Stormed Off

Stormed Off

Author's Notes: This is the 'Halifax' (city on Cybertron, not on Earth XD) chapter. Or it was the Halifax chapter, until I decided I didn't want to start off with them already in Halifax. Then it kept going and going (and going and going), and I decided it needed to be split. So I'm not going to dare say that it's only going to have one more chapter to it. … Nope, not at all. You haven't heard me say that, right?

Of note, this is considered a bonus chapter, and it's also the first bonus that's gone and split on me…

…. Dammit. DX

Also of note, this is set after Bond Off.

Warnings: You might remember how I said Off the Cuff was the last smutty chapter lest my muse decided otherwise? Well… he decided otherwise. (nor shall I say this is the last one, cause it's not) Smutty, with a little story.

Prowl knew that Sunstreaker hated him at the moment. He knew that Sunstreaker hated his brother at the moment. He hated the dinghy building they'd found shelter in, the rain that made them seek it out and ate away at his paint. He hated the mission that put them in this position. He hated that it had been planned for just such an occurrence.

And then there was Sideswipe's current… game.

"Sunny!"

Metal banged as golden fist collided with red shoulder.

"Sunny!"

Smack!

"Sunny!"

Thwack!

"Sunneeee!"

Ka-tang!

"Su-"

"You call me that one more time, and I'm going to pound your aft so flat that not even Ratchet could get you back in shape,"

Prowl had decided that it would be better for him to not try and keep count of the number of times Sideswipe had taunted his brother like that. It had been going on for a while now, and Sunstreaker was hardly known for his tolerance, even where his hellion brother was concerned. Hence, the tactician chose to ignore the blatant threat Sunstreaker so casually tossed out.

Prowl looked about the safehouse, his sensors picked up no sign of habitation on this or the upper floor. He decided that a change of topic would be most welcome as it seemed Sideswipe was debating whether or not to tempt fate. "There isn't much to be done at the moment besides catching some recharge and hoping the storm will pass."

Sideswipe made a disgruntled noise, unhappy with having his game interrupted. He jostled Prowl's shoulder as he passed. "It's too early to recharge. I vote we do something."

Sunstreaker halted in the middle of spraying his finish with a neutralizing agent. "I say not while I'm slagging online."

Sideswipe grinned, coming back to pull Prowl into the circle of his arms. "Aww, but Sunny, we need you to keep watch while we keep ourselves occupied."

Prowl shuddered as the warrior's lips brushed against the cables of his neck. Then he promptly whacked the twin upside the head with both doorwings.

Sideswipe stumbled back with an exclamation, rubbing at his helmet. "Ow! What was that for?" He whimpered as he scuffed at his audio horns, his face almost pitiable in the shadows.

Prowl brushed past him, carelessly striking him again with a doorwing. "There is no need to tease your brother so cruelly." Prowl glanced into a room, noticing the small acidic puddle on the floor. That would not do. "Especially when he is being so tolerant about coming with us when he didn't have to." Prowl shot Sideswipe a speaking look as he inspected the next room.

Sideswipe rolled his head, clucking his vocalizer for a moment before he turned and gave a sweeping gesture of appreciation to Sunstreaker. "Thank you so much, bro. I owe you the next few cycles free from torment."

Sunstreaker glared at his brother, before turning to inspect a mural on the wall again. "It wouldn't have been so bad if Mr. Perfect hadn't insisted on passing by every other habitable building."

Prowl looked away from the third room he was inspecting, pleased with the state of the room.. "I wanted someplace defensible." He flicked his doorwings. "Is that an issue?"

Prowl caught the frown Sideswipe threw at his brother. "No, Prowl. That's not a problem at all."

"That's because you don't try to look your best Sideswipe. You don't even care to do that for him!" Sunstreaker leaned towards Sideswipe and jabbed his brother in the chestplate. "What does that make you?"

Prowl frowned at the display, but decided that they were just… being themselves. Again. He sighed as he rested a hand on the open doorway to the third room inside the hallway. "This room will do." He entered the room, pulling out a small lampstick and activating it. He set it on the floor in the center of the room and looked up when he heard the other two enter.

"At least this one isn't leaking like the other two," Sunstreaker said appreciatively as he sat down in a corner, leaning his head against the wall.

Sideswipe stepped over to Prowl, mischievous smile in place. "Aw, bro, don't you want to join us. We're about to have lot's," and a finger squeaked down Prowl's doorwing suggestively, "of fun."

Prowl snapped his doorwing at the finger, settling himself on the floor. He stretched joints that had remained in altmode far too long, his mag plates still humming with the feeling of gliding over the road.

Sideswipe seemed to realize this, and ran his fingers over the plates in Prowl's shoulders. He leaned in, nuzzling the white helm as he stroked the plates again. "You're still humming, sparkles."

"Don't call me 'sparkles'," Prowl retorted automatically. He had to look away from his lover than, the twin's expression too intense, too needful for him to look at and still maintain control. He chose to ignore the red twin's hands on him; instead he pulled a box out of subspace, shivering as Sideswipe continued his caresses. "Sideswipe was actually talking about something that's a little more cooperative than what you're assuming, Sunstreaker." He opened the box, removing the tiered board and setting it near the lampstick. "Would you like to play?" He glanced at the golden mech expectantly.

