Hallo! I have some good news to those who have read The Time of Night is Midnight. The first chapter of the rewritten version is soon to come out. I have yet to finish the entire thing but I'm on chapter twenty-seven and thought it was time! To those who haven't even heard of that story, I would suggest reading it. I will say, it does have its cringy bits but I wrote it a couple of years ago. Sorry! Had to do a self-promotion.
An idea came to mind while filling up the bucket full of clean water. I wanted to try something with the already transformed twin and turned in his direction. "Hey, Sides, could I try something with you?" He perked up due to my call and nodded at bit excited.
"Anything you want!" I sauntered over in front of him and gazed up at him. The mech lowered himself to be somewhat level with me and looked at me with curiosity swirling in his blue optics. A kind smile graced his lips. "You know, you're adorable." I ignored his sentence and raised my hand hesitantly, with a questioning expression.
Sides nodded his helm and pressed his cheek against my open hand. I gently ran my fingers the sharp edge of his jaw line. His optics fluttered offline and he leaned more into the touch. Then, I realized Sides was getting most my attention, especially when we pressed our foreheads together.
I retracted my hand, gave the mech an apologetic look, and jogged over to Sunstreaker. "I'm sorry for ignoring you," I apologized and set my hand down on his right front fender. The yellow Lamborghini pushed himself more into my touch, surprisingly.
Even if we are on good terms, I half expected him to tell me not to touch his paint. It was messed up through so that could be part of the reason. "Don't apologize. This is was new to you, we understand." I released my breath I didn't know I was holding.
"Yes, it is. But that still do-" I was interrupted by him transforming swiftly and kneeling down in front of me. A pointed look made its way to his features and he hissed lowly.
Sunstreaker then growled and pushed me slightly with the tip of his index digit. I stumbled back to regain my balance and peered up at him, confused on why he did that. "This is new. Pit, it's new to us and we're still trying to wrap our processor around it. For someone of your kind, you are taking this well." I didn't take into account they haven't done this before with a human, probably. We'll just have to figure out each other's limits of what we can and can't do.
"I'm use to adapting to my surroundings within a snap of my fingers. There was no time of figuring it out, you just go with the flow as we humans say," I answered truthfully and shrugged my shoulders like it was nothing. To me, it was nothing but normal to adapt. "That's how I have survived in this disgusting world for so long."
Did I just reveal a little of my past? Not any details though, just what I had to do to survive in my household and out in the real world. "Now please take my apology so I can get your frame looking a little bit better."
My words seemed to piss off the mech a tiny bit more. Yes, I should've been terrified of what he would or could do to me but trust, I was giving them a little trust. That felt scary to do that, I haven't done the trusting thing in years.
He leaned down but still towered over me with a scowl barely gracing his lips. "We're not just going let what you said previously go. Why did you have to survive on this planet for so long? Your creator and sire should've protected you and helped you through the beginning years." Creator? Sire? I'm going to take an educated guess and say creator is mother by the sounds of it and Sire is father.
Should I tell them? Not all of it of course, just alert them that my parents weren't really there for me. It's all about that trusting thing again. I sighed deeply and played with my hair nervously. "They weren't there to care for me after they split. My brother and I had to survive together until he couldn't take it anymore and left to play his music somewhere else. I don't blame him one bit though. I would've done the same."
Sides came over to us after getting off of the ground and being mindful of his shoulder. "Split? What do you mean?" he questioned and sat down on his haunches, his brother following his actions. If I did tell them, they would pity me, nearly everyone did. The others thought we were bad children and that's why.
"The love ran out. My mom and dad no longer loved each other and divorced, not caring much about the mental trauma it would have on us. They always thought for themselves and not us," I answered and forced myself not to cry. I've cried myself to sleep too many times, even after moving all the way across the country.
It became silent in the hangar again, the dogs not making a sound wherever they were. A tear rolled down my cheek. After so many years of burying myself in work and living so far away from my problems, it still hurt to think about my parents and brother.
The red twin was first to notice the tear and immediately took action. "Hey, no. Don't leak, please," he begged and wiped the drop of salt water off of my face.
"Squishy, that's in the past. You can't change what happened but you can make happy memories with us or with those two annoying mech's or whoever you choose," Sunstreaker encouraged and used his index finger to tip my chin upward. Our eyes/optics met and sincerity filled his. He cared, he cared for me. Both of them do and they show me that at each ample opportunity.
He was right, what he said was completely true. I can't dwell on the past and let that be the thing that drives me. I placed my hand in the palm of his and smile in appreciation. "Thank you, I mean it. Now, you're still dirty and I haven't fulfilled my promise."
The mech carefully enclosed his servo around my much smaller one and pulled me closer to him. His breaths fanned over me and sent a shiver down my spine; my clothes were still wet from Sides pouring the dirty bucket water on us. Sunny pressed his forehead against mine and a soft jolt of electricity ran through the connection.
