Thanks to those of you who have supported me and hung in there. I've hung in there for all of you too.
Getting above ground and out of that cavern was relieving for the high-strung mech. Magnus had emerged with Smokescreen in the desert, very close to their base. To avoid any embarrassment, Ultra Magnus instructed Smokescreen to remain in vehicle mode with him whilst he gave Ratchet a set of coordinance. This one of the rare times he would be lying and coming up with an excuse to get away from there without revealing his shame to the other team members. When they drove into the base together, Magnus did just that, not wavering from the plan. At this point his processors were too scrambled to focus on anyone or anything else. It didn't even cross his mind that he drove right past Wheeljack on the way inside.
After carrying out his plan flawlessly, spare a few strange looks from Ratchet, they arrived in a secluded section of the Amazon rainforest. This was an area he had navigated before and remembered the nearby waterfall that would be perfect to clean himself off under. Magnus didn't hesitate to stand directly under the waterfall when they reached it and let the water clean him. The falls washed over his frame, eliminating any trace of the transfluid which had dried to the metal between his legs.
Smokescreen hesitantly stayed close to Magnus. "I thought you needed space? Why bring me here with you?" He had to ask after what had happened before.
"Optimus knows I was with you." He began, not looking at the rookie as he cleaned himself. "Even if I am clean, others may suspect something if you're covered in our collective violation of the rules of proper conduct between fellow officers."
"You don't need to keep acting like you hated it... I feel disrespected, man..." Smokescreen muttered, looking away.
There was a moment of silence. Magnus' optics widened in disbelief of what his audials picked up and he suddenly snapped at younger bot. "What?!" Without hesitation, he stormed out from under the falls and over to Smokescreen, towering over him. "You feel disrespected? How do YOU feel disrespected in this?!"
Smokescreen stepped back, feeling intimidated. "I-I... That is... You're acting like you didn't like it or like I hurt you or something?"
It was everything in him not to smack Smokescreen and send him flying. "Regardless of whether or not I enjoyed it in the end, YOU disrespected ME! YOU violated my body with that fragging phase-shifter, forced me into stasis and poorly tied me up in a cavern where YOU were my only means of escape. It doesn't matter how sweet your intentions were, you still kidnapped me. It doesn't matter that my frame responded positively to your advances, because you still invaded my personal space inappropriately after I explained to you my feelings on breaking wartime protocol... I asked you to wait and you didn't... You don't even realize how much I hate myself for being weak..." Ultra Magnus' voice weakened in a way that had never been heard by audials before and his expression couldn't easily hide the pain in his optics. "You don't deserve any respect from me. The fact that I'm not turning you in is my way of making up for my own fault in this mess." That said, he quietly turned around and went back to washing himself off. Not even able to look at Smokescreen anymore.
Completely taken back by the emotional conflict he caused the person he cared about left Smokescreen feeling sick with himself. This isn't what he wanted. This wasn't the way things were supposed to happen. "I messed up..." He cringed and began walking away, knowing he didn't deserve to be within a click of his damaged lover.