Darkness and Lightning 15: Ready for a Sibling?
Wing strolled into the Citadel's medical bay, looking completely nonchalant. He didn't want anyone suspecting anything or getting suspicious at all.
The dark jet and his mate had been trying hard to kindle a second sparkling, this time in Wing, since shortly after Starcrossed had separated. The jet had been feeling decidedly odd for a few orns, and figured it was worth a trip to see Redline. He has a suspicion that their efforts had finally paid off, but hadn't yet shared his suspicions with Drift. Not after over thirty vorns and half a dozen false hopes.
Pausing just inside the door of the medical bay, Wing paused and looked around, wondering where Redline might be.
"What are you here for?" the chief medic's voice nearly made him jump.
Wing started, but managed to refrain from actually jumping. The dark jet turned toward the CMO's voice, smiling slightly at the red and white. "I'm here for a checkup, actually..." Golden optics quickly swept the room, looking for eavesdroppers.
"That odd energy drain again?" Redline asked, motioning the black jet into a private room.
Wing nodded. "And some other odd feelings." He settled onto the berth, wings tight to his back with nervous tension, chewing on his lower lip. He wanted so badly for it to have worked this time.
The chief medic nodded and hooked his primary sensor suite into Wing's medical port. He hummed, rumbled and ran the series three times. "It seems it's finally not just in your processors. The drain is real, and quite natural. It's time for you and Drift to plan for you to disappear this time."
The large mech paused, unplugged, and whacked Wing upside the helm. "You've been trying to get grounded."
Golden optics lit up, the dark jet perking up like a desert plant after one of the brief, rare rains. He didn't even feel the hit. "It worked this time? It really worked?"
Wing was about ready to literally bounce off the walls. A flare of excitement leaked through the bond. Drift perked up on the other end, though he couldn't give it that much attention as he was working on not getting sent to the medbay himself during a sparring match with Atl.
"Yes, it worked. I don't suppose you asked if you could have this one?" Redline grumbled.
The dark jet looked sheepish. "Uhm... no..." He rubbed the back of his neck. Dai Atlas had been particularly volatile lately, and Wing had been very reluctant to approach either of his creators about anything for a long time.
"And you aren't planning to, either. Are you?" Redline vended a resigned sigh.
Wing shook his helm, the set of his wings decidedly stubborn.
"I'll do what I can to help, but you must stop kindling before you have an entire flock out there," the medic glowered at him. "Eventually threats and blackmail won't be enough to keep it a secret. Not once Starcrossed learns to fly."
"It took us this long just to kindle once intentionally," Wing pointed out. "We will do what we have to."
"Most don't even start trying until their current one is a final stage mechling, at the very soonest," Redline pointed out. "At the rate you're going, you'll have half a dozen or more by the time she's an adult."
Dark wings shifted. "We hadn't planned on trying for more. Drift carried one, and I wanted to carry one. Two was all we'd considered."
Redline stared at him, gauging the truth of the statement. "Then you won't object to a new pair of inhibitors being installed once this one separates."
~Drift?~ Wing relayed Redline's question/statement to his mate.
~I won't,~ he replied, his focus clearly elsewhere despite the understanding across the bond.
Wing returned his attention to Redline, nodding. "Yes, both of us will get new inhibitors when the sparkling I carry separates."
"Now let's hope for small miracles and you manage to teach these two to fly before they get caught by something violent," Redline grumbled. "Come on, I'll give you a metacycle's worth of supplements."
Wing shuddered at the thought. "Primus willing, both will fly, and fly fast, before anything can catch them." He hopped off the table, following Redline.
Drift twisted half way down the tunnel to their hideaway and pushed Wing against the rough stone wall to kiss him, hunger to be inside his mate's body flaring hot and bright between them.
Wing made a surprised chirp, then melted against his mate's frame, nuzzling into gray and black metal. He returned the kiss, bracing his back against the rough stone wall and reaching out to grasp Drift's heavy armor, pulling him closer.
"We did it," Wing breathed, rubbing the nasal of his helm against Drift's cheek. "I'm sparked. We did it."