Since it didn't hurt or injure me, there was no reason for me to pull away. The two of us stayed like this for a few extra moments before he leaned back and returned to his spot by the hose. The electric feeling still ran through. I had to gather my bearings and scattered thoughts. "You okay there?" Sides questioned with underlying tone to it.
"Uh-" I cleared my throat and messed with the collar of my shirt- "yeah. Just didn't expect that to happen."
"Two sparkfelt moments in less than an hour, amazing." I rolled my eyes playfully and smacked his shin before heading over to where his brother was sitting in his alt. mode. "Careful, I just got a wash from a beautiful femme."
Stupid mechs. Heat rose to my cheeks and insecurity flooded me. After what we just experienced, I knew it was best to not argue with them and leave it on a good note. "Aww, she's blushing," Sides teased and followed me over to Sunstreaker.
If it was anyone else, I would've smacked them for that comment and left the second after. I've rarely been given compliments and weren't use to them. That's why they get embarrassing reactions out of me.
"Shut it," I snapped but held no power behind it. It was only a reaction to his words and hopefully they I didn't mean any bad towards them. "And I'm not blushing!" I poured some of the standard car soup into the bucket and used the jet mode on the hose to create bubbles.
Sides chuckled lowly to himself and lied down on the cold concrete. The sponge was laying on the other side of Sunstreaker since I threw it at his holoforms. It was probably even dirtier and the yellow twin wouldn't want his paint to more scratched then it already is. I grabbed a new sponge, dropped it into the bucket, and started to water down his alt. mode.
The clear water that ran off of his frame turned brown from the dirt that collected on him. "And I thought my trucks got down in the dirt," I threw out there leisurely and used the jet mode to get off the caked on mud. Sides was dirty with mud caked and a few sticks stuck in the seams of his armor. His brother though, I'm surprised he didn't throw a fit the time he was in the Med. Bay, was beyond anything I have seen.
Sticks and branches off of bushes were stuck in his grill; some small branches were poking out of the seams of his armor. Washing him was going to take a lot longer than his brother. Hopefully the dogs don't get bored in here. Speaking of them, where are they? "I hate this mud ball of a planet. Particles get everywhere, and not in good places either," Sunstreaker complained.
"It's not that bad besides the dirt of it. The sunsets where I used to live were the best. Nature, in general, is beautiful, that's why I work as a Game Warden. I want to protect the land and animals it holds to the best of my ability," I reasoned and sat down on my haunches in front of his grill. "Sunny, could I try to dislodge some of the sticks you got stuck here?"
"I'll somewhat agree of nature being beautiful but the fact it's always getting our gears doesn't overturn our opinion. And my paint is already fragged up, just be careful," he warned and granted me to help remove the debris stuck.
I carefully and gently pull on the first branch to see how lose it was. Luck was on our side and it easily came out. One down, many, many more to go. "That felt weird." I apologized quietly and continued pulling them out timidly since he didn't tell me to stop.
By the time I was nearly done drying him alt. mode, the sun was close to setting and meant the day was almost over. The dogs still haven't made their appearance which made me start to worry on their whereabouts. "Kodiak, Vivian, come!" I called loudly in the large hangar after my thoughts got out of hand.
Nothing. Not a single sound of their paws or them in general. Oh no, where are you you two? Worry began to eat me alive. "My sensors aren't picking them up in here. They've must have escaped," Sides noted and stood up.
Tears prickled at the corner of my eyes due to his words. If they're out there, on the base, by themselves where being stepping is a hazard. That thought didn't sooth the darker idea's slowly growing in the back of my mind. Please be safe. "I'm sorry Sunstreaker, but I need to go find them." I threw the towel on the nearest workbench and jogged towards the human sized down.
The sound of one of them transforming caught my attention. Sides pulled up next to me with his driver side door folded up and kept pace with me. "Well, what are you waiting for? Hop in!" I thought for a moment about it before slipping into the lovely Lamborghini. His brother had opened the door for us to slip out. "Now, where do you think they could've gone?"
"The only people they know are Will and his buddies and a couple of the bots. They wouldn't go to someone they haven't been introduced before. I would try seeing if Will has seen them." Sides was quiet for a couple of moments before gunning his engine and taking a sharp left. His tires desperately gripped at the ground for traction and finally caught hold.
"Bee seen them a few minutes ago by the training area," Sides replied and drove expertly through the streets of the base. Those two… I was going to kill them the next I see them.
We arrived in the area within a minute or so which had to be record time. I rushed out of the Lambo while the door was folding up and jogged over to where Bee saw them last.
