CHAPTER THREE

XXX

The next morning Jack woke with a groan as his alarm went off, not having slept well in the least.

He definitely had drifted off eventually, waking up throughout the night and eventually finding that Megatron had disappeared. It was not until this morning did he realize while he had slept with the tyrant in his room, the Key to Vector Sigma had been in his pants pocket the entire night. If Megatron knew he possessed the relic, or at least suspected, then he could have searched through his room while he was asleep, and perhaps even found it.

But a quick check in his pants pocket revealed it was still there, and he sighed softly. Thank the Allspark.

He trudged through his daily routine, June awakening only briefly to give him a quick kiss and bid him good morning, then going back to bed. Eating breakfast was uneventful, and he eventually packed his things and slipped into the garage.

"Hey, partner," Arcee greeted, chirpy as ever.

"Hey 'cee," he did not try to hide his exhaustion, sighing as he opened the garage door.

"You okay?"

"Didn't sleep well," the excuse left his tongue with far too much ease. "I just . . . I'm worried. About Optimus."

"We all are," she kept her light off until they exited the driveway, not wanting to give away her location to any potentially lurking Decepticons and make it obvious where she had come from. Not that it mattered, Jack thought privately. Megatron already knew where he lived.

But he made a deal.

"Any new developments?" He asked.

"No," her tone was slightly bitter, however he knew she was angry with herself. "We're still looking. There was to be something."

"There will be," he gave her handlebars a reassuring squeeze. "With you on the job, 'Cee, you'll find something."

"Thanks, Jack."

The rest of their ride was in relative silence, Jack trying to not think about the night before, and trying to resist accidentally falling asleep. He could not make it obvious just how much he had stayed up, or Arcee would start asking real questions. He also was paranoid he would say or reference something he should not know about, and that would be hard to cover up.

"See you after school," Arcee bid him a quiet goodbye, the young man giving her saddle a pat before he made his way into school.

"Hey, Jack," Sierra popped up beside him, her brow furrowed. "Are you okay? You sure left in a hurry the other day."

"There's a rumor going around that he got involved in the mob," Vince leaned against the lockers, smirking.

Honestly, dude? Not far off.

"I'm fine," Jack said, trying to focus on Sierra and brush off Vince. "I just, uh, realized I was late for work. Though that was a sweet looking Aston Martin, huh?"

"Yeah," she clutched her books a little tighter, a light blush reaching her cheeks. "Did you know who owned it?"

"N-no," he was lying a little bit. "Though I doubt they actually go here of all places."

"Yeah, kinda weird that it would just show up and disappear when you do," Vince gave him a mocking smile. "I mean, you just got a motorcycle out of nowhere. What's to say you didn't just steal it?"

"You're giving me way too much credit," Jack scoffed. "Stealing from the mob? As if they'd be in Jasper, Nevada. And as if I'd be brave enough to do something as crazy as that."

Vince shrugged. "It's a convincing theory," his eyes were glittering like a predator. Jack was uncomfortable. "But if you insist, Darby. Going to try and race again this weekend?"

"I can't," he squirmed under pressure. The weekend. He'd be with the Autobots then . . . and Megatron. "I've got late hours at work."

"Lame," Vince turned his gaze on Sierra. "You gonna be there?"

Her blush became a bit darker, and Jack couldn't help the jealousy which rose in his chest. "I can't either. My parents will be out of town, and I'll need to babysit my baby brother."

Vince rolled his eyes. "Fine, then. Guess I'll be racing by my lonesome."

He pushed off the lockers, Jack watching him stalk away. He felt Sierra's eyes on him, however he was unsure if he should say anything. His jealous feelings subsided, but a stone in his gut remained. If Sierra was to stay safe, he could not make his crush obvious; Megatron would surely kill her, or somehow punish him, for such feelings.

"I, uh, gotta get to class. See you around, Sierra," he said, ducking his head and quickly making his way to class. His head was swirling, and frankly he was too tired to care more than he already was.

The day could not go by slow enough, and for once Jack wished school was forever. At least he would have an excuse to not return home.

