CHAPTER SIX
XXX
It was dark before Jack made it back to the house, his heart hammering slightly. He had completely lost track of time at base, and it was not until Rafael realized his curfew was coming up that they decided to leave. The older human cursed himself, for once grateful that he was being directly Groundbridged to his home. Arcee remained at base to continue scouting, which was one less thing he needed to worry about at the moment.
"Hey honey," his mother said from the kitchen. "Welcome home. How are the Autobots?"
He relaxed a little bit as he entered the threshold, realizing she was safe. "They're . . . coping," he said carefully, wondering if Megatron was truly in the room.
June's smile was sad. "I'm glad to hear that," she said softly, putting on oven mitts as the timer dinged. "And you are home just in time. I hope you're hungry for buffalo wings."
He hid his cringe. "Just as long as there's plenty of sauce," he joked, though he was partially serious. The taste of veggie meat, he thought, was best when smothered with buffalo sauce. He never wanted to tell his mother that he disliked her choice of substitutes, mostly because she bought what they could afford, and she really, really was trying hard to remain vegan. It was a lifestyle they only started at the beginning of the year, and the woman was determined not to break it.
Though Jack was disappointed in the new lack of cheeseburgers in his life - outside of work - he admired his mom and what she was doing this for. So, it was not his place to complain.
"Did you get plenty of homework done?" His mother asked.
"Yeah, actually. I'm all caught up," he promised her. "Um, I'll be right back. I'm going to wash up."
"Of course. The wings are almost done," she informed him, her son nodding in confirmation that he heard, then he disappeared around the corner.
A part of him was tempted to peek into his room, just to see for himself if Megatron was waiting. After a split second of debating, he decided not to look; if he was there, Jack was certain he would start acting weird in front of his mother. If he was not, he would still start acting weird, terrified something had happened.
Besides, a small bit of him had the sadistic satisfaction of making Megatron wait. He was tempted to even do his evening routine without dipping into his room - but then he would not have any pajamas to change into. Which meant he would have nothing but a towel on when going to his room.
On second thought . . . I'll check up on him once dinner is done.
Washing his hands Jack returned to the kitchen, helping his mother by setting the table and organizing the side dishes, pouring them both glasses of water. Together they ate in relative silence, June assuming her son did not want to talk much about the 'bots - especially with Optimus missing. She could see Jack looked up to the Prime, and with him gone, there was certainly a new void there that bothered the young man.
He needed a good male role model in his life, and though June did not like the idea of him being involved in an intergalactic war, she was glad Optimus was there. The Prime was the paternal figure Jack had been lacking, and one who June trusted to take care of her boy. He would never, never let anything hurt Jack, or the other human charges in their care. The Autobots would lay down their lives to ensure they were safe, especially when it came to the Decepticons.
When Megatron had initiated a conversation with Jack, his mother had been ready to do anything necessary to step between them - but Optimus made sure the tyrant knew his place.
Just thinking about that monster looking at her son sent chills down her spine.
"Dinner was good, mom," Jack pulled her from her thoughts, his sweet smile relaxing her tense muscles. "Thank you."
"Of course," she said, finishing her own meal shortly after. "Have a good night, sweetie. I'm starting a string of three-to-three shifts on Tuesday, so I might not see you when you get back from school for a couple of days."
"That's alright," he teased a little. "You can just get up at seven with me to see me off."
"Yeah, right," she rolled her eyes, the two of them washing dishes, then he made sure she disappeared into her bedroom first before quietly opening his door.
The room was dark, as usual, his eyes scanning the darkness for familiar red optics. When he spotted none he frowned, but did not worry about it - if the 'con was getting cold feet, or busy, he certainly was not going to complain about it. A thought caused him pause, the young man wondering if Megatron was busy . . . hurting Optimus.
If he is, I'm definitely going to give him a piece of my mind.
Checking his phone, he noted there were no messages on it before placing it on its charger and gathering his clothes, disappearing into the bathroom to take a shower.
Jack took his time, running shampoo through his hair and scrubbing his skin, washing his face and enjoying the warm water for a few more precious minutes. Eventually he stepped out, drying off and putting on as many clothes as he could tolerate without getting too hot.
He kept the Key in his pocket, unsure if Megatron was in the room now. He supposed he should have stored it away before going to shower. At first, he thought about just throwing the pants into the laundry hamper, which Megatron definitely would not go through if he became bored during the night, then he paused. Just how far was the Key's "range" before it decided to follow him? If it "followed" him into his room, appearing exposed on his dresser, Megatron would definitely see it - that was something he could not afford to test.
Huffing, he quietly went back to his room, still not seeing the red optics he had become familiarized with. A feeling settled in his gut, and the young man decided to throw his clothes on the floor, kicking his pants enough under the dresser that it did not look suspicious, looking around. There was nothing-
He froze as he looked at his bed, realizing there was something on it - Megatron, his optics closed, permanent frown ever so subtly relaxed as rhythmic exhalations caused his chest to rise and fall.
