(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Anwen and any other OC's I may toss in every now and then :))
(Authors Note: Greetings dear readers, fellow writers, fangirls (fanboys), I hope you've all been enjoying the story so far because I've got plenty more where this came from. Thank you all again for the wonderful and inspiring comments, as well as the continued support. I know you're all probably wondering when the three of them will become 'official', but just remember that Rome wasn't built in a day. I don't want to rush into things too quickly, nor do I want it to be too slow of a burn. But bear with me when I say that some of the best things in life take a little patience. Also, it's just as Ratchet said in chapter 13, "Take things as they come." So while I want to give you all the satisfaction you (and I) crave, I'm gonna have to hold off on that for a little longer, but don't worry: I don't plan to drag my feet on it for another ten or twenty chapters. That's just insane. Now don't panic, because I've still got plenty of inspiration for this story and have no intentions of ending it anytime soon. Primus no, I'm not a monster. Anyways, thank you all for taking the time to read my FF and feel free to comment. In the meantime, I'll continue to write more chapters for all of you (and I) to enjoy at your leisure. But if I don't post within a 'reasonable' amount of time, please understand that I have other projects that require my attention as well and that I sometimes need to take a day or two off for myself to rest and relax, but that doesn't stop the ideas from flowing. Anyways, until next time, stay safe and stay awesome!)
"English/French"
'Mental thoughts'
"Flashbacks" (and sometimes sarcasm)
{Cybertronian}
::Sparkbonds::
:Speaker talk:
::Comm. Link::
Chapter 17
After a few minutes, Sideswipe glanced down at the speckled femme with a fond smile, "Okay, sweetspark, you may open your eyes now."
Anwen did as asked and opened her eyes to see that he and Sunstreaker had rearranged the room to where the desk and stool were now against the right wall as opposed to the left one, and there was now a large white tarp in their place. "Oh, what's with the furniture rearrangement?"
"It's so we could properly play movies on the improv screen here," he gestured to the tarp. "Sunny and I recently obtained a projector and thought you'd like to watch a movie with us."
"Oh oui! I'd love to," she cheerfully beamed, bringing a smile to the frontliner's face:
"Great! By the way, we've obtained a seat for all of us to comfortably relax in." Sideswipe then reached into his subspace and pulled out a large bean bag lounger: it was roughly the size of a couch and dark grey in color.
"Oh mon Dieu (_ my God), where did you get this," she curiously asked before taking a seat and slightly sinking into the oversize cushion.
"The recreational center," Sunstreaker replied in a neutral tone as he finished setting up the projector before transforming and activating his holoform, to which he then took a seat on her right side while Sideswipe turned off the lights.
"Won't someone notice that it's missing?"
"Not right away," the silver twin stated with a slight shake of his helm. "There were three others of its kind in the gaming room where we took it from, so I doubt it'll be missed," he then reached back into his subspace and handed her the container of cookies along with her peach tea.
"Merci," she politely bowed her head as she accepted the consumable items before watching him transform and activate his holoform. "So, what movie are we watching," she asked while Sideswipe took a seat on her left side.
"I think it'll be self-explanatory," Sunstreaker answered with a faint smirk before the distinct opening theme sounded in followed by the title: STAR WARS.
Anwen's golden amber eyes lit up as the opening credits slowly scrolled up the massive screen, "Oh mon Dieu (_ my God), how did you know this is my favorite Sci-Fi series?"
"You're not that hard to read," he casually replied while gesturing to her lanyard.
With a slight blush, Anwen gave him a smile, "Good point." She then snuggled further into the cushion as A New Hope played on the screen.
XXXXX
After the movie ended, the three of them decided to take a quick break to stretch their legs and use the facilities (if needed). Anwen was currently down the hall using the (human) restroom while the twins were back in their bipedal forms and sharing a private conversation with each other, via Comm. link:
::I think this night is going rather well, don't you,:: Sideswipe asked his brother with an obvious smirk in his tone.
::Better than I originally thought,:: Sunstreaker admitted.
::See, I told you things would turn out okay.::
He rolled his optics before noticing the speckled femme step back into the room with a smile, "Bonjour, gentlemechs."
"Welcome back, Ani. Did you find the facilities fairly easily," Sideswipe asked after closing the door behind her, to which she nodded:
"Oui. Of course, it wasn't that difficult to find. Just walk three doors down and turn left."
"Yep. So, since you're back, are you ready to continue the Star Wars classic saga?"
"In a minute. There's something I meant to give you two earlier this week, but I decided to wait until I was with you both tonight."
"Really?"
"Mhmm, but you'll have to activate your holoforms first because they're kinda delicate."
With a nod, he then transformed and activated his holoform while his twin did the same.
Meanwhile, Anwen stepped over to her backpack and opened it up before reaching inside and pulling out two large black and opal-like shells. "I found these along the shore last weekend when I was walking along the beach with Maggie," she stated before presenting the shells to them.
