(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Anwen and any other OC's I've blended into the mixture :))
(Authors Note: Hello again my dearest readers! I hope you're enjoying the story so far because there's certainly more where this came from. Of course I have to give attention to my other works as well, so if I don't update as often as you'd like, that can't always be helped. But don't worry, I have every intention to continue this story and give you all more sweet, sweet content. Thank you all for the continued support and the wonderful comments which I draw my inspiration from. Many thanks to all of you! Until next time, stay safe, stay sane and stay awesome!)
"English/French"
'Mental thoughts'
"Flashbacks" (and sometimes sarcasm)
{Cybertronian}
::Sparkbonds::
:Speaker talk:
::Comm. Link::
*:Phone calls:*
Chapter 15
Stepping out of the women's locker room wearing a red and white polkadot bikini and flip flops, Anwen couldn't help the blush that appeared across her cheeks upon seeing the twins: both were now using their holoforms and were dressed for the pool. Sideswipe wore a pair of silver and black swimming trunks while Sunstreaker was adorned in a black and gold pair (of course).
'Holy crap, Sunstreaker is actually in swim trunks and topless?! I honestly didn't think he'd want to participate in swimming,' she thought to herself as she set her towel and flip flops aside. In all honesty, she assumed that Sunstreaker would just activate his holoform and sit on one of the long chairs; but no, he was actually sitting on the pool's edge and dangling his legs in the water. Looking at him, she felt her heart rate quicken: he was just as gorgeous as his brother was without a shirt on.
"There you are, sweetspark. Sunny and I were wondering when you'd finish changing. You look lovely in that ensemble by the way," Sideswipe complimented with a smile as he leaned against the pool's edge while she seated herself between him and his brother.
"M-Merci. You both look very handsome as well."
"Oh? You find these fleshy forms attractive?" Sunstreaker asked with a slight hint of a smirk across his face.
Seeing that faint smile of his, Anwen felt her cheeks heat up, "Umm...well...oui...but your true forms are also attractive...er, aesthetically pleasing...I-I mean...merde (fuck)," she adverted her gaze and facepalmed. 'Why am I so bad with words at the moment?!' She mentally chastised herself.
Both twins shared a look before Sideswipe opted to change the topic: it's not that he and his brother didn't like hearing her compliments; they just didn't want her to feel embarrassed or put on the spot. "So, Ani, are you gonna help me convince Mr. Sunshine here to get in the pool? Or should we just drag him in?"
At that, Sunstreaker narrowed his eyes and emitted a slight growl, "Try it and I'll hurl your sorry aft into the sea."
Taking a chance, Anwen placed her hand on top of his and politely asked, "Will you slip into the water if I go in first? Please?"
Primus, he was in trouble. How could he possibly say no to that speckled face? If anyone else had asked him that question, he instantly would have turned down the offer; but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to disappoint this small redheaded woman. With a sigh, Sunstreaker gave her a slight nod in agreement, "Alright."
"Géniale (Great)," she cheerfully smiled and slipped into the water beside Sideswipe.
Following up on his word, Sunstreaker joined her and his brother in the water while cringing at how cold it felt around this false body of his. "Primus, is the temperature always this brisk?"
"Pas toujours (Not always), but you'll adjust to it in a few minutes. Sometimes it helps to just completely submerge yourself so your whole body can adapt easier and so you can get the initial shock out of the way."
"Oh really," he asked with a faint smirk, to which she gave a nod:
"Oui. Here, I'll show you," she then pinched her nose and submerged herself under the water for a few seconds before re-emerging, "Now you try it."
Sunstreaker rolled his eyes but complied with her request, to which Anwen couldn't help but smile at his willingness to participate in this recreational activity. It was rather touching.