Is he . . . sleeping? Jack thought, bewildered. He then became annoyed, frowning at the warlord. So much for maintaining stealth. What if my mom had decided to pop in?
There was some hesitancy in his motions, the human at first not sure what was bothering him until he touched his sheets.
Before, it felt as though Megatron was initiating the interactions, with Jack reluctantly allowing him to do so on the condition that he respected his boundaries. It was Jack's space, with Megatron only recently allowed to lay next to him. This time, it would be Jack willingly slipping into bed with the tyrant against him.
Something about the partial reversal left him uneasy, likely because it was like he was . . . wanting to do it. Like he wanted the dictator in his bed, in his house, invading his space and attempting to seduce him.
Seduce me. He really is trying to . . . form a relationship.
The thought made him sick to his stomach, but he remembered what it was for. For the Autobots, for Optimus . . . for his planet, even. Keeping everyone safe by convincing Megatron he had a chance to "take back" what was "his."
His hesitancy scared him for a second. Was he standing at the edge of his bed, staring like a creep, because he did not want to do this? Or was it because he was afraid he would want it?
Shaking his head, the human steeled his nerves, carefully lifting a corner and slowly sliding into bed. The tyrant did not stir in the slightest, giving Jack the much-needed opportunity to settle in his own side of the bed and not touch him at all. Getting comfortable Jack closed his eyes, trying to ignore the rhythmic sighs beside him, even as they gently lulled him to sleep.
XXX
Megatron opened his optics, his systems informing him of the successful hour of recharge. He would certainly need more, however not in such a compromising position. When he realized Jack was not going to show up for a time, he elected to take a brief klik to debug his systems. He had been dead to the world, but surely an hour would be plenty of time for the pair of humans in this household to wrap up their activities, whatever they would be.
He was greeted by darkness, realizing there was warmth beside him. Turning his helm, he was met with the satisfactory sight of Jack curled up under the covers, sleeping peacefully. His back was to the Decepticon, however Megatron hardly minded. It made things easier.
Shifting his weight, he wrapped an arm around the fragile creature, shamelessly pressing his frame into his smooth back. Jack's breath hitched ever so slightly, then settled back into his normal pattern, which Megatron had kept track of for every night they were together. He had kept an optic on every biological system his scanners could detect, paranoid of losing yet another to the accursed Autobots.
His grip tightened subconsciously as the memory file briefly flickered across his processor. He quickly shut it down, but not before Amicus' hand reached out for him.
Megatron had been so close. So close, and yet he knew the human was dead the moment the room had been breached.
This time, however, Jack was safe on his own planet. He would remain safe, as long as his partner did her job, however he had little faith, given what he knew of Arcee's track record. Soundwave was already tasked with ensuring the human's survival should the runt fail.
The dictator had been dismissive of Jack when he declared immunity from his soldiers, however it had been nothing more than a successful bluff. He did not want the organic to get cocky, putting himself in unnecessary danger and getting himself killed.
He dared to place his faceplates against the back of his neck, allowing primitive olfactory receptors to take in his unique scent. In sleep, his body reacted as it should, producing oxytocin with every touch the dictator gave him, goosebumps lightly forming where metal met skin. As much as Megatron wished to do as Jack wanted, take it slow and respect his boundaries, he had no idea how long he had waited for this. To find him, a successor of his Amicus, to feel that spark once more and desire to keep it selfishly for himself, allow it to blaze in his servos. It was driving him mad with impatience.
He could wait, he had to wait, but it caused him almost literal, physical pain.
You will be mine.
It was only a matter of time, he could feel it. Jack Darby would fall.
XXX
Jack woke up the next day to an empty bed, not even an impression left in the mattress. He wondered how long the tyrant had stayed, wondering if he would, technically, count this night. They spent time together, sure, but they never spoke. Though, in his defense, Megatron was asleep first.
Turning off the alarm which had jerked him awake, he sat up and stretched, his back ache much less this time around. It helped they had not cuddled, the tyrant's unforgiving metal acting like a rigid backboard which left his spine throbbing.
Going through his typical morning routine, Jack realized this was some of the best sleep he had gotten for . . . a week? Almost a whole week, if he was keeping track right.
God. I need to start keeping a calendar or something.
"Morning honey," June chirped as she stepped into the kitchen, far too awake for Jack's liking. She went about making herself a cup of tea, Jack electing to munch on a Pop-Tart while sipping on a glass of milk. He wished they had coffee, but the maker had broken a while back and neither had quite enough time to either fix or replace it. Oh well, he certainly did not have a lot of time now thanks to school, work, the Autobots . . . and him.
"Mornin'," he replied, finishing his breakfast soon after. Packing up for school, he let his mother peck him on the cheek before he made his way into the garage, Arcee waiting just like every day.
"Hey, partner," she tilted her wheel towards him. "You're looking more alive today."
"Yeah, finally managed to get to sleep okay," he said, trying to act like it was no big deal - truthfully, it should not have been, but given why he was so restless . . .
