Soundwave ran his fingers over the computer's keyboard as he attempted to compare Dead End's neural configuration with any other weapons on Cybertron. It was a challenge to find something so small on something so large, but he continued to search every small detail of the planet without stopping. As he continued his work, the smaller, blue form of Arcee started to walk up to him from behind.

"Soundwave?" she asked, gaining his attention. Lifting his head, he turned to her with a respectful look to his partner.

"Yes?"

"I wanted to ask you something," she said again. "Do you have the minute?"

"Of course," he replied, pausing his work and signing off. "What is it you need?"

Arcee rubbed the back of her head, letting out a puff of air before speaking, hoping with every fiber of her being that what she was going to say next wouldn't end in disaster. "Do you... like me?" she inquired. The question hit the mech like a punch from a metrotitan.

"Wh-what?" he said in a shocked voice; its deep pitch rising slightly as he just started to make sense of what she asked.

"Do you like me?" she repeated with a more noticeable hint of confidence in her tone, now knowing there was no going back. "As in: do you find me attractive in any way?"

"Arcee, y-you do know of what you are asking, right?"

"Yes, I do. And after that rather confusing action you pulled on me earlier, I want to know the answer to it," she responded, folding her arms and tapping her foot on the ground of the ship as a stubborn look came over her face. "So tell me."

There was silence. The quiet lasted until Soundwave lowered his head in a defeated manner.

"Yes, Arcee," he finally answered, causing the fem's eyes to widen. "What I wanted to tell you before was that I... I do harbor feelings of that nature toward you. I just... didn't know how to say it."

"You... do?" she asked with a curled brow.

"Yes," he continued, putting a hand to where Laserbeak lied, motioning to his own chest. "It took me a while to register exactly what I was feeling in my spark, but when I found out that what I was feeling was true infatuation, I tried my best to hide it from you. I soon realized I couldn't, and so I tried to tell you, but I couldn't do that either."

Arcee's face remained neutral as she processed this newfound information, confirming everything she possibly thought and more.

"And now you know," he shrugged. "Now you know everything."

"What really intrigues me is why," she said with a mischievous look, walking ever so closer to him.

"Because you helped me learn to move on with my life," he began. "Because you treated me with kindness, and as a partner instead of a liability. Even after all I did to help my kind hinder yours in the past, you did this. Even after I forcibly used the cortical psychic patch on you, you did this. For me. The only thing I could possibly think of you as being is someone worthy of compassion and respect in the very, very least."

"Yeah, well... you saved my life. Twice," she chuckled back, placing one of her servos on his side. Just hearing her laugh and feeling her touch made his spark tingle and shiver with a feeling he couldn't describe. "So in my own opinion... I don't think it would be so wrong if I were to return such a feeling too, you know..."

It was at this point that Soundwave finally realized that both of their heads were slowly leaning in as if on their own accord, and their faces were gravitating toward one another's at a tantalizing rate. He fought the urge to just end what he was afraid would come next. In an effort to take his mind off of his thoughts on the very near future, he focused on how palpable moment was, and looked into Arcee's comforting, lovely blue eyes.

At first he felt uncertainty and fear grip his mind and spark, but any negative emotions holding him back were quickly doused like mere candles to a flood and replaced with irresistible desire. Without a second thought, he shut his purple eyes and pressed his mouth against hers, just as she did the same, closing the gap at long last.

While they kissed each other fervently and passionately; fully claimed in the ecstasy and rapture the moment gave the two, the first thing Soundwave noticed upon regaining some semblance of himself was that Arcee's lips seemed to feel impossibly soft and smooth. As their tongues explored each other's mouths, he gently placed a hand on Arcee's back, careful to avoid her wing-shaped protrusions, and pulled her smaller form closer to himself. As Arcee herself placed a servo on his chest, she was wary enough with her fingers not to disturb Laserbeak, and savored the moment.

It was nearly a full minute into that the two finally, albeit reluctantly, separated their lips, taking in multiple deep breaths and staring into each other's optics as they butted their foreheads together.

