Chapter 53
-0-Brig
They were let out and a hearing was scheduled for the next day with Prime to decide their fate. Rolling down the hallway, silently moving side-by-side, the two had already put the hard emotional anger behind them. What they struggled with was the future. What would they do about Sideswipe's admitted attraction for Blue and Sunny's possessiveness. It was on their processors when they entered their quarters that had a new door already on its hinges.
The television was still on and the story that Sunstreaker had read onscreen unchanged. They stared at it, then as one sat. Sunstreaker pulled the datapad control up and ran through the list, both of them marveling at the number and variety of stories, kinks and combinations that were inferred about them through the imaginations of writers.
For about an hour they read with amazement suffusing them at the pairings they themselves were hooked up with in the minds of the writers. Ratchet was the most common one and he was paired with one or both of them. There was a story where Blue was sparked by Sunstreaker who was a total aft about it. Blue ended up with Wheeljack and all ended well.
Sunstreaker had another opinion about his reaction as Sideswipe sided with the author saying it was probably most likely how he would've acted and he liked the story a lot.
They nearly fought again.
They put in names and found very few of their colleagues that were known to the public left out of the fun. Prowl and Jazz was probably the most common pairing, a thing that caused both of them pause. Then there was even Optimus Prime and Megatron, something that made both of them agitated.
"That one is just wrong," Sideswipe said glancing at his brother. "It's almost as wrong as the ones posing Prime with Starscream."
"I'd slag Starscream for his voice alone," Sunny said glancing at his brother. "You ever 'faced a Seeker?"
"No. You?"
"No," Sunny said shaking his head. "But I hear it tastes just like chicken."
Sunny ducked Sideswipe's fist by inches. "How about Optimus Prime and Ironhide?" Sideswipe said pulling up a story.
The willies took a moment to process, then they looked at each other with a grin. "Let's," they said in unison.
And they did…
^,,^
"Two Moons over Cybertron, A Love Story"
A bit of the way into the story which in and of itself demonstrated the belief system of the writer:
Optimus was big, stoic and self denying. Ironhide was big, stoic and hot for Prime's bod. It went a bit like this ...
"Optimus looked at Ironhide, the big mech's form nearly as massive as his own. Ironhide had a flat nose that intrigued Optimus because his own nasal structure was more pronounced."
^,,^
"Is this a story or a medical journal?" Sunstreaker asked snorting with amusement. "Does Ironhide even have a nose? Who wrote this?"
"It's a story from Optimus_Sue. Isn't Sue a femme name?"
"Don't ask me," Sunstreaker replied leaning back to settle in for the story. "I have enough trouble with mechs to worry about femmes, too."
"Prime getting turned on by Ironhide's nose."
They both were silent a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Keep going, Sideswipe. Scroll it slowly."
They read on.
^,,^
"The moon rose over the Citadel as they stood together on the balcony. Inside the party went on but they weren't in the mood…"
^,,^
"So this isn't a 'facing story?" Sunny asked.
"No. I think they weren't in the mood for the party, not fragging. I will say the idea of fragging either of them sober isn't a turn on," Sideswipe said with a malicious grin.
"Scroll ahead. Get to the good stuff. That is, if there's any in this opus," Sunny said grabbing at the control.
Sideswipe elbowed him and scrolled, pausing at the 'good stuff'.
,,
"They swayed together, the moons of Cybertron casting a silvery light on the room. They had stumbled in falling together on the berth…"
^,,^
"Nice engineering. The floor held," Sideswipe said with a chuckle.
They pressed onward.
^,,^
"Optimus who was needy from a long life of self sacrifice, denial and the inadequacy of shower nozzles fell on the big mech, his fingers digging under Ironhide's plating, finding and touching delicate wiring and tubes."
^,,^
"Sounds like Prime is fixing his computer instead of fragging Ironhide," Sideswipe said laughing loudly.
Sunny snorted with amusement. "Keep scrolling. I want to see if they go all the way or not."
^,,^
"Open up for me, Ironhide," Prime growled as he slid his hand down to Ironhide's codpiece."
^,,^
"That sounds so bad when it's put this way," Sideswipe said staring down at his own codpiece. "Codpiece. Sounds like a fish dinner."
Sunny chuckled. "Do you see the part where they were kissing each other like there was no tomorrow. I'm trying to make that picture in my mind and I can't. I want to purge my tanks though."
Sideswipe smiled as they continued to read.
^,,^
"Optimus pushing Ironhide's legs apart lay down upon the big mech."
^,,^
"Big femme you mean," Sunny said with bitter laughter.
"Ironhide would ground you to dust," Sideswipe said looking at his brother.
"You're dreaming again," Sunny said continuing to read.
^,,^
"The prong clicked, oh Primus, then they surged, their sparks blending and falling into overload. They cried out each others names."
^,,^
"Oh, Optimus! Lord Optimus, sir!" Sideswipe said mimicking Ironhide.