Sunstreaker stared blankly back and even Sideswipe made a surprised sound. "I didn't realize Firestorm could involve more than two players."

Prowl lazily shrugged a doorwing, separating the pieces out into three units. "The units are smaller, but it's plausible. The rules change a little as well, instead of one defending the Core, and the other attempting to overtake it; it becomes three attempting to claim the Core, as well as removing the threat of the other two." Prowl tilted his head toward Sunstreaker, browridge lifted hopefully. "Were you interested?"

Sunstreaker frowned, but moved closer, dragging along a tarp he'd pulled out of subspace to keep the dirt of the floor off his finish. "Fine." He glared at Sideswipe. "Don't see the point in it when you're going to slag us both."

Sideswipe sat across from Prowl, staring at the tactician with his burning optics. "It's not always about victory, bro. Sometimes it's all about the chase."

Prowl evenly stared back at the warrior, arching a brow ridge before setting his unit up. The predatory gleam within the mech's optics sent shivers down Prowl's frame. He could hear the minute clatter of metal as Sideswipe tensed with anticipation. After pinging for first move, the game started.

Having thoroughly routed Sideswipe's unit, and even after dumbing his strategy down for Sunstreaker, Prowl still won the first round.

Sunstreaker had immediately stood with a snarl, and stormed off. Sideswipe had teased the golden mech mercilessly until Sunstreaker finally snapped a retort back. "I go in and kick aft. Strategy is his area. Leave me out of it. And no sparkly optics at each other, I hear your engines going and I'm dismantling someone."

Prowl had quietly laughed to himself throughout the entire exchange, setting up the board for a more traditional game of Firestorm. Waiting for Sideswipe to stop laughing himself silly, Prowl stretched out on the ground, propped up on an elbow, his doorwing brushing the ground. He glanced at the golden warrior who glared back as he polished his armor. The tactician smirked, ducking his head to hide it under his chevron and idly straightening the board just that much more.

Sideswipe rolled to a proper sitting position and snuck in the first move.

Several rounds later, buzzing from the high grade Sideswipe had brought along, Prowl found himself more focused on the red mech's movements as the black hand reached over the board and moved the pieces. He wanted to caress the gleam the lampstick cast on the red chestplate. His engine purred softly at the prospect, but he didn't dare reach out and satisfy the itch while Sunstreaker watched.

Sideswipe's gaze lifted from the board to smile at Prowl. Then his optics slid to the side, glancing at the golden twin. "Hey Sunny, what's that you got there?"

Prowl looked up, surprised to find Sunstreaker had moved to a different corner. Sideswipe stood and snatched at sheaf of plastic the golden twin held.

Sunstreaker shot to his feet, snarling scathing words at his brother. He lunged for the sheaf, striking at his brother's shoulder to off balance Sideswipe.

Sideswipe laughed and scooted away from the golden mech. He almost succeeded except for the foot that snatched out to hook around his leg, yanking him off his feet.

Prowl watched, idly debating whether he should interfere, or let them have their brotherly scuffle. The sheaf fluttered to the floor, just close enough that Prowl only had to reach out and catch the corner of the textured plastic to drag it closer. He could see graphite lines decorating the page, and he spun it to face him so that the image resolved into a familiar figure.

He looked up in surprise at the golden mech. Sunstreaker glared at him before cursing Sideswipe roundly and loudly, using phrases Prowl was certain weren't anatomically possible. Sideswipe, grinning broad enough to break his face, literally, shook off Sunstreaker's bulk and scooted closer to Prowl. He gingerly took the sheaf from the tactician's white hands, his optics locked on the image.

"I've always wanted Sunny to do something like this for me," he breathed, optics bright as he looked toward the tactician. "He's always refused to put your image down in any form for me. Says he doesn't want to get me in trouble."

"You shouldn't have gotten that, Sides! What are you going to do if anyone asks you why you've got that?" Sunstreaker's fingers clawed into the concrete floor.

"For target practice," Sideswipe chirped back all too glibly. His engine revved softly as his gaze turned from the drawing to the referenced source. "Primus, it's like having a piece of you with me, Prowl."

"Oh, slag! Here we go." Sunstreaker slapped his hand over his optics.

"It is a very well done rendition-" Sunstreaker huffed something that sounded like an 'of course', "but…" Prowl had both mechs' attention as he pulled Sideswipe's hand down to look at the drawing again before he canted an inquiring look toward Sunstreaker. "Why?"

Sunstreaker unaccountably looked down with embarrassment. "We never see you that relaxed. It-I just wanted to capture it for a moment." He scowled at his brother. "I was going to get rid of it before anyone saw it."

Sideswipe subspaced the picture. "Yeah, well that's not going to happen, bro."

Prowl stared at Sunstreaker, reviewing in his processor the image of him relaxing, with the lampstick casting shadows across his frame, indeed looking relaxed and far too… attractive (though he tried to look at it as objectively as he could) to be a true portrayal. Something on his face must have given his thoughts away for Sunstreaker suddenly huffed and looked away from the both of them.

"Look, it's really hard to see you as unattractive when the afthead over there is radiating such adoration for you." He frowned, and glared at both of them. "Don't you have a game you should be playing."

"Oh, I think we'll try playing another game." Sideswipe's bright optics turned back to Prowl, and he positively leered at the Enforcer, his engine revving. "Like seeing how loud I can get Prowl to scream."

