Wayward Phrases

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Chapter 2: Making Plans

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Some hours later Carly woke, and when she remembered where she was and what transpired perhaps an hour or two ago, she smiled and shuddered with delight at the memories. Beside her, Ironhide lay in deep recharge, the expression on his face absolutely blissful. In fact this was the most contented he'd looked since she'd met him out in the forest that strange and fateful day.

She stood to turn off the lamp above the bed, but on catching a glimpse of her arm, she paused and looked down at herself. Her skin was peppered with incriminatory flecks and blotches of drying transfluid, the nanite-rich blood of Cybertronian-kind. Apparently the exchange or loss of such was part of their process. She'd definitely need to shower before anyone saw her.

Turning off the light, she snuggled into her blanket again and rolled up against Ironhide's arm. His hand flexed gently around her, and they both sighed happily.

-o-o-o-o-o-

In the morning Ironhide woke her with a nuzzle of his faceplate to her bare skin. "Good morning, darling," he whispered and kissed her, pressing his lips to hers.

Carly eagerly kissed him back.

"I hope you're not too weirded out by last night," he said. "I know that must have been a lot different from what you know of us." And then he chuckled. "When you said you were sleeping with Bumblebee... I thought... well... that he'd decided to take you as a lover."

"Well, I was sleeping with him, literally. Not in the way I 'slept' with you last night." Holding her blanket modestly about herself she stood and kissed him again. "And thank you for being patient with me while 'breaking me in'," she said sweetly.

"It was an honor and a pleasure, darling."

"Would you mind if I took a bath in your sink before I leave?" She held up an arm and looked at it, a greyish-blue patina of dried transfluid coating it in places. "I got a bit sticky last night."

His dark grey hands pulled away her blanket and looked her up and down. "A bit?" he teased.

Ironhide carried her to the sink in the alcove at the back of his quarters, placed her on the counter, and filled it with warm water for her. As she climbed in, he knelt at the vanity and insisted on washing her with a soapy wet towel, lovingly smiling and petting her all the while. He was obviously enjoying having her there to pay attention to. "I have work duty in the weapons bay for the next ten hours," he sighed. "But after that I'm free. Could I take you into town for dinner tonight? Or maybe we could go for a long drive, or out stargazing and snuggling?" He drained the sink and turned the tap on again to rinse her off.

"A date?"

Ironhide suddenly looked a little embarrassed again. "Well, I guess so."

Her face fell. "I'm already dating Spike. We're a couple."

"Are you exclusive?"

"Yeah. I know that last night shouldn't have happened, but it did, and I certainly don't regret it."

"I see."

"I should have stopped myself, but I was just so curious. And really turned on."

At this Ironhide's flat expression perked into a smile. He lifted her from the sink when she was fully rinsed off and wrapped her into a dry towel, cradling her and patting away the water. "I do have a thing for females, you know. If you need a little more of your curiosity satisfied again, I'd love to have you back."

"I wasn't too small for you?" she asked flirtatiously.

"Nope. And hey, if you'd like to stay every night that Bumblebee and Spike are away, I'd love to have you here, even if it's just for recharge."

Carly looked up at the huge red robot who was tenderly patting her hair dry. "I could come over again tonight. I do need to stay warm."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Carly ended up going out for a drive that evening with him to a vista point where they talked and watched the waxing moon sink into the west. And afterward she ended up moving into his quarters. Later, after tucking into his berth, and despite good intentions of 'just for recharge,' the mutual exploration of their xenophilia continued.

As they cuddled together afterward, Carly sprawled atop Ironhide's chest, his hand stroked her back lazily while her fingers toyed with a transformation seam. "It must feel really good when you're in bed with Spike," he mused. "You're so soft and pliable...but if both of you are..."

"Ah... actually, I haven't had sex with Spike."

"You haven't?" He sounded somewhat surprised.

"No... because... well, he's too young."

"Too young? I thought he was sexually mature. I mean I knew he was young, but I thought he'd transitioned to adulthood."

She sighed bemusedly. "Barely. But there's a certain age considered socially appropriate for our culture." And then she sighed frustratedly. "Two more years."

"And then he'll be old enough? And you'll start with him?"

"I expect to."

