The eavesdropping bots didn't have the added bonus of visuals, but they could hear nearly everything the newly bonded couple said. Most were slack-jawed and speechless. The remainder, not so much.

"You've got to be fraggin' kidding me," Thunderhoof said, frame slumping slightly.

"Well, guess you can't get with him anymore," Fracture shrugged.

Thunderhoof whipped his helm around so fast it's a wonder he didn't suffer whiplash.

"What?"

"You heard it, same as the rest of us. Steeljaw's spoken for."

Thunderhoof just stared at the bounty hunter like he was crazy.

"Don't worry, chap, I'm sure you will find someone else!" Saberhorn joined in. "This may seem a bit… taboo, perhaps… but possibly give Phantomjaw a chance?"

"Ain't he and Steeljaw different?" Underbite questions.

Thunderhoof couldn't believe this! Were his fellow Ex-Cons really getting involved in his love life? Not that he didn't have a spark of appreciation for their support, but still!

"Well, he does seem to be more outgoing and playful than Steeljaw, but I have no doubt in my processor that he's just as smart and capable of handling himself," Saberhorn reasons.

"They also seem to share a propensity for getting into trouble," Fracture noted. "Although, I guess the kind of trouble Phantomjaw gets into isn't the same as what we've experienced with Steeljaw."

"So… What do we do?" Underbite trailed.

"Not tell Steeljaw!" Thunderhoof immediately blurted out, firm in his decision.

"Agreed," Moonracer spoke-up and turned to face the mechs. "As much as I want to go to med-bay right now and… well… say a lot of things… I'm not going to. Not until the right time, anyway. Of course, I have no idea when that will be."

"Why not get it done and over with?" Underbite asked.

"You want to explain how we got on the subject?" Bumblebee questioned, raising an optical ridge. "If Steeljaw finds out that we spied on him and Ramulus…"

Bumblebee wasn't intending to finish his explanation. His words and tone of voice were enough to get the point across. This whole breach of privacy will stay their little secret, for now. The last thing they want is for a bloodbath to occur just before the settling of the new planet.

The group lingered for a little while longer before determining that they overstayed their welcome and left.

Knockout was halfway across the lab when he noticed Starscream hadn't moved.

"Hey, Screamer, you coming?"

.

. .

. . .

"Starscream?"

Knockout walked back over to Starscream and shook him awake. The silver Seeker chirped in surprise.

"Shock… I mean, Knockout!"

The red medic froze.

Did…Did he just say… was he about to say Shockwave?

Starscream noticed the blank look on Knockout's faceplate. It didn't take long to realize why. He internally cursed himself for letting the name of the mech he was thinking about slip, and in front of the gossiper no less!

"Don't you dare say a word!" Starscream hissed as he swatted Knockout's servo off of him. The action restarted the red medic.

"My lips are sealed!" Knockout replied, smiling. Starscream didn't trust that smile, but he couldn't do anything about it.

"Better stay that way."

"If you two are quite finished?" Shockwave interrupted. "I would like to get back to work now."

"Right, sorry!" Knockout said. He ran out of the room, waving behind him. "Thanks, Shocks! Later!"

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT CALLING HIM THAT?" Starscream screeched as a blue tint overtook his faceplate. He remained fuming for a couple minutes, flinching when he felt something grab a hold of his servo.

It was Shockwave, much to Starscream's relief. He knew it was just the two of them in the laboratory right now, but…

"Stupid stupid…" Starscream muttered, grabbing his helm and shaking it.

"Starscream."

The pressure around his servo shifted as Shockwave moved to stand in front of him. He raised his cannon and, as gently as possible, used it to lower Starscream's arm.

"Stop. What is wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing's wrong," Starscream answered, unconvincingly.

"Illogical. You are not acting like yourself, again."

Starscream laughed, his vocalizer coarse.

"You are so annoyingly observant."