Sunstreaker shot to his feet. "That's it! I'm going to look around this dump."

Prowl watched the golden twin tromp out of the room in surprise before he flashed an irritated scowl at the red twin.

"What? No admonition to be careful, or not to stray too far?"

Prowl tilted his head. "No, he doesn't need those. I would like to finish this game though."

Sideswipe obediently sat down, grinning still. "Even though you're losing horribly?"

"It's not horribly. I still have my Guardian and a handful of soldiers and guns."

Sideswipe chuckled. "Not for long you won't."

Prowl had been reduced to his Artillery Cannons when he decided that he'd been distracted by that gleaming chestplate long enough. He moved himself closer to the red twin as he shifted his Seekers about, and brushed his lips over a jointed audio horn. Sideswipe jerked in surprised, whipping his head about to stare at Prowl, their nasal ridges clinking together. Prowl moved closer, pressing light kisses to Sideswipe's parted lips. Sideswipe stared, and then his optics dimmed as he leaned into the kisses.

Prowl pounced.

He rolled Sideswipe to his back, kissing the warrior quite thoroughly as he sought to wring protesting sounds from the red mech. He sought a sensitive seam he knew to be located in the joining at Sideswipe's waist, running his fingers lightly over it. Sideswipe whimpered, twisting about under Prowl even as he turned his own hands to getting revenge on the black and white mech.

"You know," he murmured after managing to get Prowl to choke off a rather loud cry, "I'd almost think that you were being a sore loser." His hands slipped under Prowl's canopy, rubbing at the cushioning that lined the Enforcer's interior. A grin sprouted on his face, widening as Prowl twitched in his hands. "If I didn't know you better, that is."

"I'm not." Prowl arched his back to the touch, scraping his hand down Sideswipe's arm creating an erotic squeal of metal on metal. "I'd rather… uhn… let you distract me." He quieted, wanting to linger in running his lips down the gleaming chestplate that had held his attention for so long. Focus on the feeling of Sideswipe's dental plates on his chevron. They drew out excited moans and startled gasps as they pressed against each other hungrily, hands everywhere they needed to be, everywhere they shouldn't be.

Prowl threw his head back with a strangled cry, Sideswipe running his fingers under the transformation seam at Prowl's chest. Suddenly Sideswipe froze, and he jerked Prowl to the ground, creating a startling bang.

Prowl snapped his optics on, never having realized they'd shut down, and he panted, staring at Sideswipe. The red twin didn't relax his hold, turned on his side as he stared intently at the door. His black fingers covered Prowl's mouth in a hushing gesture.

Prowl furrowed his brow as he noticed that Sideswipe's optics flickered strangely. He reached out a white hand to touch the mech's temple. Sideswipe glanced at him, and mouthed a single word: Sunny. Then he jabbed a finger toward his audio horn, his gaze turning back to the door.

Prowl subsided, upping the gain on his audio receptors as he also scanned the hallway just beyond the door. Nothing blipped on his sensors, not even a hotspot or an energy surge. Sunstreaker appeared, looking around the hallway with all the attentiveness of a sentry. He glanced into the room and shrugged; his frown deepening as he very briefly glanced at the two mechs lying together on the floor.

When Sunstreaker disappeared around the corner again, Sideswipe finally relaxed.

"Did you hear something?" Prowl asked, propping himself on his elbow. He still scanned the surrounding area, but detected nothing more than a few glitchmice.

"Mighta been nothing, just some debris falling, or the building settling." He stroked his fingers down Prowl's face, his focus changing from whatever had disturbed him to the black and white mech in front of him.

Prowl sighed in pleasure as he allowed Sideswipe to turn his own attention away from the disturbance; Sunstreaker wouldn't let anything happen to them. He had the utmost confidence in his warriors.

Fingers danced over each other's sides, coaxing a soft rev from an engine, or a moan from a vocalizer. Occasionally Sideswipe would shush Prowl for being too loud, and they would lie there absolutely still as Prowl regained his grip on his vocalizer. Then they would lose themselves in each other, in mouths that played over sharp corners, the pleasant rumbles of an engine that turned at a touch, or caress.

Prowl shoved Sideswipe to his back again, climbing over the warrior and straddling one of the mech's thighs. He nipped at the edges of Sideswipe's chestplate, curling his shoulder into the face that nuzzled against his neck cables. Stifled the needful moan that rumbled from the mech's throat. Prowl sought out the by now familiar plate that covered Sideswipe's data port. It opened eagerly allowing Prowl to plug himself into the red mech.

Sideswipe's hands shook with excitement as they traced over Prowl's doorwings. He hissed as Prowl completed the connection with his cord, their systems looping into sync with each other. Words exchanged without even passing through their lips and Sideswipe rolled Prowl to his back. He leaned over the tactician, nipping at Prowl's neck cables and digging his fingers into his door hinges.

Prowl permitted Sideswipe the access to thread through his systems, trusting the mech to leave him capable of fighting should the need arise.

"And just who do you think would be out in this, sparkles?"

The feeling of the words transmitting through his internal diagnostics had Prowl both laughing and moaning. He returned the favor; casually stroking Sideswipe's targeting systems to make the mech scramble for control of his weaponry. "That's the point of war, isn't it Sides?"

