Off Balance

Time: Pre-Earth

Prowl stared intently at the monitors before him. Was that a blip, or a glitch? He keyed in a rescan of that area. Hands suddenly whirled him around, giving him a glimpse of gold plating. A fist impacted into his cheek structure, snapping his head to the side. He tried to stagger back, but a strong hand held him firm. Two more blows unhinged his jaw, and shattered his left optic.

Rushing fluids in his audio sensors muffled Ironhide's angry voice. The other officers present forced his attacker away. Dizzy with pain, Prowl's hands slipped against the control panel and he fell to his aft. He stood and forced himself to focus on the sleek golden warrior, who was trying to fight off the restraining hands.

"Sunstreaker," he said, his loose jaw slurring the words, "why did you attack an officer?"

Sunstreaker stilled to glare at the second-in-command. "Don't act stupid!"

Ironhide shoved Sunstreaker's shoulder. "Don' talk that way t' Prowl."

Prowl steadied his head from another wave of vertigo. "What are you talking about?"

Acid hissed through those beautiful lips, so like his brother's. "You know what I mean."

"What's going on here?" Prime's voice bellowed through the control room. All heads turned to the Autobot commander. Piercing blue optics swept the mechs, taking in Sunstreaker's heaving form, and paused on Prowl' face No further questions were needed. "Ironhide, take him to the brig." Prime's mask lowered in a scowl. "Sunstreaker, I'll talk to you later. Smokescreen, help Prowl to medical. Jazz, tell me what the slag just happened.

The three relatively undamaged officers moved to obey. Ironhide snarled for Sunstreaker to 'git movin'. Smokescreen steadied Prowl. "You're wavering. Can you walk?"

Prowl nodded, though it made the room swim. He took a step to prove it, albeit an unsteady one. Smokescreen shrugged, but kept a hand on Prowl's elbow.

"Well, Prime, I'm not really sure what happened. Sunstreaker jus' waltzed in here 'n…" Jazz's voice faded as they rounded a corner.

Prowl ignored all the looks he received in the hall, pondering Sunstreaker's words.

The two Enforcers walked through the clear glass doors to the med bay. Ratchet looked up from where he was cleaning his tools.

"Slag! What happened?" The CMO took Prowl from the diversionary tactician.

Prowl gratefully sat on the medical berth Ratchet led him to. He gripped the edge in pain as the medic gently examined his face and moved his jaw.

"This is Sunstreaker's work." Ratchet scowled. "He could have knocked your battle computer out of sync. If he did, I'd have to turn him into a petrorabbit. How do you feel?"

The question caught the tactician off guard. "Dizzy."

"Lie down." Red hands steadied the injured mech. "What'd you do to slag him off?"

Prowl had been trying to figure that out while the medic had been talking. "I'm not entirely sure." He only had an inkling of what might be wrong.

"Maybe you've punished his glitch of a brother one too many times?" Ratchet chortled. He administered a sedative. "Speak of the 'Con."

"Hey Prowl! I heard Sunny dented you real good. What'd you do to fry his circuits."

Prowl's intact optic narrowed at the red twin, a plan formulating. "Sideswipe, you need to learn to keep your immaturity contained."

Sideswipe jerked to a surprised stop. "What?"

"Don't talk back to me. I expect to see you scrubbing the floors of section 23 Delta."

The red twin sputtered. "What! But no one even uses that area anymore."

Prowl managed a one-eyed glare. Come on, Sides, don't argue with me right now. "That doesn't mean it can't be kept clean." The security camera in the area had been offline for a metacycle, but there had been bigger problems to deal with.

Surprise turned to hurt, then to anger. Sideswipe turned and stormed out.

Ratchet paused in prepping for repairs. "I know you're mad at Sunstreaker, but do you really want to get on his bad side."

The tactician shrugged. "It doesn't stop him from pulling pranks now." He'll get me back later anyway. The sedative kicked in and Prowl drowsed off, barely aware of the medic's ministrations.

The door whooshed closed behind him. Down the hall, Sideswipe angrily attacked the floor. Prowl winced as he recalled his words.

The red twin looked up at the sound of the door. When he saw who it was, he snapped his head back down, intent on the surface before him.

Prowl knelt down next to Sideswipe. "Sides." He lifted the warrior's chin to look him in the optic.

Or at least he tried to..

Sideswipe jerked to his feet and stomped away. He knelt down and resumed his attack with the scrub pad.

Prowl watched the red mech for a moment before he sighed. He pulled a scrub pad out of subspace and picked up where the Toughline left off. They both remained silent for a few breems.