Starscream relaxes and leans forward, enjoying the warmth with which he now finds himself enveloped in. Shockwave, for his part, is only slightly put off by Starscream's behavior. He's used to the silver Seeker acting illogically, and that's something that intrigues Shockwave, not that he'll ever admit it to anyone.

"I don't understand how I've grown to like you so damn much, but here we are," Starscream rumbled, pressing ever closer to the neighboring frame. He placed his servos atop Shockwave's chassis and started rubbing circles along the plating.

Shockwave flinched, not expecting the calm, affectionate touch.

However, he was in no rush to pull away.

"I suppose I can say likewise," Shockwave replied, wrapping his good arm around the thinner mech's frame.

Starscream chuckled.

"I guess we can be emotional messes and social outcasts together, huh?"

Shockwave vented.

"I can already tell that I am going to regret this."

Starscream laughed, sounding genuinely happy.

Then, for the second time since their reunion, Starscream kissed Shockwave. Again, not so much kissing as giving harmless love bites, but the meaning behind said actions remains.

This time, though, Shockwave doesn't question it. Instead, he tightens his grip on Starscream's lower backplate and lifts him a little off the floor. Starscream chirps in surprise, but doesn't do much else as he continues his advances on Shockwave, full of passion and affection.

.

. .

. . .

"Care to make it a threesome?"

Starscream jerks in Shockwave's hold, which remains tight and keeps him in place. He twists his helm around to see who dares disturb…

"Knockout! What the frag are you doing here?" Starscream screeched.

"Wondering what's taking you so long," Knockout answered, optics moving between the pair before him. "First Steeljaw, now this? When were you going to tell me?"

Starscream scoffed.

"You expect me to trust you with something that should stay a secret until I… I mean Shockwave and I… specify otherwise?"

Shockwave's antenna perked. This did not escape Starscream's notice. His attention immediately switched back to the cyclops.

"I know what you're thinking! Pot calling the kettle black. Don't you dare say it!"

"I did not need to say anything," Shockwave stated. "You did that all by yourself."

"Wha… I… Are you mocking me?"

Knockout was close to bursting out laughing. It didn't help when Starscream turned accusatory optics unto him.

"Is he mocking me?"

"Why ask me?" Knockout choked out.

"Because you always mock me! Scratch that, you mock everyone!"

Knockout covered his mouth in another attempt to keep his laughter at bay.

"Starscream, I have no idea what you want me to say!"

"Grr… You are completely useless!"

Starscream lightly slammed his helm against Shockwave's plating. When he did, he distinctly felt the heavy-set flinch.

That couldn't be right…

Until he heard the beginning of a rumble vibrating through the frame, from the area of the vocalizer, before being forced down.

"Was that a laugh?" Starscream exclaimed, straightening to look Shockwave in the optic. "Were you actually about to laugh?"

"No," Shockwave denied, but the tone was all wrong. Starscream could sense it, and he smiled.

"Liar! You totally were!"

"No, I wasn't."

"Yes, you were!"

"Illogical."

"Oh… denial denial… you know, it's only going to get worse, Shockwave," Knockout sang as he approached the pair. "Just accept it. It'll be easier that way, trust me."

.

. .

. . .

"You don't believe him, do you," Starscream stated.

"Not in the least," Shockwave agreed.

"See? We're getting along already!" Knockout piped, latching onto Shockwave's backplate.

Starscream and Shockwave just exchanged apprehensive looks, unsure of whether to proceed with a triple bonding.

"I swear on my spark that I won't tell anyone about us, if you let me become a part of the family! I mean, I already am Screamer's bestie, and Shockwave…"

Knockout paused, searching through his memory banks for something he could use to convince the scientist.

"If you speak without consulting us first, I will turn you into my next test subject for whichever experiment I may be conducting at the time," Shockwave spoke, his tone leaving no room for argument.

And seeing as Knockout couldn't think of anything to convince Shockwave otherwise…

"I guess I can live with that."