There were soldiers training with Ironhide. By the looks of it, they were working on their physical limitations, mostly running. A small hand full of the soldiers was sitting off to the side, nausea clear on their face. I remembered the fun times at the camp, training to become a Game Warden. Fun times.
Aubrey, not the time! Two dogs are in need to be found.
Ironhide noticed me jogging over to the area, gave the group of trotting soldiers a look over, and then strolled up to me. "Ironhide, I'm sorry to bother you. Is there by any chance you have seen Kodiak and Vivian?"
"Yeah-" he nodded his head and turned to point over by the sick soldiers-", they decided to come and join us. Vivian just wanted attention from them and Kodiak following a couple of them." I laid eyes on the two troublemakers and sighed in relief.
Our eyes/optics met and he received an appreciative nod from me. "Thank you. I didn't have to look all over the base to find them. They somehow escaped from the hangar we were in and ran off. I'm sorry they came to bother you and your soldiers." Hide scoffed and waved his servo as if he was brushing off my apology.
"Don't apologize. They did no such thing. I'm just glad they came here and didn't get themselves hurt. It's a dangerous place on the base for them." I knew that because of being stepped on is a hazard on here. Never thought I would have to watch out for giant metal feet. Weirdest sentence in my life, that's for sure."If you want, I can watch over them until training is over. Let you have some time to yourself. I know the Terror Twins can be a servoful."
Two deep rumble of engines alerted that the twins had heard his comment. I held up my hand to stop them and shook my head to silently tell them 'no'. It wasn't worth their time or energy. "Ironhide, I'm alright with Sides and Sunny. But anything besides that isn't your business. I'll take your offer though, the dogs need to get out and about."
A shocked look passed over his face at my words but he didn't put up a fight, surprisingly. "I guess, you're right." It sounded like he had to force those words out. "Training ends at eighteen hundred, be here or else I'll give them to Lennox."
"I'll be here for pick up. Thank you, Ironhide," I thanked him and left with the twins in tow.
"Slagger. We were standing right there and he knew! If you weren't there, Squishy, I would've taken him down," Sunstreaker snarled and peered behind him to give the weapon specialist a heated glare.
"Sunny, the situation has been defused. Everything is settled, no reason to try anything. Plus we have until six to do whatever we please without causing harm or damage." That last part was directed towards the prankster of the two. He even knew it was him I was talking about but didn't act the slightest embarrassed or ashamed.
"She's right, Sunshine. Let's drive around base for awhile and soak in each other's company." Sides transformed and sat excitedly next to me in his alt. mode. His brother growled at being called 'Sunshine' and stood there for a moment to maul over the option given to him.
Sunstreaker fell for it and followed his brother's lead but pulled around him to sit next to me. "You're riding with me this time." There was no question about and he didn't leave any room for argument. I sat down on the smooth, warm leather seat. Gladly, my clothes were long dried by now so I couldn't catch a cold or something on the lines.
Once inside of his alt. mode and a seatbelt on, he peeled off quickly and revved his engine. The powerful, high performance engine sent a shiver down my spine at just the sound and vibrations. It couldn't be helped, it sounded… heavenly. That sounds totally wrong but oh well.
We were far away from the training area when the mech slowed down to a normal speed. I closed my eyes and ran my fingers subconsciously on the leather seat. The seatbelt tightened but nothing in protest came from him so I continued doing it.
Sunstreaker came to a screeching stop and gunned his engine once more. The sound driving me crazy. "I swear to Primus if you don't stop that, I'm going to frag you!" Every muscle in my body tensed at his words and my eyes widened to the side of dinner plates.
Fright did start to creep up on me at his loud and dominating voice. It was overrun by embarrassment running though me. I buried my head into my hands to hide the blush making its way to my cheeks. Did he seriously just say that? Over the time of being around any of them, I have learned what frag means in their tongue.
"S-sorry," I apologized and couldn't bring myself to look up.
The mech sighed and transformed around me carefully. I was deposited gently on the ground and release a noise of surprise. Sunny bent down for our faces to be close and stared at me. A hint of guilt swirling in his optics. "I didn't mean to scare you. As you can see, I'm a bit wound up because of the pit fragger thinking he can get into our business."
After a moment had passed, Sunstreaker tucked his digit under my chin and forced me to look up at him. The fear left me the second we stared intently at each other. I gently ran my fingers along his jaw line, careful of the sharp edges that could easily cut me. "It's alright. Now, can we proceed with our lovely drive around the base?"
He didn't react to me and stared deeply into my eyes. Then he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against mine and transformed right after. There was a small shock electricity that came from the touch but it didn't hurt. Instead, it felt pleasant or 'good' and left behind a warm feeling.
I hopped into the yellow Lamborghini and buckled up for the ride. We did have a couple of hours before we had to go pick up the dogs. Since I knew they were fine and in good hands, there was no reason for me to worry too much.