Suddenly Sideswipe threw his scrub pad down and glared at Prowl. "Prowl!" The Enforcer looked up from his diligent scrubbing of a particularly bad spot. "Slaggit, I can't stay mad at you when you're looking so fragging sexy over there!"

Prowl's doorwings drew back in surprise. Then a smile flitted across his lips. His chevron lifted a little. "Do you want me to stop?"

Sideswipe rose to his feet, scrub pad forgotten and knelt back down next to Prowl. "Nah, I like it when you make my engine turn over like that." Black fingers caressed the newly-hammered dentlines. "We've got to figure out another way to arrange alone time."

Prowl sighed. "I am working on it. It's just… problematic."

Sideswipe suddenly changed subjects. "What'd you do to get Sunny so mad." Wirelight lips traced the same path as the fingers.

Prowl's fuel pump stuttered as his circuits tingled. He couldn't form an answer for a breem. "Can't talk, when you're doing that," he finally stammered. He groaned, turning his head to capture the taller mech's lips. White hands gripped broad shoulders, and Prowl drew Sideswipe closer.

Sideswipe broke away panting. "Seriously, why's Sunny so mad at you?"

Prowl chuckled. "I was trying to answer you." He sobered. "I was hoping you'd be able to tell me." The tactician sat back and related what Sunstreaker had said. Prowl frowned at Sideswipe from under his chevron. "You don't think…"

Blue optics bled to white as the warrior stared at nothing. Air hissed out of his ventilator. "He knows." The two mechs regarded one another with wide optics.

"Slag," Prowl muttered, glancing away. "It hasn't even been a vorn yet."

A half-smile quirked Sideswipe's lips. "Just how long did you think to hide it from Sunny? What?" Sideswipe winced at his lover's glower. "He's my twin. I didn't think it'd keep this long."

Prowl sighed, nodding. "You don't think he'll… tell… anyone?" Fear quieted his vocalizer.

The red mech frowned, drawing Prowl into his arms, unconsciously possessive. "I hope not," and his optics narrowed in thought, "he wouldn't want to get me in trouble like that."

Prowl patiently waited as the twin thought aloud. It didn't hurt that he enjoyed being this close to Sideswipe. There were decacycles where they didn't dare get too close for fear of being caught. Stellar cycles of lonely recharge, waiting for the right moment. Normally, they could barely talk to each other.

So just being held in arms strong enough to rip apart a triplechanger, and to wrap his own arms around the wide back, brought a thrill to Prowl's processor. And befuddled his battle computer. He wanted to end this conversation and feel Sideswipe's lips on his chassis, to put his own mouth on Sideswipe. Just thinking about it made his fuel surge. His logical self, however realized how their relationship needed more than physical intimacy. He also enjoyed seeing the Prankster with such a serious, thoughtful expression. He enjoyed it as much as he knew Sideswipe enjoyed his smiles.

"He's jealous!" Sideswipe's voice brought the tactician out of his reverie.

Prowl tilted his head at the red mech. "Why? That's illogical."

"He's afraid of anything he thinks will take me away." A scowl darkened the red mech's pleasant face. "Ridiculous!"

"Maybe I should talk to him?"

Sideswipe's optics widened. "I don't know . He can be fragging over-protective. How would you, without anyone finding out, anyway? Red's security cameras are everywhere. And you're not sending him down here! I'll never hear the end of it."

"I'll think of something," Prowl murmured, reaching up to nibble on Sideswipe's jaw.

Suddenly he didn't want to talk anymore.

He rose slightly and pushed the warrior to the floor . He dug his fingers into sensitive seams along the Toughline's armor, eliciting a moan from Sideswipe.

Sideswipe's fingers slipped into the junction between Prowl's doorwings and his back. The tactician panted against the red chestplate, his systems threatening to shut down from sensory overload. The red twin fingered the joints that turned his wings into the doors of his Enforcer form. Prowl arched his back, like an autolion, inviting the fingers to press harder.

He pulled himself up to lock lips with Sideswipe. His legs briefly shorted out, toppling him onto his lover. Static dotted his vision.

Sideswipe nipped at Prowl's helmet., wafting air over his audio sensors. "You okay?" The warrior's engine rumbled both aroused and amused.

"Nn. Don't stop."

Sideswipe didn't.

Author's Note: Er, completely made up alt modes for P & SS. Thank you for the positive reviews. I wasn't sure how many would be interested in this pairing. Mixing IDW and G1 time units. Let's see if I remember to do so next chap. Ffnet's eating my asterisk-scene-separator-thingie, hence the line. Let me know if it's confusing.