"No Decepticon activity yet," Arcee sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder if we will ever find Optimus again."
"You will. You have to," Jack argued, feeling slightly panicked at such a statement. "Optimus wouldn't want you to give up. Besides, what's to say he even buys any of the crap Megatron is telling him? Maybe he'll bust out of there and come back to us."
He could hear the smile in her voice. "Maybe."
Pulling her out the garage he slid into her saddle, the femme turning on her headlight before turning onto the road and carrying her charge to school. The air was a little chillier than normal, Jack wondering if it was the season's changing . . . or him feeling watched.
"Ratchet hasn't picked up any Decepticon activity around here lately," Arcee noted quietly. "Which makes me all the more concerned. You'd think they'd be swarming the place, looking for us."
"Maybe it was a fluke," Jack shrugged. "Or maybe Knock Out was there on his own for . . . some reason."
He cringed at the stupidity of his words. There was a reason the Decepticons had stopped looking - it was because Megatron had already found him. But he could not posit any theories that would not make Arcee suspicious about what he meant. Hopefully she would eventually let it go, and not expect her human charge to ever come up with some answer.
"Why the school, by himself?" She paused, Jack realizing to his alarm that he might have given something away, until she reached her own conclusion: "Vince."
Oh scrap. She was wrong, but it was such a perfect explanation that Jack could not help but exhale a sigh of relief.
"So then why follow us?" He questioned.
"He may have recognized you," Arcee continued, now picking up the pace as the apparent puzzle pieces began clicking in her mind. "And me, obviously. Once he realized that you and Vince went to the same school, and I came to pick you up, he figured he might be able to deduce the location of the base. Once we Groundbridged away, he knew we were aware of who he was. He might be laying low, looking for the next opportunity to either snatch Vince . . . or follow us home."
"So Vince is in trouble," Jack was playing along, but genuinely groaned as another thought came to him. "Does that mean we'll have to take him to base?"
"If Knock Out is truly a threat to him, yes."
"But what if we're wrong?" Jack quickly argued; the last thing he wanted was for Vince to know the Autobot's existence. "Then we might expose him for no reason, which means we'll have that bully in our base!"
"Not too loud," she hissed, "or you might bring attention to us."
There was a brief interlude, because Jack did have a point. They needed solid proof that the redhead was in trouble before they could act on their suspicions; besides, Arcee liked Vince just as much as Jack did, so it was almost surprising she even considered taking him to the base.
"We'll just have to keep an eye out for him," she said, already formulating an action plan. "If Knock Out shows up again, maybe we could use Vince as bait, lure the 'con out of the city. Then we can deal with him without making a mess of Jasper."
"Like what happened on the highway," Jack remembered - Agent Fowler had been livid about the situation, and left a rather lasting first impression about the man on the children. He had since been more pleasant towards the kids, but Jack still occasionally tiptoed around him.
Arcee grunted in confirmation, their conversation ending as she pulled into the school parking lot.
Once she was parked, Jack slid off her saddle and adjusted the straps of his backpack, sliding his helmet off. Tucking it under his arm he gave her a single pat on the handlebars before making his way to class, still wondering what he was going to do about Vince.
It made a fantastic cover story, but if Knock Out did not show, it would be suspect. The reason the flashy sports car had been sent to Jasper was to track down and confirm Jack's location - of that he was sure. And since Megatron now had what he wanted, he no longer needed his CMO to scout around.
However, Jack now needed that cover, whether he liked the idea of Vince hanging around the base or not. Maybe, somehow, they could come up with a way to resolve the supposed stalking naturally, however for the time being he was stumped. Surely Knock Out would be motivated to get revenge at any cost-
Well, not any cost, but the Decepticon would be persistent, right?
It was something he would need to ask Megatron, though the idea of requesting anything from the tyrant seemed silly and almost . . . arrogant. Who was he to have some form of command over the Decepticon forces?
His stomach turned ever so slightly as he paused at his locker, momentarily forgetting the combination as his thoughts dove elsewhere.
He was not equal to Megatron, and even if he pursued this insanity he would never be equal, or at least viewed that way. If anything, he would just be a glorified lover, some kind of token which could not be taken seriously.
To think he could have any influence over the Decepticon cause was a laughable reach.
Taking a breath he let his fingers go over the combination code, his muscle memory spinning the dial effortlessly and the lock releasing with a click.
The one-minute warning bell rang and he cursed, shoving what books he could inside and pushing his thoughts of the Cybertronians in with it. He had to focus on the real world, though it took effort. There was a lot on his mind.
Deciding he would swing by his locker in between History and Science to collect his other things, he sprinted to his English class, feeling a little warm as he did so. He had yet to be late to first period, and he was not about to break that record. Everyone who attended class on time was eligible for extra credit, something he desperately needed after his "The Old Man and the Sea" paper bombed.
He blamed Miko and her escapades in the mine for that one.