XXXXX
-Twenty minutes later-
Though he was no longer in the water, Sunstreaker was currently sitting on one of the long chairs and watching his brother and Anwen swim a few laps on their end of the pool while also keeping an eye on the six humans at the opposite end. Three of them were swimming, one was stationed as a lifeguard, and the other two were casually sitting on the pool's edge and conversing with each other. Granted, none of them posed a threat, but he remained cautious none-the-less.
As she finished another lap, Anwen glanced up at the clock on the wall and asked Sideswipe, "You ready to get out of the pool or did you want to swim a few more laps?"
He casually leaned against the edge and smiled, "I was actually about to ask you the same thing."
"Est-ce vrai (Is that so)?"
"Oui, mon cher (Yes, my dear)."
"Flirter (Flirt)," she playfully stated, which caused him to emit a slight chuckle.
Meanwhile, Sunstreaker observed their conversation and rolled his eyes while a faint smirk crossed his face. This of course, didn't go unnoticed by the young ginger as she happened to look up and see his lips slightly curve upward which brought a familiar warmth to her cheeks. 'Oh mon Dieu (_my God), his smile is so handsome,' she mentally stated as she climbed out of the pool with Sideswipe following suit.
Stepping over to the rinse station, Anwen turned on the shower and rinsed herself off while the twins merely phased out their holoforms and re-activated them, completely dry and fully clothed. "Show offs," she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in mock irritation, to which they sat nearby with amused looks upon their faces.
"Oh come on, Ani, did you really expect us to wait for our holoforms to dry off?"
"No, because I doubt either of you would have the patience," she gave them a slight smirk as she turned off the shower and squeezed out her hair before slipping on her flip flops and graciously accepting her towel from Sideswipe.
"Is that a challenge," Sunstreaker crossed his arms and raised a brow at the young redhead.
"Peut-être (Maybe)," she shrugged as she began to towel dry herself off. "But that aside, I'm gonna head into the locker room to change. I shouldn't be but ten minutes."
"Alrighty, sweetspark; we'll be outside waiting for you."
"D'accord; à tous les deux dans dix (Okay; see you both in ten)," she replied with a smile before heading into the women's locker room while Sunstreaker and Sideswipe phased out their holoforms for the time being.
XXXXX
Once she was finished changing, Anwen hung up her swimsuit and towel on the wall rack to finish drying before checking herself over in the mirror to make sure she looked okay: she had dried out her hair and had decided to pull most of it into a low ponytail. Of course, she left a few curls out to frame her face and add a touch of elegance to her features. Dabbing a few drops of rose oil behind her ears, Anwen deemed herself ready to meet back up with the twins.
With a smile, she placed her toiletry bag back inside her backpack and slung it across her shoulders before rolling out of the locker room and exiting the building where she was met with a familiar pair of Lamborghini's parked nearby. "Bonjour, gentlemechs. I hope I didn't keep you both waiting for too long."
:Not at all, sweetspark. In fact, you're thirty nine seconds early.:
"I didn't realize you were keeping such a close track of the time," she teased before asking, "So, what's on the agenda now?"
:Well, Sunny and I actually have a surprise for you.:
"Ah bon (Really)?"
:Yep; but it's not on base. So if you're up for a bit of driving, I'd be happy to escort you to our next destination.: He then opened up his passenger door, to which she entered and sat in his front seat while he gently buckled her in.
"Merci, Sideswipe."
:Of course. By the way, Sunny is going to drive ahead and get everything ready for your arrival. So, until he messages me, we'll just cruise around the island for a bit. Is that alright with you?:
"Oui, that's perfectly fine. I don't mind an evening drive considering that I'm in good company," she glanced up at the rearview mirror and smiled when it tilted slightly.
:You flatter me, sweetspark.:
"Oh no, I'm being sincere," Anwen replied as she gently closed his door and sat back in the seat while making herself comfortable as he rolled away from the fitness center.
XXXXX
After nearly ten minutes of driving, Sideswipe received a message from his brother, informing him that everything was in place, to which he stated, :Sunny's ready for us to meet up with him; but If you'd like, we can continue our drive around the island tomorrow.:
She gave a nod as she looked up at the rearview mirror, "That sounds lovely. Merci, Sideswipe."