Night two, technically three of their meeting, and the regret just kept getting worse. Why, again, did he decide to do this?

Because it will keep my friends safe. Because this way, I can maybe get information out of Megatron.

He never thought of using seduction as a means to manipulate the lead Decepticon into giving up information, however he wondered what games Megatron would play that would force him to make it that way.

Would he have the strength to do it if he had to?

He felt a bitter taste well up in his mouth. No, he could negotiate his way out of things. Besides, he still had a few cards to play. The fact that his age did not seem to perturb the titan freaked him out, however he would not be shocked if age had different connotations in the Cybertronian culture. Secondly, surely Megatron would realize he was taking things far too fast, and Jack could plead for him to slow down.

Jack resolved to ensure his intentions and expectations were clear. However, what he would allow was still to be determined.

I'll figure it out.

When the final bell rang he was ready for a nap, sleep tugging at his eyes insistently. He stepped out of school to see that Arcee was alone with Bulkhead, Bumblebee still with Rafael. No Knock Out in sight.

Taking a deep breath, Jack slid onto her saddle.

"Listen, Arcee, I need to go home," he sighed. "I need to take a nap. Badly. And at the base with Miko isn't exactly ideal napping space."

"Understood," her chuckle was light, amused. Silently they both rode through the streets, triple-checking to ensure they were not being followed before she dropped him off at home. She was then bridged back to base, and Jack was home with his mother, who was just waking up.

"No 'bots?" She asked, frowning just a touch. "Are you sure you feel well?"

"Yeah, mom," he assured her, once again letting her feel his forehead. "I promise. I just didn't sleep much last night. Worried about Optimus."

She nodded slowly, her soft blue eyes tender and caring. "I'm sure we all are," she gave him a hug. "If you ever need to talk about something, just let me know, okay? I know I'm at work a lot, and you're at school, but I promise I will make as much time for you as you need."

"Thanks," he said, genuinely touched that she cared, but also far too aware that what troubled him was something he could not talk about.

I love you, mom. But this is between him and me.

Going into his room, he made sure to hide the Key in a place where he typically hid something he didn't want his mom to find: right behind the top shelf of his chest of wardrobe, there was some sort of platform. He did not know the purpose, but it rested almost three inches from the back of the fully-closed drawer, and did not fall into the drawer below it. It was an ingenious spot, if he did say so himself.

With that taken care of he crashed into bed, setting an alarm for two hours - he had homework to do, after all - and closed his eyes.

He fell asleep, but it was fitful, haunting images of claws and corrupt Primes chasing him down golden halls.

XXX

His outfit was the same as the night before, covering up skin he normally kept exposed, Jack now suddenly self-conscious. Not because he thought his body was not good enough, but because he did not want a certain someone staring at it.

I'm going to go crazy before the end of this.

"Evening," he said, already tired as he climbed into the bed next to the tyrant.

Megatron scrutinized him just a touch. "You're hardly enthused to be here," he observed.

"Well, can you blame me?" Jack slipped beneath the covers, wondering if this was just how things were going to go. He got in bed, Megatron spoke for a bit, then he fell asleep. Maybe that was the way he could get out of this - can't make emotional connections to anyone if you're asleep.

But he also had questions.

"Have you hurt Optimus?" He asked, voice slightly accusatory.

"Orion is doing quite well," Megatron corrected, amused grin spreading across his faceplates. "And he is adapting well to the Decepticon cause. I'm surprised your Autobot friends did not just immediately surrender once they lost their leader."

"They're working on finding him," Jack wished he could fake confidence well. "And I think they will succeed."

"Do you truly believe that?" Megatron read him like a kindergarten book, shifting his weight and leaning closer. "Something tells me you have your doubts."

"I have a lot of doubts about a lot of things," Jack deflected. "I just need to know . . . what do you plan to do with Op- Orion?"

The tyrant shared the information much more freely than Jack had anticipated. "He is decoding a database, the Iacon database, that the Decepticons acquired on Cybertron. It is so heavily coded that even Soundwave has not found its pattern, but I believe a former pupil of Alpha Trion could easily decode his master's tricks."

"And what is on that database?"

