Chapter 67
-0-Prime and Prowl
They lay together, holding each other after the end of a trying day. It was dark long after they logged off as Prime finally left N.E.S.T. HQ and Prowl Ops Center. A shared moment of energon, a gentle caress and kiss on the couch had led to the berth with both of them intent on relaxing the other.
"You defended the twins," Prime said, nuzzling Prowl's neck.
Prowl smiled. "And the world still turns."
Prime chuckled. "I am to assume you are relented on Bluestreak?"
"Correct," Prowl said. "I believe we're going to have strange bedfellows as in-laws."
"A trine?" Optimus asked as the touch of Prowl's servos stimulating things in other regions in the most gentle and sensual manner rolled through him.
Prowl pressed his face against Prime's chest.
Prime pausing his own exploration rolled up. "I guess that is a yes."
Prowl shuttered his optics. "It's not what I wanted for Blue."
"No," Prime said softly. "But you agreed."
It was silent a moment.
"Bluestreak made up his processor. I can't say no without good reasons and the twins haven't given me any. They've been good to Bluestreak so far."
"Then we should conclude that they will continue to do that," Prime said gently.
"You always see the good," Prowl said, touching Prime's face with his digits, tracing his cheek and his jaw.
Prime smiled. "You did a good thing," he said quietly. "Everyone should find their happiness, Prowl. I believe in hope."
Prowl nodded. "I want a ceremony for Bluestreak, the simple Praxian bonding service because we can't make the other one now, not with everything that's missing. His genitors would have wanted it and we have to do the right thing for them. I would like you to officiate."
"Of course," Prime said, kissing Prowl gently. "I would be honored."
Then they didn't talk for a while.
-0-Ironhide and Ratchet
They lay together on the berth with Ironhide on his side and Ratchet spooned against him as he draped his arm around Ironhide's waist. It was quiet and peaceful.
Ratchet squeezed Ironhide. "You aren't talking to me."
"I'm thinking."
Ratchet grinned. "How long will that take?"
"Hard to say."
It was quiet again.
Ratchet hugged Ironhide again. "Ironhide, we agreed to talk always. So talk."
Ironhide squeezed Ratchet's servo. "Nice weather we're havin'."
Ratchet snorted. "You're going to make this hard aren't you."
"Yep."
It was silent a moment.
"You're upset about hitting Optimus."
It was silent another moment.
"I can see that. What mech wants to give his own son a hay maker in the face plates?" Ratchet said kissing Ironhide's shoulder.
Ironhide chuckled. "Underhanded, Ratchet."
"All is fair in love and war."
"It is." Ironhide turned over, moved his arm and they settled again, he on his back and Ratchet sprawled in his arms, snuggling closely as he did. "You feel good."
"So do you."
It was quiet a moment.
"I could have killed those mercs. I wanted to."
"I wanted you to kill them, Ironhide. That's what I felt watching you. By the way, you were an awesome sight, Chaos Bringer. I think Unicron would've turned and ran. If he had feet that is," Ratchet said.
Ironhide snorted. "You're just trying to cheer me up."
"I am," Ratchet said. He closed his eyes as the comfort of Ironhide's servo tracing circles on his back felt warm and comforting. "Prime replaced the barracks. He called Grapple and Hoist from Autobot City to re-make it and put it up."
"Good," Ironhide said.
"You really tore that place to shreds. It could've been made of paper the way it flew apart," Ratchet said. "I don't know if they're going to keep it up or not but they're now warned what the Doom of Ironhide looks like."
Ironhide smiled slightly. "I think Prime knows, too."
Ratchet laughed and hugged Ironhide. "You protected me and our sparkling. That makes you my hero. Again."
Ironhide smiled, squeezing Ratchet gently. "How is our sparkling?"
"He pulsed me a smile," Ratchet said.
"He let you know he's aware of you?" Ironhide said with surprise. "I didn't know they could do that."