Sideswipe didn't answer; too busy increasing the gain on Prowl's chevron and pressing his lips to the red metal to make the tactician squeal. Prowl indignantly countered the command with one of his own, activating Sideswipe's ankle mag plates and then reversing one's polarity so that they latched onto each other. Sideswipe muffled a surprised yelp, working through Prowl's messy programming effort to release his feet.

They continued along that vein, rubbing against each other physically, over their hardline attachment. The idea crossed both of their minds that they could attempt a little spark play. Except, Sideswipe murmured, Sunstreaker was too close for that. And, Prowl responded, it would leave them too defenseless. Prowl occasionally detected Sideswipe's distraction, and a third signal from the red twin, and he could only assume that the red mech communicated with his brother, though the 'why' of his actions escaped Prowl.

Then Sideswipe, as if noticing his lover's irritation, would strum his hands up and down Prowl's doorhinges.

Making Prowl forget why he was annoyed.

They lay, panting, cords still tangled, legs entwined. The air felt almost chill on their armor, their systems heated from an intense overload and prolonged stimulation. Prowl started as Sunstreaker tromped into the room and sat down in his corner, once again pulling out the tarp that kept the dirt off his frame.

"You two should recharge. I'll bring Sides online when my watch is up."

Prowl ran the situation through his processor. "We… muted our vocalizers, and our engines were toned down… How did you know we were done?"

Sideswipe's amusement transmitted over their link and his laughter rolled through Prowl's audio receptors. "He felt when I was done, and I guess he assumed for you."

Prowl assimilated that. "You're saying that he felt everything?"

Sideswipe snickered, but Sunstreaker answered. "Not really felt it, but I just knew. Trust me, it disgusts me, too."

Prowl's systems heated in embarrassment. "I didn't realize…"

The golden twin glared at Prowl. "I knew what was going to happen when I agreed to this fragging idea. Don't worry about it, Prowl."

Prowl tilted his head at Sunstreaker. "Who said you were taking first watch?"

Sideswipe snuggled closer to the black and white mech. "He is. I'm taking second, and you're taking third."

Too tired to argue, Prowl leveled a speaking look at both twins. "We're going to discuss this after the recharge cycle. I'm supposed to be the commander of this mission, not you two."

Sunstreaker smirked. "Well, if you agree to it, then it becomes your orders. Besides isn't it only logical considering you're both about to drop offline talking to me?"

Prowl shut down his optics. "True. Fine. Sunstreaker you have first watch."

He knew Sideswipe smiled, he could feel it over their data link.

"Hey, think you guys would mind getting your cables straight? It's kinda disturbing me." Silence as neither of the lovers moved. "Of course I could always do it for you…"

Prowl recharged, curled up against Sideswipe's comforting warmth. He came briefly online when Sunstreaker changed watch with Sideswipe. He knew Sideswipe lingered briefly as he and his brother murmured softly at one another, a black hand idly stroking Prowl's shoulder. Then he slipped back into recharge just as Sideswipe stood to take over. Sunstreaker lay a few yards away, and the chill quickly replaced Sideswipe's warmth.

Lips pressed against his helmet, his cheek, his jaw, covering his mouth with a muted passion that brought him online and grabbing at the mech. He panted, staring into Sideswipe's grinning optics.

"Getting you all worked up?"

Prowl grumbled, shoving Sideswipe away, so he could sit up. Then he yanked the Toughline close, rubbing their nasal ridges together. "Not when I need to go on watch." Still he paused to indulge in a heated kiss with the red twin, before he stood. "Anything to report?"

Sideswipe rolled his head. "I'd rather sit through one of your lectures." Prowl wondered if he'd find any surprises awaiting him as he walked throughout the safehouse. He flicked his doorwings and tilted his head, waiting for more detail. "Well, Sunny heard some noises, and so did I, but I never found anything when I investigated." Sideswipe narrowed his optics as Prowl opened his mouth to ask another question. "Yes, I went and actually checked them." He paused and a frown pinched his lips down. "My sensors have been glitching some though. Sunny said he was getting blips. But we both checked, and there was nothing here!"

Prowl stared at the warrior silently for a moment. Then he nodded. "I'll keep it in mind. Go lie down, recharge as long as you need. I'll stay close by." He waited until Sideswipe settled next to his brother.

Sunstreaker's dim optics darkened and Prowl flinched with embarrassment as he realized that the golden twin had witnessed their exchange. He silently thanked the golden twin, appreciative of his assistance with their little escapade. If their destination had been much farther Prowl would have required more of an escort, and possibly not allowed to handle the field work personally. Much closer and they would have still been well within sensor range of the base, and not been able to justify the extended mission. It would have been far too risky to have indulged their passion.

Prowl walked through the rooms, sensors on high alert, his rifle slung over his shoulder, ready to be aimed with a single smooth motion. He finally took the time to scan the actual contents of the rooms, shuffling through the assorted odds and end scattered on the acid eaten desk. The wet objects stung his hands, and he could see the acid already eating at the paint of his fingers. He put the scuffed and broken datapad back on his desk, unable to even access the information stored within; lost to time and corrosion.