:Of course,: he tilted the mirror as a form of acknowledgment before heading off in the direction where his brother was located. While driving, he activated his holoform and said, "In a few minutes I'm going to ask you to cover your eyes so you won't see the surprise Sunny and I have prepared for ya."
"Oh? Why so secretive?"
He looked over at her and jokingly asked, "Isn't that what surprises are all about?"
"Touche," she replied with a smirk while he emitted a slight chuckle.
Within minutes, Sideswipe turned down a dirt road and kindly stated, "Close your eyes, please."
Anwen did as asked and closed her eyes while he continued to drive for another minute or so until he slowed down and came to a gentle stop. "Can I open them now?"
"Not yet," he replied with a smile as he had his holoform step out and approach the passenger side door, to which he then opened it and gently took her by the hand as she exited his alternate form.
"Merci, Monsieur."
"Of course. By the way, do I have your permission to carry you for a short distance? The terrain here isn't exactly ideal for rollerblades and I don't want you to trip."
A blush was visible from underneath her freckled hands, to which she gave a slight nod, "Peut-être (That's fine)."
"Alright. I'm gonna pick you up now, okay?"
"Oui," she replied before emitting a slight squeak as she was literally swept off her feet and carried over to the surprise destination.
With the utmost gentleness and care, Sideswipe approached the designated area before setting her down while keeping his hands on her arms as a means to steady her in case she were to lose her balance. "Okay, sweetspark, you may open your eyes now."
Fulfilling his request, Anwen opened her golden amber eyes and took in her current surroundings: She was now standing in the lookout point where she was brought to the other day; but unlike last time, it was now decorated. There was a large, cloth tarp on the ground with a wooden picnic basket in the center, and along the branches of the nearby trees were strings of (solar powered) fairy lights that emitted a warm, welcoming glow and twinkled in the fading sunlight. And of course, parked across from the beautiful display was none other than Sunstreaker.
His holoform casually leaned against his alt form as he stood there with his arms crossed over his chest while a faint smirk lined his face, "Bout time you two showed up. So, what do you think, Anwen? Did we surprise you?"
Shocked, she asked, "You two did all this for me?"
"Yep," Sides chimed in. "I told you that we had something special planned for tonight." He then led her over to the center of the tarp where the three of them sat down across from one another. "By the way, we've taken the liberty of having a special dinner prepared for you. It's in the basket along with some other consumable items, utensils and drinks."
Curious, she opened the picnic basket and pulled out a tupperware container. Upon opening it, Anwen was met with the delicious aroma of chicken tortilla pie (courtesy of Mama Rosita), "Oh mon Dieu (_my God), this smells amazing! Merci."
"Of course, Ani."
She looked over at them and asked, "How did you acquire all of this?"
"Oh, we have our ways," he winked, which brought a smile to her face.
"Well, regardless, merci for doing all this. It's very beautiful."
"We're glad you like it," Sunstreaker added.
"Oh oui, I absolutely love it! Merci."
"You're welcome."
She then looked down at her food for a moment before asking, "Just out of curiosity: what are you two going to consume? Last time I knew, your holoforms weren't programmed to ingest solid organic foods yet."
He gave her a slight smirk as he reached into the basket and pulled out two whiskey glasses and a bottle of cognac, "We might not be able to consume solids, but we can consume alcohol as an alternative substitute to energon."
"Ah, I see," she replied before pulling a fork out of the basket and taking a bite of her chicken tortilla pie. "Mmm…," she politely chewed her food while savoring the hot, deliciously comforting taste. Upon swallowing her bite, Anwen glanced over at the twins and stated, "I hope Ratchet figures out how to upgrade your holoforms so you two can eat solid foods. I bet you'd enjoy some of the various cuisine Earth has to offer."