Ironhide chuckled. "So you're not sleeping with either Bumblebee or Spike. No wonder you took me up on my offer. You must have been awfully frustrated."

She huffed something of a sardonic laugh. "So I guess until then I'll just have to sneak over here for that sort of attention."

He pulled her closer to his head and kissed her. "My door's always unlocked to you, darling. And you may want to cozy up to Bumblebee too, for when I'm gone or at least stuck in the medbay."

"With Bumblebee?" she asked.

"I'm sure he'd be happy to take care of you too. He loves you and Spike, and would do anything for either of you."

"But... but that?"

"Of course."

"And wait... you would be happy to share me with another mech? Just like that?"

"Well of course, unless you wanted to be exclusive. But then that would mean you abandoning Spike."

She sat up suddenly. "No, I don't want to abandon anyone. But really? You would be all right with me sleeping with Bumblebee? Well, I guess I have been sleeping with him already," she laughed.

"I guess we Cybertronians do things a little differently when it comes to relationships." And then he looked up at her, silhouetted by the lamp at the foot of the berth. "I'd like to take you into what we call a 'guardian partner' relationship, if that would be all right with you."

"What's that?"

"A special relationship between an older more experienced mech and one that's much younger. I look after you and see to your needs, both emotional and physical. I'd basically be teaching you the ropes of having a relationship... a Cybertronian kind of relationship that is. It's more than just sex. A lot more."

"That sounds pretty good actually... But what about Spike? I think he'd have a fit if he knew I was yours as well."

"I understand." His fingers twisted a lock of her hair. "We could keep it secret from him. If you're okay with such a relationship in the first place. Given how things went last night, and tonight, it just seems that I'm able to provide you what you're not getting with him. I never realized that you and he were celibate. And there's so much more I can teach you about love than he could."

"Yeah, well... I guess we humans a bit naive or hung up on some things."

"Would be be willing to give it a try?"

Carly sat there in thought for a moment, her fingers circling a sensor node she'd found. And then she leaned down to where she could kiss him, which she did. "I would. But only if Spike isn't told. At least not yet."

"I think that could be arranged."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Carly moved back in with Bumblebee and Spike when they returned from the mission, but she would slip out a couple times a week for a bit of fun with Ironhide. And it was Ironhide who surprised her one night by arranging a meeting between her and Bumblebee in the berth, Spike being well away on a mission with Cosmos. At first the yellow minibot was astonished to learn what Ironhide and Carly had been up to for the past month, but after the surprise wore off, he was eager to try himself. Wayward thoughts and desires he'd suppressed when she'd cuddled against him for warmth were suddenly no longer inappropriate.

And one night when Carly had a fever, First Aid joined the group. Ironhide, worried about her health, had summoned the Protectobot in the middle of the night, knowing that he had taken an interest in human medical practices and had gone so far as to study human medicine and become a certified paramedic. First Aid hurried to Ironhide's quarters and despite Carly's insistence that she "just had a bug" was made to examine her thoroughly. A sudden mission the next day called Ironhide and Bumblebee away, and the two insisted that First Aid keep a close watch on her. Ironhide explained to him that keeping a close watch also meant that he was to keep her warm at night while she recharged, and to give her a nice warming up if she showed even the slightest bit of need.

Returning five days later they found the Protectobots were all suddenly huge fans of Carly and all held Ironhide in some awe for something other than his service record to the faction.

"It's the gestalt link" Bumblebee decided. "They all pick up on a bit of First Aid's state of mind whether they know why or not."

As for Carly, she still found it a bit strange that Ironhide would so willingly share her with a couple of friends. But the more she learned of Autobot relationships the more normal it seemed. Apparently there were two other such relationships going on aboard the Ark at the same time. Prowl had taken Bluestreak under his wing... literally. And Trailbreaker had taken it upon himself to educate the amiable Sludge. Intimate closeness was a normal and necessary thing for them. A mech without a lover or two was seen as either deviant or pitiable. A willing celibate was considered a pervert to a minor degree.

And so the days passed wonderfully, Carly enjoying the affections of her alien lovers and Spike being kept blissfully unaware.

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"Wayward Phrases" continues in Chapter 3: "Making Noise"

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Transformers and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of Hasbro and Takara Tomy. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.