His patrol took him to the staircase without event, and he lowered his doorwings as he crept up the crumbling stairs. He idly postulated about who might have lived here. A slightly larger than normal bot at the least, as the steps were a little larger than a mech of his sized could comfortably handle. The width of the stairs allowed for a lot of room as well, Prowl could stretch his doorwings to either side and still not touch the wall or the rail. 'A flier,' his battle computer whispered having run the algorithms through his processor. 'Triple-changer,' it amended when he noted the sturdy berth with gaps to allow for protrusions. He peered into one of the other rooms and noticed with some surprise the board set up, looking like it had been in the middle of a play. Critical optics gauged the positions of the pieces and calculated the next best move. He approached the table, intent on the board. The amount of dust on the board unsettled him, it looked like-

He stumbled over something that twanged as his foot pulled on it.

Cold and wet drenched his back and his doorwings. He stiffened as it dripped into his hinges, and his optics narrowed. "Sideswipe!" he growled. How that mech even managed to store so much paint without anyone noticing Prowl didn't even attempt to try and figure out.

He glanced at his doorwings, twisting his neck at an awkward angle. Red coated his panels, running down in small streaks down the creases in his panels and into his hinges. Prowl shuddered, and wiped at the paint, relieved to see how easily it came off. It meant Sideswipe had mixed this batch up especially for this. Prowl flicked his doorwings trying to remove the worse of it before he moved toward the table. Paint spattered across the board, some of the pieces knocked over. The once too thin layer of dust was now completely unsettled, and Prowl could no longer tell if it was truly as disturbed as he thought it might have been.

Something scraped along metal in the next room and Prowl spun about, no longer concerned with the paint adorning his doorwings. He slipped back out, running constant passive scans for an unusual signal or a hot spot, anything that would give away another's presence. He pressed against the wall, readying his rifle, turning the gain on his audio receptors to maximum. He burst around the corner into the recharge quarters, rifle swinging in an arc, as he prepared to meet his adversary.

Nothing.

He stared quietly for a long few breems, waiting for any sign of an intruder. Nothing so much as stirred a breeze, the reinforced room untouched even by the rain. Prowl scanned the room one more time, using more active scanners, and, finding nothing, backed out. He swung around the corner and glimpsed a reflective surface in the room opposite of him.

He froze.

Behind him, by the berth, hovered a pair of yellow optics, surrounded by a black miasma. He whirled and saw nothing. Angling himself to look at the reflective surface without completely turning his back on the room, the optics blinked at him. He stared at it, variables running through his battle computer within a tenth of an astrosecond, and he snapped his rifle back, shooting the apparition.

The optics disappeared suddenly, and the pellets spattered across the wall by the berth. Prowl moved, trying to get a better angle to see more of the room through the mirror. He wanted to see if that thing was still there.

Two lithe forms slipped up the stairs, sweeping blue optics about as soon as they hit the top landing. Sideswipe immediately came to stand by Prowl, his optics roving the hallway as his brother moved further down, peering into each room.

"What the frag was the firing about?" Sideswipe grumbled, peering into the room as Prowl looked about the corner.

"I thought I saw something."

Sunstreaker huffed as he came back from his sweep. "What? Prime's second-in-command, his premiere tactician, hallucinating? That's a first." He blinked in surprise at Prowl's back. "What the-"

Prowl cast a mild frown toward the golden Toughline, cutting his question off. There was no need to ask when the answer should be so obvious. "I do not hallucinate." He pulled himself away from the wall. "It could be a cloaking shield. Spread out and run a scan on all known waves."

They spent the next two cycles scanning each room, and then moving down stairs and doing the same there.

Sunstreaker sat down on his tarp when they were done, lying down and throwing an arm over his optics. "That was the biggest waste of my time, Prowl. Sure your optics aren't glitching?" Yet he couldn't seem to stop glancing at Prowl's doorwings, only to hide his optics afterwards. Tremors shook his frame. Laughter.

Prowl flicked his doorwings in annoyance, glancing toward Sideswipe who still waited in the hall, dim optics watching the hallway. "My optics are functioning fine, Sunstreaker. Go back to recharge, I'll let you know if I see anything else."

He stepped out to the hall, looking inquisitively at his lover still standing there. "You left a paint trap for me."

Sideswipe grinned. "Yeah." He reached out to touch a colored doorwing. "So everyone knows you're mine."

Prowl frowned. "There's no doubt in my processor, or your brother's. Though I do disagree with the way you choose to word that." A tight smile touched his lips to counter the stern frown that followed. "It should be that you belong to me."

Sideswipe laughed softly and suddenly leaned forward, draping his arms over Prowl's shoulders to lean against his chestplate and nuzzle into the tactician's neck cables. "I'm all yours, sparkles. Just ask, and I'll do whatever you want."

"Go recharge, Sideswipe." Prowl curled his fingers over the back of the Toughline's neck, venting sharply when the mech mouthed the wires and support struts.

"Not quite what I had in mind," the red mech moaned. Confident hands worked their way over Prowl's torso plating and the Toughline's fine-tuned engine purred in contentetment as Prowl caressed the red finish lovingly. "I'd rather you come back with me, or we can use one of the other rooms."

"I'm not leaving your brother in recharge alone. We're not interfacing in that room while he's also in there."

The purr changed to a complaining grumble that made Prowl laugh. Sideswipe's hands slid along Prowl's frame and caressed the edges of the dip where Prowl's doors met his shoulders, smearing the red paint even further. Prowl moaned softly, rolling his head back as Sideswipe teased his fingers along that edge. The mouth by his neck took advantage of the movement. Sideswipe pressed into Prowl, nipping and biting Prowl's neck, a growl rumbling from his vocalizer, trembling across his lips.