Ratchet slid the panel back on his wrist to pull out the cord. He slid the port on Ironhide's wrist and plugged in. "I saved it for you. Here," Ratchet said, downloading the file into Ironhide.
Ironhide lay very still, listening, waiting and it came. It was small and bright and felt happy. It was a tiny surge, one pulsed to Ratchet from his spark to his carrier's spark. It was soft and sweet and Ironhide's optics watered as he felt it. "Thanks," he said quietly, his usually mud flavored voice thick with emotion. "I'll keep that one."
"You and me both," Ratchet said. "This is a good thing isn't it. I hope its the start of a lot more."
"Sparklings playing at Autobot City, growing up safe, being what they want to be and not what they have to ... that's what I think about when I think of our sparkling," Ironhide said wistfully.
"We need to figure out his paint scheme and his name," Ratchet said.
It was silent a moment.
"You've been talking to Wheeljack and Perceptor?" Ironhide asked.
"Yes," Ratchet said. "I told him I want his face to look like you, pug nose and all. I think you're so handsome, I want the sparkling to look like you."
Ironhide snickered. "Thanks."
"What's so funny?" Ratchet asked, leaning up to look down into Ironhide's face with a slight frown.
"Pug nose," Ironhide replied. "I was shown a story about me that someone on the world wide web wrote that mentions my nose structure."
"Humans? They write stories about us?" Ratchet asked with fascination.
"Hundreds of stories," Ironhide said.
"Tell me about this story," Ratchet said, leaning in to nuzzle Ironhide's jaw.
Ironhide squeezed Ratchet. "The writer is called Optimus_Sue."
Ratchet stopped, then looked at Ironhide with a smirk. "Oh please … continue."
Ironhide snorted. "The story is about me and Prime."
"As in being together? As in fragging each other?" Ratchet asked, smiling with delight.
Ironhide nodded. "I think its called 'Two Moons over Cybertron' and it has a scene where we're at a party in the Citadel. Prime's on the balcony thinking about me. He goes on about my nose."
"I could go on about your nose and I did with Wheeljack but don't let that slow you down. Continue." Ratchet settled more comfortably, looking at Ironhide with a grin.
"Well, they decide they're in love or some such slag and we go at it like cyber bunnies."
Ratchet chuckled, then laughed out loud as images unbidden filled his processor. "Who's on top?"
For a moment, Ironhide said nothing. Then he smirked. "It isn't me."
Ratchet smirked as he kissed Ironhide's lips, lingering on them a moment. "I won't tell anyone, Only One."
"You always were a loyal slagger," Ironhide said.
"Am I in the story?" Ratchet asked, tracing slow circles on Ironhide's pectoral armor with his digits.
"You are," Ironhide said. "You're the other love interest."
"Really?" Ratchet asked, his amusement evident on his face. "Was I on top?"
"No," Ironhide said with a chuckle.
"Then its more a true life adventure," Ratchet said, laughing loudly.
"I think so," Ironhide said with more than a trace of self satisfaction in his voice.
"Did I get any action or is this slag that doesn't bring out my full potential?" Ratchet asked, warming up to the story.
"Actually, you and Prime made a lot of monkey noises in Med Bay when I was supposed to be in stasis lock."
"We did?" Ratchet said laughing loudly. "Was there a smile on Prime's face afterwards and a spring in his step?"
"Hard to tell," Ironhide said, smirking in memory. "I was in stasis lock."
"What were you in Med Bay for?"
"I was rescued from Starscream's clutches."
"You were injured?" Ratchet asked, smiling at him with a sense of comedy and comfort he only got from Ironhide.
"Actually, I had a venereal disease," Ironhide said smiling broadly.
It was silent a moment.
"Ironhide, you can't get venereal diseases. Who gave you a venereal disease?"
"Starscream."
It was quiet a moment.
"Ironhide … that's … that's just wrong," Ratchet said before he almost rolled off the berth in laughter.