"Well...no offense, Ani, but neither of us are entirely comfortable with the idea of ingesting organic flesh; like that bird you're consuming there," Sideswipe gestured towards her dish.
A slight frown appeared across her lips as she stared down at her food for a moment, "Oh...pardon (sorry), I meant no offence."
"No need to apologize, sweetspark," he reassured with a smile. "We understand humans need to consume protein to properly function and survive. What you eat doesn't reflect how we see you or alter our opinions of you in any way. Right, Sunny?"
His brother sent him a glare at the use of that Pit forsaken nickname, but he gave a nod in response, "Right."
"Well, there are a lot of vegetarian and vegan options to choose from if you were curious to try something without meat in it," she suggested before taking another bite of her chicken tortilla pie.
"We'll see," he stated before pouring himself and his brother some cognac. Sunstreaker then reached into the basket and retrieved a bottle of Snapple peach tea, "By the way, this is for you."
Anwen graciously accepted the glass bottle with a smile, "How did you know this is my favorite brand and flavor of sweet ice tea?"
"It's like Sideswipe said: We have our ways," he lightly smirked which brought a lovely shade of red to her freckled cheeks.
"Je vois (I see). Is there a reason why you two are being so secretive about it?"
"Not really. It just makes things a bit more interesting," Sunstreaker kept up that charmingly handsome smirk before taking a sip of his cognac.
With a smile and a playful roll of her eyes, Anwen opened her tea and read the inside of the cap, "Hmm, Real Fact #1388: Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete." Glancing down at the large, jagged scars along her left leg, she emitted a sigh and frowned, "J'ai mes doutes (I have my doubts)."
Sharing a look with his brother before turning his attention back to the young ginger, Sideswipe asked, "Might we inquire as to how you ended up with those scars?"
She took a sip of her peach tea and gave him a nod, "Sure. But I must warn you both that it's a pretty graphic story."
"I think we can handle it," Sunstreaker replied in a neutral tone.
"Very well," she shrugged. "These scars, and all of the hardware inside my body, are a result from the Decepticon attack on Mission City. At the time, I was on my summer break from college and had recently arrived in the city to apply for a temp job at one of the local businesses. I was actually on my way over to an interview when the attack happened."
She lightly traced her fingers over the large scars before continuing, "As shots were being fired, I ran inside one of the buildings for cover, but soon found that would be my undoing. All I could hear was loud crashing sounds and glass shattering, as well as screaming from people and gunfire from all directions. Then, I felt the building shake before everything came crashing down on top of me and I was somehow knocked unconscious. When I woke up, I was covered in blood, dust and debris as a result of the collapse. When I tried moving, I discovered that my left wrist was broken, my ankles and left leg were crushed underneath large chunks of rubble, and my left femur was grotesquely protruding out of my skin, along with a pair of metal rods."
"I was scared and in an excruciating amount of pain, but I tried to keep a level head and make my presence known by calling out for help. In the end, Ratchet was the one who found me and ultimately saved me. If it weren't for him, that building would have likely been my tomb." Anwen rubbed her eyes at the memory, but kept her composure, "Désolé, je ne voulais pas me promener (Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on)."
"Sweetspark, you have nothing to apologize for," Sideswipe assured and gently took a hold of her hand, where he then gave it a squeeze. "I'm glad you shared your story with us."
"Indeed," Sunstreaker added. "It shows you're willing to open up to us more. With that being said, I think it's time we did the same."
"You mean you're going to tell me more about yourselves," she asked, intrigued.
"If that is what you desire," he gave a slight nod before sipping his cognac.
"Oui."
Amused by her eagerness, Sunstreaker felt a gentle tugging sensation on his spark, to which his gaze softened and a faint smile appeared across his otherwise grumpy/neutral face, "Very well; but let us regale you with tales from our past after we finish our intake. I'd hate for your meal to get cold because you've neglected to consume it while it was still at an ideal temperature."
*sigh* "Bien (Alright)."