"Yes, we did it," Drift purred, rubbing his entire frame against Wing's, relishing the friction and sparks it generated. "Though it does mean at least six metacycles of very little action for your valve."
The dark jet let out a mock-whine at that. He enjoyed being the one taking it, loved the feel of a thick spike pounding into him. Then he fluffed his armor, pressing as close to Drift as he could manage. "I'll endure it, for the sake of our new sparkling."
"As will I," Drift rumbled, nuzzling into another heated kiss as his hands roved over black armor, eagerly exploring the openings he was given to stroke and tease the wiring and systems underneath. "One last night of being spiked, to celebrate?"
Wing's valve cover popped open, lubricant dripping out onto dark thighs in response. The jet purred at the strokes and teases to his wiring, flaring his armor to give Drift more access that was eagerly taken advantage of.
Drift's spike cover slid open, allowing his spike to pressurize between them, eager for the familiar pleasure of Wing's body. ~I'm going to miss filling you with my fluid,~ Drift rumbled, rubbing his spike between his mate's legs, against the slick, sensitive platelets with a low moan. ~It feels so good to be inside you.~
~It feels better having you inside me,~ Wing cooed in response, nibbling daintily at Drift's jaw. He lifted one leg, wedging it under Drift's hip scabbard, pulling Drift closer.
A deep rumble vibrated between them as Drift's glossa pressed into Wing's mouth, exploring and mapping the well-known space. He shifted his hips and sank into his mate's valve with an easy thrust until he was hilted, the tip of his spike pressed against the thick cluster of sensory nodes at the very end.
Wing moaned softly into the kiss, his glossa stroking along Drift's. Dark-plated hips rolled into Drift's, the calipers working over Drift's spike. Wing's wings unfolded slowly, gleaming black, as the dark jet pressed against his mate, sliding his fingers into the closest armor seams. Pleasure flowed across their bond, across tightly meshed fields and sparked through systems as Drift began to move.
Slowly, a long, controlled slide in and out, Drift used all his self control to take his time and build their charge slowly, enjoying his mate in ways they rarely bothered to take the time for.
Black hips rolled into each thrust, matching the lazy pace Drift set. Wing let his optics deactivate as bliss poured through him, his wings fluttering and wiggling against the stone wall. The dark jet rubbed against his mate, nipping at the wires and cables of his neck, reaching around to slide nimble fingers into Drift's spaulders.
"I'm going to take you like this all night," Drift promised with a deep moan, the first zap of his building charge dancing across their armor. He reached out to stroke fluttering wings, knowing fingers digging into seams and stroking control surfaces.
Wing pressed himself shamelessly into his mate's hands, writhing and twisting sensually, wings tilting into strong dark hands. "I greatly look forward to it," the jet purred, flaring his armor to let Drift reach the sensitive wiring underneath. His valve flexed around Drift's spike, the calipers rippling along its length in a complex pattern he knew could drive the grounder wild.
With a shuddering moan Drift surrendered to the effort, picking up the pace. His mouth never let go of Wing's while his hands continued to work the slender black wings.
Wing let out a purr of bliss, kneading Drift's back and spaulders and the back of his neck. He shifted his hips, changing the angle slightly, letting out a throaty moan as his mate's spike rubbed over a new set of sensors.
Drift's optics flickered off as he lost himself in the building pleasure, safe in this tunnel that no one ventured into since he'd torn Thorn to shreds. The easy rhythm, the familiar slickness that knew him so well, the gradual charge that built until it demanded he speed up again.
The kiss broke as Drift had to pant in an effort to cool systems that were running too hot to be cooled.
Wing's armor was standing on end, fully fluffed out, his cooling fans running loudly enough to nearly drown out the revving of his engines. His hips rocked into Drift's, urging him to pick up the pace, to move faster and harder. A whine of need escaped Wing's throat.
~I'd never leave you hanging,~ Drift moaned, teasing and promising at the same time. He shifted his stance, giving himself a new angle, but more, giving himself a better angle to drive his mate into the wall as he surrendered his self-control to the roaring charge in his systems.
