Understood
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Chapter 11
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"Hey! Hey Tailgate!" called the gruff voice, the growl cutting through the chilly wind.
Tailgate spun to see who had addressed him, surprised to find the tall purple mech standing there. They were leagues from the Overdock district.
A few strides and he was looming over him. "Shopping?" he asked, noting the box in the minibot's hands.
Tailgate looked down at it. "Well yes. Swerve needed some new extender gaskets. We can't get good ones in... well... where we... where we live..." His voice trailed off embarrassedly. No one actually admitted to living in Overdock.
"I suppose not."
"Well I must be going. Have a little more shopping and then have to get these back to Swerve. They say it might start raining again tonight."
"Are you in a hurry to get home?" the big mech asked.
"I'm not working right now, if that's what you're asking." Tailgate was suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious for being recognized outside of his neighborhood. Besides, he wasn't licensed to work outside of Overdock. Violation of the law meant a stiff fine and a three-orn revocation of any valid licenses he did have.
"I saw," said the mech, having noted that the bundle of black wires usually wrapping Tailgate's arm was absent. He trailed his hand across the bared area, his thumb flicking at the place they'd usually be. "And no, that's not what I was asking. I was wondering if you'd like to have a drink. My treat."
"That's nice of you but I'm technically not even supposed to make arrangements here. I can't afford the license to work outside of Overdock."
The Decepticon laughed. "I was only offering to purchase some energon for us, provided we sit together and drink it at the same table. How technically do I need to explain this?"
Tailgate suddenly felt embarrassed. "I just thought that... Well no one ever wants a drink unless they're getting something else out of the deal too. Well okay, a femme bought me a drink last deca-cycle because she felt sorry for me being out in the cold, but then I ended up getting hired."
The officer squatted down and looked at the blue and white mech. "To be honest, there was something I wanted. I was hoping for just a little company, and a little smile. And if I was lucky I'd get to see you lick the energon off your lips. You're a clumsy drinker."
"What?!" Tailgate drew himself up. "I'm not a..." And then he remembered his last encounter with this mech. He'd spilled the last drips of his Heavy Water down his faceplates and onto his hand when trying to drink it too quickly, and had licked them off with an unintentional show, much to the amused delight of their employer. "Oh. I guess I am."
The purple mech snorted and stretched out his hand. "Come on, cutie. There's an oilhouse just around the corner from here."
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"Understood" continues in Chapter 12
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Transformers and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of Hasbro and Takara Tomy. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.
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