A Sun's Education
Galem: Thank you for all your lovely reviews! Glad you have enjoyed my insanity.
Transformersfan: You must have read my mind because Bee was in the upcoming chapter but admittedly, he's never been one of my fave characters.
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Sideswipe and Sunstreaker transformed and entered the ARK. Both were returning from a day off of enjoying an outdoor art festival and Sunstreaker had received quite the acclaim from local artists when his work was displayed. Such praise, even from the humans, bolstered his ego and he strutted like a peacock with full plumage. As they rounded the corner they saw Bumblebee catch up to Spike, the yellow scout trying to talk to the boy about something that was obviously important. Bumblebee looked distraught and Spike was pale and refused to meet his friend's optics.
"What's wrong Spike?" Sideswipe asked, smiling in that disarming way that put people off their guard.
Bumblebee had his hand on the youngster's back, trying to get his attention. At the mention of his name, Spike emitted a strange animal noise and went running down the hall like the Pit Maker was after him. Bumblebee called after his friend, following behind.
This piqued Sideswipe's interest.
"What the slag was that all about?" Sunstreaker asked. He didn't really like the humans and only tolerated them when they were piling on the praise, adulation and high quality polish. They were one conundrum after another and seemed to thrive on chaos and stupidity. One would think their race was spawned from the twins.
Sideswipe offered a shrug. Any further conversation was cut off as Prowl's voice came over the private comms.
'Prowl to all members of the ark. Spike has just learned of our physical anatomic similarities and complex interpersonal interactions. According to Ratchet he is not taking this news well and I advise all to avoid him for fear of upsetting him. Allow the boy to come to terms with our structural parameters and then when he is comfortable, the subject may be tactfully broached. That is all.'
"What was that?" Sunstreaker asked, looking to his brother for clarification.
"Spike just learned he's named after our favor part," Sideswipe said. He looked down the hall were the boy had ran, and heard Bumblebee's voice with simpering words meant to offer comfort to a potentially traumatized mind, floating around the corner.
"Let's go embarrass him!" Sideswipe grinned, following after the distraught boy. Sunstreaker's evil smirk was his answer.
"Its just ..so… weird." Spike said, keeping his gaze to the floor. His hand rubbed his stomach as he gave a shudder. "Too freaking weird."
"How is it weird?" Bumblebee asked, genuinely curious.
"I mean….you're robots…," Spike said, looking to Bumblebee as if that single word would explain everything.
"You are organic," Sideswipe said, butting into the conversation and seeing Spike give a violent start. The way the human said the word 'robots' made his mischievous streak disappear and be replaced with an indignant, parental tone. "Think how gross it is to us when we think about your squishie parts moving around."
Spike blanched, then creased his brow, looking between the Lamborghinis.
"But, you aren't supposed…. To… to… " Spike looked away, flushing deep scarlet.
"Spike, we're living, functioning beings with a mind, a spark and body parts similar to your own,' Sideswipe said, not understanding what was so difficult to understand.
Bee was looking distinctly uncomfortable as well. He had yet to mature to the Cybertronian standards and wasn't looking forward to his own more serious talks with the older mechs that mentored him. He had a sneaky suspicion he was going to be just as embarrassed when he started experimenting with awakening arrays.
"We fight, we hurt, we kill,' Sunstreaker said listing his favorite activities first. He extended his arm where a weld scar was slowly being healed by his repair nanites, showing the human boy the wound inflicted by the enemy. "We bleed, just like you."
"We protect our own. Feel joy, sadness, suffer physical and emotional hurt, seek comfort when we're distressed or in pain and rely on bonds of friendship to keep us sane in a war that has raged longer than the human race has existed." Sideswipe picked up, gaining Spike's attention before adding in a hurtful tone. "And you believe we could not experience something as simple as… love, for another?"
"Never thought of it that way," Spike muttered. He hesitated, his face screwed up with a look of revulsion as he added, "But.. the names of some of your…. your…"
Sunstreaker was enjoying the many shades of red the human could create. He made a tally and found Spike to be displaying at least fifteen different hues. It was quite the accomplishment.
"Our parts are similar to your own and serve much the same function." Sideswipe put in.
"And if you want to complain about names, it was not our fault you were named after a mechs' interface." Sunstreaker said, earning number sixteen. He wondered if all the humans had such a vast physical color wheel.
Spike blushed. How could the bots talk to him all this time and not feel unease or break their cool exterior? Why did it not occur to him that they were just like any other species? Several talked about their femmes at home, back on Cybertron. Certainly such words of endearment and the accompanying teasing from teammates confirmed that they did have complex relationships. So how could it be that he never considered they would have physical manifestations of attraction just like humans?
"And if you want to talk about strange names, don't even get me stated on the names of human anatomy," Sideswipe said, waving his hand.
"Vagina," Sunstreaker sneered the word, then gave a shudder. "Sounds like something you'd get from a disreputable parts dealer from the bad section of town."
Sideswipe adopted a high falsetto voice, his optics bright as he enacted a crazed femme, "Excuse me! I'm looking for a high quality part."
Sunstreaker took over, adopting a low, grating noise that sent chills along spinal struts. "Sorry ma'am, all I have is a few cheap vaginas."
Spike dissolved into laughter, his face wet with tears. When it was put in such context, it didn't seem so difficult to understand. Even Bumblebee was laughing. He had endured a lection from Ratchet about human bodies and all their assorted, tawdry, and downright ugly looking body parts.
"Wait… does that mean….?" Spike looked to Bumblebee, his eyes going wide, his face flushing a scarlet to make Sideswipe jealous.