Wing was probably going to be leaving streaks of dark paint on the wall as he braced against it, moaning at each thrust. His hands were into every seam, seeking out the most sensitive places, his mouth all over Drift's jaw and neck and upper chest. He writhed in Drift's arms, rubbing against him, giving himself over to his mate. The reward was bliss as processor blowing as anything the dark jet had known.
The bond was pulled fully open, nearing the sharing quality of a merge without the risk of exposing their sparks. The physical pleasure and emotional satisfaction flowed freely as Drift descended into grunting with each driving thrust. His hands moved to Wing's hips, taking full control of the rutting.
Within a handful of thrusts Drift roared, his transfluid erupting into Wing, the hot liquid roaring over sensor nodes with its intense charge zapping each and every one.
Wing's ecstasy-laden, joyful screech of overload would have startled any other mecha right out of their armor had there been any around to hear. He bucked against Drift, clinging tightly to him for balance, charge dancing like lightning over his plating, jumping to Drift's even as Drift's charge leapt to his.
When Drift stilled, his frame locked in the final stage of emptying his reservoir into his mate, his grip stilled Wing as well. Both their frames and vocalizers made tiny sounds as they remained their, locked in the intimate embrace until their systems cooled enough to give some control back.
Soft, lazy kisses found Wing's mouth as Drift gradually relaxed and released his death-grip on Wing's hips.
Wing almost melted into Drift's arms, body almost limp, trusting Drift and the stone wall to keep him upright. The dark jet, practically a puddle of goo or as close to it as a mech could get, was purring with sated contentment as he tucked his helm under Drift's chin. Their bond hummed with joint contentment-pleasure-love that included the tiny ball of not-yet-conscious energy feeding off of Wing's spark.
~Love you,~ Drift whispered between them as he began to come down from the post-overload contentment.
~Love you, too,~ Wing purred softly, nestling into Drift's arms and venting in utter contentment. His purr vibrated his plating slightly, rattling ever so faintly against Drift's as Drift's spike depressurized and retracted from his valve.
Gently Drift settled him on his pedes. "We really should take charge of Starcrossed again," he murmured. "I'm sure she's curious what all the excitement was today."
"She's curious about everything," Wing chuckled, lowering his leg and making sure he was steady on his pedes before pushing away from the wall. He glanced back, noting a few streaks of black paint on the stone, wings twitching before folding to his spine. A few more scrape marks to add to the thousands of others they'd left over the vorns.
"You'll lose a lot more paint by the time I'm done with you," Drift promised with a low growl and flare of desire across the bond. Yet he lightly tugged his mate towards their door instead of pinning him against rock again.
"I'll get you to help me touch up my paint," Wing cooed, batting his optics at his mate. He leaned against Drift's side as they returned to their den, humming softly. One wing stretched out to rest lightly against Drift's back in a familiar and welcome contact.
"Anytime," Drift purred in reply, snatching a kiss before he unlocked the door. Half to his surprise he wasn't immediately assaulted by the mid-stage sparkling.
"I have her," a rich, strong voice called to them from inside.
"I see the approach sensor we installed is working," Drift chuckled by way of greeting as he stepped inside to take in the lanky, squirming form of his sparkling securely held in strong but gentle arms of the caretaker they had finally agreed on.
"Quite well," Governess agreed as she walked smoothly forward to hand the happily chirring sparkling to her carrier.
"Thank you," Drift said almost ritually, listening absently as she gave them a rundown on how much recharge, energon and activity Starcrossed had while they were gone, along with the sparkling's mood and what trouble she'd gotten into.
~She's the best choice we've made in a while,~ Drift commented as they saw Governess out, confirming when they wanted her back.
~Starcrossed likes her, and Governess loves working with her,~ Wing replied. ~We lucked out finding her. And she's a fast airframe, which will be very helpful when Starcrossed starts flying.~ The dark jet stepped closer, leaning down to nuzzle the small jetling, trilling a greeting.
~That'll be when I start rigging traps from here to the entrance,~ Drift chuckled, watching his mate and their creation trill at each other for a moment. Part of him was thoroughly disgusted by the domestic scene and his place in it, but most of him was enjoying having everything he hadn't had as a new creation too much to worry about that acidic voice in the back of his processors.