"Relics," Megatron's sharp teeth showed in his grin. "Those of which are said to hold immense power."

Jack was initially genuinely interested, however at the sound of that his curiosity deflated. "Relics with which you'll conquer my planet, I'm guessing."

"And Cybertron," Megatron remained wholly transparent. "Yes."

He noticed the human was displeased, however he was sure with time he would come to understand. Earth was better controlled by a competent leader, not by a variety of those who wished to declare war on one another. Megatron would establish peace, and the planet would reach its full potential.

"Any luck, then?" Jack was a little hopeful of the answer. "With Orion decoding it?"

"Not yet," Megatron admitted, slightly annoyed by the apparent relief in Jack's body language. He reached out, and the human flinched, however he just cupped his jaw. "But when he does, you would do well to stay out of the crossfire."

"What's going to stop me?" Jack asked, sarcastic. "I'm sure if any of your goons try to hurt me, they'll regret it."

It was an immunity he just realized he had, yet he wondered if Megatron actually cared.

"If your human ignorance results in your death, then I will have wasted immense energon resources," the dictator hissed, and Jack's cockiness dissipated like smoke. "And for that, I will need recompense. I'm sure your partner would be more than happy to make that sacrifice."

Jack growled. "Touch Arcee and you'll regret it."

"Stay alive, and I won't have to," Megatron shot back, and Jack resisted the urge to punch him.

You're supposed to make him like you. Not doing such a great job.

He took a breath, deciding to just drop the subject. He needed to catch up on sleep anyway; that nap hardly helped thanks to the intense nightmares.

His head rested against the servo, resisting the urge to pull away. Maybe, if he just did the opposite of what his reflexes wanted, he could convince Megatron that it was working.

Again, he could not let things go too far. Just far enough.

A thumb stroked his cheek, affectionate and terrifying. One wrong slip, and the pinky against his neck could slit his throat open.

"We have a lot of work to do," Megatron said, referring to their courtship, "however, I understand that the night makes things difficult, as well as your allegiance to the Autobots - Amicus had already lost faith in their cause, however you are not similarly disillusioned."

"What did you expect from me?" Jack decided to be more forward about it. "I'm human. We're not exactly compatible beings to start out with."

"More than you might think," that promise sounded more sinister than assuring. "However, Jack, this is only the second night. Two of ninety. I will taper my expectations until I see you are comfortable with the arrangement."

Two out of ninety. He wished the tyrant had not said it like that. It seemed like a lifetime. Almost a hundred nights with the Autobot's worst enemy.

"But in the future," he was nervous, absolutely taken aback by himself asking the lord of Decepticons how a relationship with him was going to work. "If I . . . am, what then? I guess I'm just not sure what kind of affection you're expecting from me."

"Whatever you are willing to give," the stare became more intense. "Amicus gave his all to me, because it was what he wanted."

Jack nearly threw up. Just imagining-

Nope, nope. Not going there. Think of something else, like unicorns or rock bands. Anything but that.

"Oh," he sounded very pathetic saying it, but that was all his mind could manage at the moment. And yet he was morbidly curious, trying to just imagine how. Of course, he never thought to ask any of the 'bots what was under their hoods, as it was an immensely awkward conversation; naturally, they never inquired the same, everyone just accepting that it was nobody's business. Giving it a second thought, he did not really want to ask Megatron about the details either. "Well, probably not much then."

"We will see." Goosebumps erupted down his arms as the servo against his cheek moved down his neck. "I can be patient."

Yeah, you've got eighty-eight days to convince me. Maybe . . .

As abhorrent as it was, Jack considered making a schedule. Maybe if he chose milestones, and deadlines to meet them, then this whole thing would be easier.

His mouth dried at the thought of what those milestones would be. Affection, something he was not willing to give to him.

"Then you're going to be waiting a while," he answered, trying to conceal his discomfort. "And let's not forget that you're sharp. If you cut me somewhere obvious . . ."

"I will be careful," he promised, his servo dropping away from where it had caressed his skin. Jack suppressed the cold chills as red optics moved down his torso, likely imagining what was beneath the sweater.