"Ironhide! You're so tight! Oh please! Please!" Sunny said grinning wickedly.
They both stopped, looked at each other, then burst into laughter.
Sideswipe slid down onto the floor to search the site for another story. "I don't know if I can look Prime in the face again."
"You better figure it out. We have a hearing tomorrow." Sunny shifted to settle down on the floor. "What are you going to tell him?"
"Nothing. I'll admit to fighting but the reason is my own," Sideswipe said.
Sunny nodded. "I think so."
-0-Morning in the rec room
A base wide announcement in Cybertronian was made that reached the Aerialbots and even Cosmos. It told of the good news of a sparking, then ordered that it be kept from the outside world for security and privacy reasons. The security included humans with curiosity and Decepticons with malice. It was given the level of a Prime directive, making breaking the order a personal affront to the honor of Prime in particular as well as Cybertron and the Autobot Armed Forces in general.
As the shifts changed, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe found themselves waiting in the corridor outside the conference room while the Senior Autobot daily meeting went on inside. Standing by stoically, they waited as people came and went, some of them nodding to them sympathetically and a couple here and there shaking their heads at the umpteenth time the two were facing Prime over their behavior.
Bluestreak coming around the corner on business halted, then hurried out of sight. They saw him and were tempted to follow but they couldn't. It would mean one more slam against them.
The meeting broke up with mechs leaving, most of them nodding good morning to the twins. Finally, Ironhide peering out called them inside. They entered and were directed to take a seat. They did, waiting stoically for the dance to begin. Ironhide, Prowl, and Prime were doing the honors.
"Well, it appears that you two were fighting rather violently I am told in the corridor and did damage to the area. I would like to know what you were doing and why," Optimus said leaning back for the story.
Again.
Prowl who was taking down the details didn't look up but his wings were up and trembling with tension.
Ironhide, himself feeling pretty mellow, watched the two younglings he'd helped train face the music yet again.
Sunny and Sideswipe looked at each other, then Sunny leaned forward on his elbows. "We were fighting. We have no defense and we're ready to take our punishment."
"Why were you fighting?" Prime asked.
"That's personal. It has no bearing on our fitness and willingness to fight or go on assignment. It was just a personal issue we're working out together," Sunny said leaning back in his chair to fold his arms over his chassis.
Sideswipe kept his eyes on the table avoiding Prime's gaze.
"Does this have anything to do with Bluestreak?" Prime asked.
Sunny glanced up sharply then lowered his gaze feigning nonchalance. "That's personal, sir. We don't wish to speak about it."
"Sideswipe?" Prime asked.
"Sideswipe looked up then nodded. "What Sunny said, sir."
Prime considered them both. "Part of this hearing is going to be a legal matter. Prowl as you might know is Bluestreak's legal adoptive guardian of record and has been since Blue was underaged. He has decided to invoke a Praxian law that is within his right as Bluestreak's legal guardian."
Prowl looked at them as he lay the datapad down. "I'm invoking parental rights as per Praxian Parental-Cultural Law, Declaration 19, Part 2."
"What does that mean?" Sunstreaker asked sitting up straighter in heightened concern.
Finally.
"It means, Sunstreaker, you can't be around Bluestreak without my permission, my presence or the presence of another person of my choosing. For any reason."
It was silent in the room as it settled in.
"That's slag." Sunny looked at Prime. "Bluestreak is an adult."
"According to Praxian law, a child is a child to a genitor for the duration of the life of the genitor. Praxian children, adult or otherwise, have a lot of personal rights just like you and I do as Cybertronians but they also have obligations to their genitors that are still law," Prime said withholding a grin with effort.
This was actually rich.
"Prowl isn't Bluestreak's actual genitor," Sideswipe said.
"Under Praxian law, Prowl has standing as the adoptive family member," Ironhide said. "I know we weren't Iacon who basically didn't give a frag about this sort of thing but our laws were our own, they're ancient and they were designed to preserve the integrity of families. My own sparkling will have full rights as an adult but if I feel that anything is going to harm him I can invoke this law to protect him whether he likes it or not."
"But this isn't Praxus. This isn't Cybertron," Sunny said looking from Prime to Prowl to Ironhide and back to Prime with gathering astonishment.
"Our law is law here, too, Sunstreaker," Prime said. "Prowl is within his parental rights to protect his sparkling, youngling or adult mech or femme if he feels that they are in harms way."
"But Bluestreak isn't." Sunny looked at them incredulously. "Blue is as safe with me as he could be anywhere.
"And asking him to be in a trine is a good idea?" Prowl asked with irritation in his soft words. "I don't have it in my thinking for Blue's happiness to be pressured into something like that if he doesn't want it."
"No one is asking, no one is pressuring," Sunstreaker replied.
"Then tell me something," Prowl asked looking at Sideswipe. "Are you in love with my son?"
Sideswipe looked at the mechs in the room in silence.