"What happened?" Starcrossed demanded with a grin, knowing it was good news.
"I'm carrying a newspark," Wing told her, fluttering his wings happily. "You're going to have a sibling, a sister or brother."
~As long as you disable those traps long enough for us to get through,~ the dark jet told his mate with a chuckle.
~Triggers will be set to ignore our transponders,~ Drift promised, a hint of just how often he'd employed such traps in the thought.
"A playmate?" Starcrossed's wing struts, still largely bare but now clearly displaying that they would fold and move like Wing's, fluttered happily. "I'll have a playmate soon?"
"In a few metacycles," Wing replied. "It's still just a tiny spark yet." The dark jet's optics were glowing, his field pulsing with happiness.
"Will I be able to feel it soon, like I do with you?" she chirred in excitement, eager for a social mate. Even at her age, she was feeling the protocols to be part of a flock.
"Maybe," Wing replied. "It's too small to be felt right now, but maybe you will be able to feel it when it's older." He leaned in to nuzzle the small femme, now able to stand almost to their hip, then his own mate. That nuzzle turned into a kiss.
"If I'm quiet and stay in my room, no stasis?" she asked with a look of pure pleading that not even Wing had mastered so well.
If that look had Drift wrapped around Wing's little finger, from Starcrossed it had the same effect on Wing. The dark jet's wings twitched, and he looked at Drift in silent question, asking what his mate thought.
~With the exception of the front door, when have we managed to deny her?~ Drift chuckled softly, resigned to the truth of it even as it amused him to watch Wing's tactics turned on Wing.
Wing vented, turning his attention back to Starcrossed. "As long as you stay in your room," he replied. One dark wing extended to brush against Drift's armor.
She trilled a cheer and sent a burst of love-thanks across both bonds. "I'll be good," she promised, reaching out to hug Wing.
The dark jet trilled softly, returning the hug. ~She's got us both under her spell, love; we are going to be in so much trouble when she hits the "rebellious" stage,~ he commented to Drift, amusement threading through the words.
~You mean she hasn't already?~ Drift rumbled in tolerant amusement and put their creation down. "What did you and Governess do today?"
"I see his hand!" Starcrossed chirred in excitement, trying desperately to get out of Drift's grip to crawl down Wing's chassis and help her brother escape his carrier's frame.
There was a chirrup and a flurry of wiggling from inside Wing's open torso as the new sparkling responded to the sound. Wing managed to restrain his squirming to his wings, flared open and twitching, as he peered down his frame.
"He's certainly eager to get out," Wing noted, making a face but not taking his gaze from what he could see of what was happening down there.
"Starcrossed, can you promise not to tug anything?" Redline suddenly asked.
She looked up at him and nodded furiously. "I won't hurt creator or sibling," she promised.
"Then if Wing doesn't mind, you can put her down," the medic glanced between the mates. "The separation is going well."
Wing pondered for a moment, then nodded, watching with fascination as a tiny hand worked its way out of his torso, glistening with fluids. Starcrossed was set on the berth and allowed to scurry to his side, where she put both hands on his hip and hunkered down, chirring and cooing encouragement to her emerging sibling.
As soon as his hands were free, Drift began to stroke the squirming wings, trying to soothe and relax his mate. There was more wriggling, during which the dark jet latched onto Drift's hand and refused to let go, before the tiny helm began to show.
~He takes after you, just as intended,~ Drift murmured.
Wing craned his neck for a better look, the planes and angles of his own cockpit somewhat obscuring the view. The wing being petted stretched into Drift's hand, continuing to tremble.
The sparkling, Nightsun, chittered and clicked back at Starcrossed, enthusiastically trying to free himself from Wing's internals. Bright purple optics peeked out over parted armor plates, blinking at his older sister, then the sparkling began wriggling in earnest.
Starcrossed continued to cheer him on, but as promised, she didn't touch, though it was obvious she wanted to help more directly than she was.
Drift smiled and opened their bond up more to share his view of the separation, pointing out all the ways that Nightsun looked like his carrier.