"Bumblebee is too young for interfacing," Sideswipe said, guessing what was causing the human to resemble a volcano. The color was nice. Not as shiny as Sideswipe, but still, it was a good attempt.
Bumblebee gave a sheepish look, rubbing the back of his neck as he diverted his gaze from the three around him. He was rather bashful when it came to such topics. He understood Spike's mortification as he too had some rather disturbing lectures and witnessed things that not only piqued his interest but scared the bolts out of him. He wasn't sure he wanted to engage in the activities he had witnessed the other's performing. They had sounded fun and everyone claimed it was enjoyable, but the act looked…. dangerous.
"It's okay, Bee," Spike said, feeling more than a little relieved that he wouldn't walk in and his best friend bent over a table. That image made him blush again and his stomach threaten to rebel. "My dad tells me I'm too young too. That's nothing to be ashamed of."
Spike swallowed hard, wanting to add that it was shameful what was filling his mind now about the Autobots. He had seen his dad's girly magazines when he was about ten, and finding them odd, he had sat and went through every single page. When his dad walked in and found him sitting there, looking confused, he had stood against the impossible task of talking about anatomy and sex with his son and answered his questions. The pictures really helped in several aspects. Sparkplug had been patient and understanding and quelling his own discomfort over the topics. He educated his son on what was proper around girls, and what would get him into trouble. Spike had listened intently, and when their talk was done, he knew where the limits were to inappropriate behavior. It was later that Spike got sick, realizing his parents had done those things when he was conceived and he spent the rest of the week avoiding eye contact with his father.
"Doubt it would kill you if you tried!" Sunstreaker snorted at the human.
"His father might,' Sideswipe added. Sunstreaker gave a nod in answer.
"What do you mean?" Spike asked, watching as Bumblebee gave a shudder. Whatever it was made the young scout very uncomfortable. Just the thought chilled him to the core.
"Our bodies carry a high charge," Sideswipe explained, not uncomfortable in the least about the intimate topic. "Bumblebee doesn't have the maturity to handle the charge. If he interfaced with someone it would fry his circuits and stop his spark and the spark of his partner."
"Wha…." Spike asked, looking to Bumblebee and seeing him give another shudder.
"When we overload we discharge a lot of energy," Sideswipe added, watching Bumblebee's cheekplates darken with embarrassment. "Someone who is young can not handle the discharge. Their capacitors have to be properly aligned and able to dissipate a charge and that doesn't happen until their majority, when their interface panels start to come online."
Spikes eyes went as big as saucers. He looked to Sideswipe, his posture rigid. "But if he's captured by the Cons, surely they could… I mean.. wouldn't they? I mean.. "
"Doesn't work that way," Sunstreaker put in, finding it odd that the human went straight to such dark undercurrents. "Bee's safety parameters won't allow him to be touched."
Bumblebee turned even darker, his gaze falling to the floor that he wished would swallow him whole.
"Huh?" Spike asked, now just curious and not offended at the idea of his best friend, a giant mechanical robot, enjoying intimate pleasures.
"When bots are young, they have ingrained programming that keeps them safe from an unwanted interface," Sideswipe said, sending a thrum of laughter over the bond he shared with his twin. It was returned with interest. "Their interface panels are as good as welded to their frames until they are mature, then the latches open and the panel can be put into use."
"Built in anti-theft device,' Sunstreaker said, earning a smirk from his brother.
A distressed whine came from Bumblebee's vocalizer. Spike looked to him in fear, wanting to say or do something to take away whatever it was causing the yellow scout to fret.
It was Sideswipe who stepped in, pulling the small bot against him.
"Sunny wasn't trying to be cruel," Sideswipe said, his spark sending a sting to his twin in reprimand. Sunstreaker scowled but didn't retaliate. "He was just teasing you. You know how he is."
"So that means the Cons can't…. Can't.." Spike asked, motioning to Bumblebee.
"Rape him? No," Sideswipe said, his hand caressing Bumblebee's back in a soothing manner to calm the trembling frame. "If he was susceptible that way, he would never be allowed near the front lines."
"So… you guys really have…. Sex?" Spike asked hesitantly.
"A form of physical intercourse, yes," Sideswipe said with a half shrug. "We have parts similar to your own and many have parts that you would consider of both genders. Remember Spike, we have different definitions of gender than humans."
"How many… genders, do you have?" he asked, the knot in his stomach lessening a degree.
"About eight," Sunstreaker said, his brow creased as he tried to remember all the definitions. Two were considered 'extinct' so they were no longer counted.
"Eight?" Spike gasped in shock. "That's so many!"
"Humans have only two," Sideswipe said, releasing Bumblebee as he collected himself. "We find that most strange."
"Never thought of it that way," Spike muttered.
"It's a relief you now know," Sunstreaker said, getting Spike's attention. "The many times we have spoken your name and ruptured something while trying to keep a straight face."
Spike's face turned red again.
"Your creators certainly had a mean streak when they gave you such a designation," Sideswipe laughed.
"Yeah, I'll be talking to dad about having my name changed," Spike said.
"As long as you don't involve our interface components," Sunstreaker said, his lip quirked at the corner in a crooked smile.
Spike burned to shade seventeen.
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Yes, I know its probably already been done but not by me. :D And I know love is NOT simple, but Sideswipe was just trying to make a point. This was really fun to write. Sorry for any errors. Wheeljack resigned as my beta and Starscream is just as illiterate.
This one fought me too. Apparently they just aren't flowing like they regularly do. Perhaps I need another break? I don't know…
Please let me know what you thought. Reviews are adored and rubbed in Megatron's nose. ;)