Prowl's vision dimmed as he leaned into the kisses and caresses. "Aren't you satisfied by our earlier activity?" Even still his hands caressed their way up the mech's shoulder struts,

"I'm never 'satisfied', Prowl. I don't get nearly as much of you as I'd like." Sideswipe lifted his head to catch Prowl's lips, mouth moving hungrily over the tactician's.

Prowl kissed him back, cupping his cheek seams in his white hands. "I don't think the storm's going to be letting up in time for us to leave tomorrow," he finally said, "Quite likely we'll have to stay here for another solar cycle."

"Oh, really?" Sideswipe purred, all-too pleased about that turn of events. "I mean. Oh, too bad." The blue optics danced with amusement.

Prowl smiled, but stepped away. "I need to focus on the watch, Sideswipe."

Sideswipe's unwillingness to release Prowl showed in the fingers that still caressed the black bumper. "We can both keep watch. Together."

"No, Sideswipe."

Sideswipe's optics dimmed, and he leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to Prowl's lips. "Later?"

Prowl tilted a smile at the mech, his doorwings lifting as he softened the light of his optics. "There's always a later, Sides." Prowl trailed his fingers down the twin's cheek seam, unable to resist the mech's close proximity.

Sideswipe's return smile didn't match the dim and disappointed optics. "Seems to always be later."

Prowl had no answer for that, as he'd given it so many times before. He watched Sideswipe settle near his brother and then returned to his patrol, pausing long enough to clean the paint off his doorwings and what he could reach of his canopy.

He watched the reflective surfaces, looking again for those telltale optics.

He didn't see anything the rest of his watch.

They stood at the doorway, looking out at the hissing precipitation that corroded everything it touched. Sideswipe poked his head a little further out, ducking back in quickly. "Storm doesn't look like it's going to end any time soon."

Sunstreaker huffed and glared at the pair from where he leaned against the wall, well away from any stray droplets. "Hey, yeah, thanks for sharing that Wheeljack, I'm sure none of us could have figured that out on our own."

Sideswipe sent a narrowed eyed frown at his brother, stepping away from the door.

"I mean, the clouds are only covering the city, and don't look to be moving very fast at all. Simple mathematics, I'm sure even Prowl couldn't have figured that out."

Prowl glanced at Sunstreaker, deciding to ignore the jibe in favor of considering the building they were in. "We should move to another building."

"Oh, frag no! I am spending not one breem out there while you're looking for 'someplace defensive!' I am not leaving this place for sensor glitches and optic ghosts." Sunstreaker loomed over Prowl, mouth set in a snarl on his thunderous face.

Prowl stared at the warrior, unaffected by the mech's attempt to intimidate him. His doorwings flared, and his shoulders squared, the magnets in the plates humming as he faced off with Sunstreaker. "I will not risk our safety for your sense of beauty, Sunstreaker. Despite the reasons for our coming out here, I remain your commanding officer, and if I say that you will be going out in that rain to look for a more appropriate shelter than that is exactly what you will be doing."

Sunstreaker glared at Prowl, taking a step closer. "There's nothing there! You know as well as I do that the wires in the building could very likely be causing our sensors to malfunction."

Sideswipe touched Prowl's canopy, making the tactician jerk toward him, before turning back to Sunstreaker.

"Prowl, really, we'll just have to keep a watch out for anything unusual. I'd rather not go back out in that rain myself."

Prowl looked between the two mechs, battle computer shouting 'bad idea! Bad idea!', but he relented with a nod. He knew that if they promised to keep their sensors on maximum, they would do as they said. Prowl stepped back, knocking into Sideswipe's chestplate, and the red twin slipped his arms around the tactician's waist.

Sunstreaker's engine grumbled and he glanced at Sideswipe, his optics flickering. An odd expression crossed his face, bewilderment and surprise and confusion combined into one. His optics slid back down to Prowl and his cheek twitched. He leaned forward, and prodded Prowl's bumper with an elegant finger. "I'm not interfacing with you to get my way."

Prowl's lips twitched and he suddenly turned in Sideswipe's arm, doorwing moving awkwardly out of the way. He pressed a kiss to the mech's cheek, sliding a white hand over the red chestplate. "Sometimes sacrifices have to be made, Sunstreaker."

The golden warrior's engine choked, and his vocalizer glitched and garbled in disgust as he beat a hasty retreat.

Sideswipe chuckled, nuzzling his face into Prowl's. "Now who's being mean to him?" He didn't give Prowl a chance to answer as he promptly and soundly kissed him senseless.

Prowl didn't take long to regain himself and returned the fervent kisses with his own.

"There's a berth upstairs, and we have unfinished business to take care of. I'll meet you up there?"

"And leave Sunstreaker by himself?" Prowl whispered, though his voice was heavy with desire.

Sideswipe's bright optics bore into Prowl, excitement churning just behind their glass. "Trust me, Sunny will want to be by himself for this." With that Sideswipe turned and headed for the stairs.

Prowl waited, though there was no way to make it any less obvious what exactly their intentions were, before he followed Sideswipe, aware of Sunstreaker's glare as he passed the mech. He climbed the stairs, glancing at the reflective surface across the hall as he turned into the room.