One tiny wing strut wiggled free and Starcrossed clapped his achievement, and the visual confirmation that he was indeed a jetling.
Wing cooed, looking at his separating creation through his mate's optics, admiring the tiny wings and audial flares. His hand tightened on Drift's, the trembling of his wings subsiding for the moment.
Nightsun trilled, pausing briefly to look around through bright purple optics before resuming the struggle to get out. Tiny wing struts flopped open, wiggling the same way Wing's did, as the sparkling pulled and pushed out of his carrier's body.
"You are doing well, Nightsun," Redline told him, then glanced up at Wing. "As are you. Well configured and energetic. An excellent sign."
"You didn't talk to me this much," Starcrossed pouted.
"You were too focused on escaping to care what I said," Redline smirked at her. "Nightsun, it seems, is not quite as volatile."
"Makes sense. His carrier isn't either," Drift pointed out.
Bright optics turned toward the medic, chirping brightly at the red and white before Nightsun finally managed to get a leg free. The tiny pede scrabbled against Wing's armor and exposed struts, seeking some purchase with which to push himself all the way out. The chitter when he almost fell back in sounded distinctly rude and made Starcrossed snicker.
Wing shook his helm in amusement. "Looks like he's already developing Drift's vocabulary," the dark jet teased, looking up at his mate.
"He had to get something from me," he teased back, watching the lanky protoform as it finished pulling itself free.
Nightsun pulled his other pede free, flopping across Wing's armor with a relieved purr. He lay still for a moment, then turned his attention to his older sister, crawling determinedly in her direction.
"Beautiful," Wing murmured.
"Fast too, if I'm any judge," Drift added with a soft smile.
Now that 'no tugging' wasn't likely, Starcrossed scrambled the rest of the way up and gleefully grabbed the cloth that Redline handed her to begin cleaning up her little brother while chirring and chirping at him happily.
~I think we have a good caretaker in her,~ Drift added with an amused grin.
Nightsun chirped back, trying his best to climb right onto her, his little wings wiggling against his back struts. He purred as he was cleaned off, grabbing at Starcrossed's hands. Wing squirmed a bit, moving so he could get a better look at how she was completely tolerant of the newly separated sparkling's grabbing at her while she worked.
With them all but twined together, it also emphasized just how little she'd grown in thirty vorns. She was only half again taller than he was, though her mass was likely three times as much. The difference between a newly separated sparkling and one half way to her first youngling upgrade.
~And I dread when they're old enough to team up on us,~ Wing replied with a chuckle, loosening his death grip on his mate's hand as his internals began resettling into their normal places, a process that, in full, would take another decaorn.
~They already are, I think,~ Drift chuckled, watching the scene with a delight he couldn't accept displaying with an outsider there.
"That is clean enough for now, Starcrossed," Redline smiled and reached for Nightsun. "It's time for his first checkup."
Tiny wings wiggled in agitation as Nightsun was picked up, the squirming sparkling giving Redline a scowl that was entirely too adorable to be actually threatening. Once he realized he wasn't going to be able to get away, Nightsun went limp, visibly sulking.
~You know what I mean,~ Wing retorted, sending images of all the trouble a pair of siblings could get into.
Redline chuckled and connected to the sparkling's medical port before beginning a physical inspection that was entirely too thorough for Nightsun's taste.
Nightsun scolded at the medic, swatting at his hands and trying to fluff up, though the fact that he was a protoform without armor made the attempt somewhat less than successful. Purple optics glared up into Redline's gold as the storm of scolding chittering and chirping continued.
The medic simply chuckled in amusement. "Lively, vocal, very well constructed." He set the sparkling down on Wing's chest, just above the spark that had nurtured it so well. "You did very well, Wing. Now you should both have some energon and recharge."
As if Redline's words had been a kind of "off" switch, Nightsun seemed to run out of steam, blinking and yawning. He flopped down onto warm black armor, letting out a soft chirr.
Wing chuckled softly. "Right on cue." He looked at Drift. "Love, could you pass me some energon?" He gave Drift his best "puppy optics".
~No need for the big guns for that,~ Drift chuckled and turned to fetch two cubes, one for his mate and one for the new creation.