"Arcee... I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... to..." Soundwave spoke in a nervous and apologetic tone as he started to pull his head away. His action was halted as Arcee placed her servos on either side of his face, and brought it back to hers.

"Sorry about what?" she smiled, as she once more locked lips with him, starting another round.

"I... don't... remember..." he spoke back in between kisses. With barely-controllable emotion, the two stumbled a short ways until Arcee's back was pressing against the desk of the computer. To compensate, Soundwave placed both of his hands on the monitor area's edge, while Arcee wrapped her arms around his upper body for support. She let out a soft moan as she felt his mouth wander around and kiss at her neck.

It didn't last long, as Soundwave soon lost his grip on the desk's edge, and the two slipped to the ground with a clatter. They soon recovered and upon sitting up, instead of feeling shamefaced, they started to laugh at their little plight.

But then, as if fate itself was trying to end the moment of bliss for the two, a voice went out from overhead, where the computer lied.

"Arcee, Soundwave, are either of you there?" the sound of what Arcee quickly realized was Ratchet's voice went out. "Hmm... I don't see either of you, but the monitor senses your life signatures are in this room. Where are you?"

Oh, scrap! It's Ratchet! Arcee thought in a panic, her eyes widening in horror. Out of all the times to call...

"Is... that...?" Soundwave began in an unsure tone.

"Ratchet..." Arcee finished in a whisper, futile attempting to keep her cool. "Okay, uh... let's just... play this out. I'll just say that there was... something wrong with the lower panel of the computer and you were helping me. Got it?"

He quickly nodded; his visage becoming much more serious.

"Okay, good. Let's get up in three... two... one."

As her countdown reached its conclusion, the two jumped to their feet

"Hey, Ratchet!" she greeted her friend a bit too heartily with a wave of the servo.

"What... were you two doing down there?" the aged bot asked in an inquisitive voice. Both Arcee and Soundwave traded quick glances toward one another before the two-wheeler let loose a nervous chuckle, arching a hand over her back

"Oh! We were just... fixing one of the computer's panels," she said, making as innocent of a smile as she could muster. "Then my... hand got caught in some of the wiring, and I was afraid of accidentally pulling the wires out, so I had Soundwave come over and help... right, partner?"

Soundwave nodded again in agreement.

"Well, is everything all good between you and Soundwave?" he inquired. "I'm just calling in again to make sure he hasn't tried anything on you since last time."

"Everything's fine," she said. "But listen... if I don't get that wiring fixed up before a chord or two fall out, the computer's entire mainframe is going to go black, so... see you later, I suppose?"

"Hmph. Since everything seems well, I guess I'll call back in- wait, hold on just a moment... I hooked that computer up myself!" he pointed out, causing Arcee's spark to instantly shrink on fear. "There's no wiring under that section! Hmm... what were you two really do- Oh. Oh, no... P-Primus preserve me... "

Arcee bit her lip as both Soundwave and herself saw Ratchet's face hysterically change into one of both realization and horror. "W-WERE YOU TWO JUS-"

The two-wheeler shot her hand down and pressed the button that ended the transmission, then pressing the one that shut the computer down completely, causing Ratchet's face to vanish from the screen. Letting out a large sigh, she gazed back at Soundwave with a small smile.

"Well... Ratchet knows, heh," she chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head with a servo. "That was... faster than I thought it would be."

"Arcee, I had no idea he was going to call. I'm sorry for embarrassing you like this..." Soundwave apologized in a sincere tone.

"What? Don't be," she said easily. "I'd be willing to bet that someone would've found out about this sooner or later."

She let out another long-drawn sigh and began to walk toward where the front of the Cliffside was. "I think I'll land the ship for a while. I need some... fresh air," she went on in a weary voice.

"Of course," Soundwave agreed. "I shall... return to my work."

Arcee was about to exit the room, but stopped herself at the last moment and looked back in. "Hey, Soundwave," she spoke.

"Y-yes?" he asked once more.

"Thank you," she said a last time, before disappearing behind the corner.