Hands grabbed him, swinging him into the wall. Prowl yelped in surprise, taken completely off guard by Sideswipe's sudden attack. The warrior easily shrugged off the blows the tactician landed, latching onto Prowl's mouth with an ever insatiable vigor. Prowl shoved him towards the berth shivering from Sideswipe's sensor sweeps.

"Did I scare you?" Sideswipe rumbled, letting Prowl press him into the oversized berth.

White hands lay flat against the red chestplate as Prowl prompted Sideswipe to slide over. "You startled me."

Sideswipe obliged, chuckling as he wrapped his lanky frame about Prowl when the tactician lay on his side next to him. He pulled the black and white frame closer, kissing Prowl's jaw before he covered the grey mouth. Eager hands played over Prowl's doorwings only to slide over the access panel on Prowl's torso.

"Hnnn…You're too eager," Prowl laughed, pulling the errant hand up to his lips to kiss and nip the black fingers.

Sideswipe shuddered, his hands trembling against Prowl's lips as he whimpered and twitched. "If I'm- Primus, do that again… only going to get you once every few metacycles than… mmmm… I'm going to 'face with you as many-" Sideswipe halted, writhing as Prowl ran his lips along the seams of the black palms. "Ah… as many times as I can." He pulled his hand out of Prowl's grasp, drawing the tactician closer. "You're leaving when we get back, remember?"

Prowl leaned his head against the Toughline's shoulder, letting his silence express his regret at that fact. He knew it to be the reason that Sideswipe had suggested this 'mission', there was no need for words. They held each other in that silence for a long couple of breems, simply reveling in the other's company, unmoving.

Then Sideswipe shifted, his leg sliding over Prowl's waist. He kissed Prowl passionately, his engine revving to fill the silence with wordless emotion.

Prowl returned the kiss, his engine purring with the feel of black hands stroking transformation seams and finding their way to exposed wires.

They lost themselves in that passion, gasping and moaning as they rubbed each other in all the right ways.

Suddenly Prowl's comm. chirped to life and he jerked away from Sideswipe, panting to regain control of his systems. His comm. chirped again and he registered Prime's signature on the other side. He took another few astroseconds to modulate his voice before he answered the comm.

"Prowl here."

"Status report?"

Prowl needed another few astroseconds, jogging a processor fogged with more passionate needs than answering his commander. "Mission's on hold. We're trapped by rain."

"I do register a storm system in your area." A pause. "Is everything… all right?"

Prowl winced as he realized he hadn't been hiding his occupied state as well as he would have liked. "We are taking the opportunity to practice, sir. Sideswipe has been showing me some new moves."

Sideswipe buried his face in Prowl's shoulder, his frame shaking with restrained mirth.

"Ah… very well then, carry on."

"Thank you, Prime, I will. Prowl out."

Sideswipe broke into raucous peals of laughter, rolling onto his back as his engine chugged with his amusement.

Prowl shot the Toughline a smirk after he shut off his side of the line.

"I'm teaching you some new moves, am I?" the red mech finally chuckled.

Prowl harrumphed and climbed on top of the red mech, rubbing himself against the other's legs and chest. "I could have told Prime what we were really doing."

"You didn't, but hey! He gave us permission to continue." Sideswipe grinned up at Prowl, running his hands up Prowl's shoulders struts.

"I thought you might find that amusing," Prowl murmured as he leaned down to press his lips against Sideswipe's.

"Oh, I do!" Sideswipe's words came out muffled by Prowl's mouth, and accompanied by a groan. "I think you found it 'amusing' too." Sideswipe's voice rasped with husky desire.

Prowl nuzzled the warrior's cheek, stroking the access panel to Sideswipe's interface. "I might have."

Sideswipe laughed against Prowl's jaw. "Heh, now who's being too," he paused, body wincing toward Prowl's hands as the tactician expertly inserted his plug into the open panel. "-too eager… oh Primus, yes." Blue optics darkened as Sideswipe seemed to melt under Prowl's knowledgeable hands.

Prowl couldn't help the smile that spread the corners of his lips. He found far too much enjoyment out of being able to wring the simplest of sounds from the mech's vocalizer. He fondled Sideswipe's cord for a moment, stroking the plug at the end before he put the plug into his own waiting interface.

He barely waited for the programs to finish initializing before he plunged a datastream through the interface, bouncing through Sideswipe like an erratic glitchmouse on high grade. He buried his face in the warrior's neck, panting as surges raged throughout his frame from the incorporeal touch of his lover.

They clawed at each other, and suddenly Prowl nudged at the coding that opened the red chestplate.

An alarmed query answered the nudge, and Prowl transmitted a soothing reply. He wanted Sideswipe's light-his being- to play against his.

They hadn't tried it since their abortive attempt to bond.

Prowl's chestplate moved up as he levered himself over the opening of Sideswipe's chest.

He panted, the feel of Sideswipe's fingers digging into his hip plates lost within the surge of his spark chamber opening, aware of Sideswipe releasing his own spark to the air.

The two pulsing beacons hovered uncertainly, just at the edge of their chestplates. Their light illuminated the room, and everything else seemed dark in comparison. Shadows reached across the floors, stretching for the two mechs engaged in their passion.

