choke a little, his optics widening before landing on my shoulders. Ah, so he did notice. He shook his head in bewilderment.
"We never harm anyone if it is unnecessary." I blinked at his serious tone.
"And disciplinin' your troops ain't necessary?" I asked, my eyebrows shooting upward. Prowl narrowed his optics in slight confusion.
"There are more civil means to disciplining troops." It was my turn to gaze at him in confusion. The corner of my lips pulled downward in a frown, and I shook my head in disbelief. Decepticons were expected to endure pain, and disciplinary action was dealt accordingly.
"Yeah? Like how?" I shot at him, jerking my chin up slightly. His wings twitched slightly in annoyance, and he sighed.
"Normally, I would send them to the brig – our celled area – or give them shifts they do not like. For example, the Twins hate monitor duty, so when they need to be disciplined, they have more monitor shifts." Ah feel how they feel, I thought in agreement.
"You? Ya're th' one that punishes 'em?" I blinked at him, curious now. Prowl seemed strong and sturdy but it was obvious that he was not built for combat. He simply sighed in agitation.
"Of sorts, yes. If it is worse, they are talked to civilly by Optimus," he stressed. I swallowed, suspicion floating in.
"Optimus? Ain't he th' boss? Why wouldn't he smack some sense inta people?" I growled lightly, having of course been conditioned to hate Autobots. It didn't work very well, however I did end up disliking the Prime greatly. Prowl seemed surprised, and his wings rose defensively.
"Optimus cares for his troops. In turn, we care for our leader, and we have a system of respect. He would sacrifice himself if one of us was in danger, and knowing this, we return the gesture by following his command." He blinked at me, frowning and again tense. "What does your leader do, other than hurt, maim, and kill?"
I snorted, and opened my mouth for a retort. But one never came, and I had to snap my mouth shut. This had me really thinking, as I couldn't recall a time where he wasn't doing one of those things. My tanks rolling slightly, I turned my face away, chewing my lip. He lead, gave orders. We followed them out of fear. Not that any 'bot would get a confession from us Decepticons. Prowl relaxed, and his face softened into something of pity. This caused my energon to heat up in anger, and I issued out a low growl.
"We love battle, energon, torture, lyin', drugs, inflictin' pain," I growled, and I stalked even closer to him, dragging a claw up his chest before tapping it under his chin. I could taste the bitter lies rolling off of my glossa, however part of this was true. "We love inflictin' fear," I purred, digging my claw into him just short of drawing energon. When normally I would get a thrill of excitement from the fear in his optics and the thought of his energon spilling, I instead felt my insides tighten and roil. I pulled my claw out, and away from his face, snorting. Prowl, to his credit, remained calm.
"And is this true for you, as well?" It was as effective as cold water being splashed on my face. I blinked blankly at him, before sighing. I never really thought about it, for I was always expected to be a ruthless dagger in the horde of the Decepticons. I never had any other choice – Megatron was my birth father, after all. I scowled lightly.
"Haven't though 'bout it." Prowl frowned, and boldly raised a hand to rest on my shoulder. My spark rate increased slightly, as did my core temperature.
"Perhaps you should," he suggested softly. I looked up at him, and I couldn't tear my optics from his, and our gazes remained locked for a few moments, before he stiffened slightly. He glanced somewhere else, breaking the contact, and his hand raised off of my shoulder to press lightly on the side of his helm. He frowned, and his wings drooped an inch lower.
"That was Optimus. I am to return immediately."