He crossed his arms, drawing Megatron's gaze back to his face.

"You must be tired," the dictator fluttered his digits towards the bed. "Rest, Jack. As you have mentioned before, you must sleep in order to keep up appearances."

"Yeah . . ." he did not care to follow Megatron's "orders," however the dictator did have a point. Slipping beneath the covers he went to lay down, then paused.

"My mom stops having overnights tomorrow. So she's going to be home for the next few nights," he warned, shooting the Decepticon a glare. "So don't make it obvious you're here."

"I will continue to utilize stealth," the dictator tilted his helm. "What is your personal hailing frequency?"

Jack frowned. "My what?"

There was a pause as Megatron delved into the depths of the World Wide Web briefly, searching for the correct term. Within milliseconds he had his answer. "Cell phone number, as you may refer to it."

The human stared at him. Megatron wants my number? What is this, some kind of teen drama?

Well, he was a teenager, and this was rather dramatic.

"Um, here . . ." he listed off the numbers, trusting the dictator's processor would perfectly preserve the order. He was unsure if their technology was compatible, however his question was answered by the buzz of his cell. He reached out and picked it up while Megatron watched silently, flipping it open to see a strange string of symbols, and beneath it a message:

Number successfully stored.

"Thanks," he muttered, going ahead and saving it in his contacts. He was unsure if it was a brilliant idea to save it under "Megatron," and "Fragger" was just asking for him to be incinerated. He cringed, then saved the number under "Amicus."

"I trust you will keep me updated on your availability," Megatron said, the request more of a command. "And I will send you instructions when necessary."

"You got it," the sarcasm was barely concealed, Jack putting the cell phone back on its charger and pulling the covers up to his chin. "Just don't be texting me in the middle of the night, or constantly during my classes. Again, appearances."

"I am aware," the dictator replied, his weight shifting just the slightest as he made himself comfortable. Jack wondered for a split second if he would ever get comfortable knowing the tyrant was constantly staring at him, sitting at the end of his bed like a creepy cat.

Well . . .

The idea made him uncomfortable, but it would be a place to start.

"Come here," he said, staring at the far wall as he made the decision.

He felt Megatron's curious gaze, his weight shifting as he moved. Jack felt his cool breath in his ear, the dictator doing as instructed - and getting far too close for his comfort. Yet he expected him to close the distance within moments.

"I don't like the way you just sit there and stare at me," he said, ignoring the fact that he did not like this even more. "So at least pretend you're going to . . . recharge with me."

Megatron understood his meaning, or at the very least made the liberty of his own translation, Jack cringing as the mattress groaned while the Decepticon re-distributed his mass. He grit his teeth as he felt the hum of the tyrant's EM field against his body, yelping when something strong wrapped around him.

"What are you doing?!" He panicked as the Decepticon's massive cannon came into view, realizing his arm was what trapped him, pinning him against an immobile frame.

"Making myself comfortable," the growl sent shivers down his spine, cool breath ghosting against the back of his neck. "And I do believe close contact will better facilitate our liking of one another."

Jack cringed - he had read about that in his Psychology class. When humans touched, or even looked at, people they love their brain released oxytocin, a bonding hormone. It was strongest during cuddling, and couples who slept together generally felt more marital satisfaction than those who slept apart.

I am not getting the cuddling hormones from him.

He huffed. "Not exactly what I had in mind - but fine." Jack was tired, and he was not really in the mood to argue. It was getting late again, and he wanted to catch up on the sleep he lost from the previous night.

Closing his eyes he tried to will himself into relaxation, doing his best to ignore the heavy presence against his back and circled around his ribcage. He briefly wondered if the weight would bruise him, then disregarded it. It would not matter even if it did - his shirt would cover it up.

Being so close, he could feel a gentle thrumming in Megatron's chest, which was synchronized to a relaxed, steady ventilation cycle. Cybertronians did not need to breathe, but it helped keep their systems at an optimal temperature. Jack found the sound oddly rhythmic, slowly feeling the pull of sleep increase with each passing minute.

Eventually, he sunk down into unconsciousness.