The two sparks twisted wildly in place, sending paroxysms through the pair. They wanted to push closer, but feared it; memory of the last time sharp in their memory drives. Vocalizers glitched and screeched, out of control as they lost themselves in the sensation of light-energy- pulsing from one spark to the other.

Prowl barely had the cognizance to recognize the sound of whispered words in strange voices floating through the air. He tried to focus, but the shadows touched everything and in the light of the sparks he wasn't sure of truly seeing what seemed to be sparkshades intently watching them.

Alarm and concern were lost in the moment of overload, their sparks slamming back into place and chestplates sealing, both of them crying out in release. Prowl collapsed against Sideswipe, both mechs going offline, shivering with energy surges. But Prowl's battle computer managed one final wail of warning before it shut down.

'Bad idea!'

Prowl came online, the berth cold beside him. His fingers twitched and he pulled a goody pack out of subspace, popping a stick straight from the pack and into his mouth.

He wondered where Sideswipe had disappeared to.

He waited and then took another of the horrible things, letting the stick dissolve in his mouth so he could swallow it more naturally. He pushed himself to his feet, his frame shaky with exertion. It might not have been such a good idea to indulge so near to Sunstreaker.

Prowl made his way out the door, and to the hall, looking for his lover as his systems powered on from the energon sticks.

He listened, leaning against the threshold, hearing the soft whisper of voices. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker must be talking. Arguing, he amended at the soft bang of metal. Prowl made his way downstairs, shaking the vestiges of power drain from his systems and straightening. He paused as the bottom floor came into view, slowing his steps as he booted up his battle computer and began calculating what was wrong with the scene before him.

Something had smashed into the wall right next to the room they'd been occupying, long cracks spidered their way across the wall created by a large something. A Toughline-sized somethnig.

Had the twins fought and he'd not even heard it?

He made a note not to indulge in sparkplay in such a precarious situation. It left him far too drained, if he hadn't even heard the scuffle the twins went through. Though it would be a while until he saw his lover again after he started visiting the other units for training purposes.

He opened his mouth to call out to the brothers, but halted; his battle computer wringing itself in fits with the wrongness of the picture.

Prowl had forgotten to put Firestorm away (unusually careless of him, but he had been quite distracted). The pieces lay scattered (and a few even smashed) across the hallway.

Neither Sideswipe nor Sunstreaker would be so careless with Prowl's belongings.

He activated his stealth mode, quieting his leg actuators as he took the final step to the ground level. His doorwings flared out pensively, increasing the span of his sensor sweeps. He pulled his rifle from subspace, pausing by each door to look into the room beyond.

The image of the yellow optics watching him burned itself in his image processor.

The playing board with a too thin layer of dust.

The ghostly sounds that none of the Autobots had made.

He caught a glimpse of gold and cautiously slid over for a better angle, rifle lifted and ready.

He felt like every circuit had fused in alarm.

The twins lay offline in the room they'd been occupying, energon welling from deep gashes. 'They didn't do this to one another,' flashed through his processor.

His proximity alarms suddenly screamed, and something very large and very solid slammed into the back of his head. Prowl staggered forward under the force of the blow, whirling in the same motion and bringing his rifle to bear.

He dropped as he spun about, sweeping out a foot and sending the mech behind him crashing to the ground.

A shot pierced his armored canopy, throwing Prowl forward. He rolled, neatly flipping over the large mech and knocking him down again.

The mech snarled, and a blow smashed Prowl's face for the effort. One of his optics cracked and glitched. When he looked up after his systems recalibrated he could still see the Open Convoy looming over him. The large mech shoved him, spinning him around to face the room.

Half a dozen mechs loitered about the two Toughlines, weapons drawn, yellow optics blazing.

Prowl fell to his knees, systems stuttering in fear. A soft keen worked its way from the tightness in his vocalizer.

One of the mechs had his gun carelessly pointed at Sideswipe's head. Piercing yellow optics watched Prowl, waiting to see what the tactician would do.

"Let's not have any trouble shall we?" The obvious leader of the group looked up at the Convoy behind Prowl. "Tie him up. Shouldn't keep the bondmates separated, should we?" The rough voice rose in mockery of his prisoners.

Prowl couldn't find the power to move, his battle computer coming up with system errors as it sought a solution. He could only think of how he shouldn't have listened to Sideswipe, shouldn't have given in to his own desires. Because now, they knew. They knew. And Prowl had been so stupid as to have given away their secret.

His weakness.

"I'm sure that somebody's going to pay a handsome price for you."

The gathered mechs laughed uproariously as the Convoy yanked Prowl's arms behind his back, slapping a pair of energon cuffs onto Prowl's wrists.

The large hands jerked Prowl to his feet and marched the tactician over to the prone twins.

He should have paid attention to his battle computer.

How much more stupid could he be?

Post Note: The Neutrals were hiding using tachyon-based camouflage units. Essentially it's a low-consumption camouflage that keeps their particles moving so fast it let light pass right through them. It's a new technology at this point (which is why it didn't register on any of the three's sensors), but the Autobots won't use it because they are high maintenance units, and while running the camouflage isn't fuel consuming, starting and stopping the system is (due to breaking the light-speed barrier). As a form of energy however, it bounced off the mirror creating that miasma effect (affected by the color of the mech). The second time Prowl was using not just his sensors, but seeing them in the energy of his spark as well when he was with Sideswipe.