"Wow! Thanks, Ani. They're beautiful," Sideswipe commented as he admired over their smooth surface and opal-like shine.
"Indeed," added Sunstreaker. "I don't recall seeing shells of this unique quality before."
"Je suis content que tu les aimes (I'm glad you like them). When I found them, I didn't know whether or not you'd like them because they're organic, but then I thought maybe you'd start to see Earth in a kinder light if you saw how beautiful some of her gifts can be," she shyly replied as a slight dust of pink made its way across her freckled cheeks.
At her statement, Sunstreaker gently placed a hand on her shoulder and offered her a small smile while his eyes had a softer glow to them, "They are indeed beautiful. Thank you, sparklight."
"De rien (You're welcome), Sunstreaker."
XXXXX
-2300-
As the end credits rolled up the screen, both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe looked over to see Anwen starting to nod off. "Getting sleepy there, sweetspark?"
She tiredly nodded, "Oui...pardon (sorry)."
"You don't need to apologize for needing to recharge," Sunstreaker replied with a faint smirk.
"Mm," she softly mumbled before resting her head on his shoulder which caused his spark to quicken its pace.
::Aw, Sunny, she likes you,:: Sideswipe spoke through their bond while a smirk lined his face, causing his brother to glare at him.
::Don't call me Sunny!:: He then looked down to see Anwen slightly snuggle against his arm and emit a soft yawn, ::I think we should turn in for the night.::
::Yea...It's a shame the time went by so quickly, but we still got the next two days to hang out with her.::
::Right,:: he casually agreed before glancing back down at the freckled femme, ::We should take her home.::
::Aw, can't we keep her here for the night? She looks so comfortable and it's already late. Besides, unless we're assigned to be on patrol duty, we're not even supposed to leave the base at this hour; thanks to the new curfew Prowl established a few weeks ago.::
He emitted a sigh and rolled his eyes, ::Fine; but if she needs to get up in the middle of the night to refuel or empty her waste tank, you're going to be the one to let her out. Got it?::
::Don't worry, Bro, I'll make sure she's taken care of.:: He then softly got up from the bean bag lounger and dismissed his holoform before quietly transforming and turning off the projector for the night.
Meanwhile, Sunstreaker carefully propped up Anwen's head and upper body while he skillfully maneuvered his way off the lounger before gently laying her down and moving her into a more comfortable sleeping position. Afterwards, he dismissed his holoform, transformed and reached into his subspace where he pulled out a large sherpa, green plaid fleece, double-sided throw blanket, which he then used to cover her up. Looking back, he was glad Sideswipe suggested they obtain a blanket for Anwen in case she needed one at some point during her visit.
After making sure she was properly covered, Sunstreaker quietly headed over to his berth and laid down for the night while his brother did the same.
::Goodnight, Sunstreaker.::
::Night, Sideswipe.::
XXXXX
Anwen awoke to find herself lying on the lounger and snuggled underneath a large, sherpa blanket. Nuzzling into the incredibly soft material, she couldn't help but smile as she knew the twins were responsible for tucking her in earlier and ensuring that she was comfortable and warm.
While she wanted to fall right back to sleep, her bladder was telling her otherwise. Knowing she'd have no way of exiting or re-entering the room without one of the twins assistance, Anwen rolled off the bean bag lounger and approached what she assumed was Sideswipe's berth (since her night vision hadn't fully kicked in yet). Seeing that his arm and servo were slightly hanging off the side, she reached over and gently touched his outer palm, "Sideswipe," she whispered so as to not wake Sunstreaker.
"...Hmm?" His optics slightly opened before he leaned over the edge of his berth to see the small, redheaded woman standing there with a shy look across her face. "...Hey, sweetspark...need something?"
Anwen gave him a curt nod as she quietly replied, "I need to use the restroom, but I can't open the door to get out or back in again afterwards."
"Alright then; I'll take you to the facilities." He then quietly got out of his berth and rolled over to the door while Anwen walked alongside him and grabbed her backpack before they exited the room and made their way down the massive hallway.
Upon reaching the (human) restroom, Sideswipe stood outside the door while she headed inside to relieve herself, brush her teeth, wash her face and change into some more comfortable sleeping clothes. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait too long because nearly five minutes after she entered the bathroom, Anwen stepped out wearing her Power Rangers t-shirt and a pair of black booty shorts. "Sorry you had to wait."
Glancing down at the speckled femme, he offered a slight shake of his helm, "There's no need to apologize, sweetspark. I didn't mind. Besides, if you hadn't woken me up, you wouldn't have been able to leave the room and use the human waste facilities."
"Vrai (True)," she shrugged and smiled in agreement. "By the way, was it you who shifted me onto the lounger and covered me up?"
"Actually, that was all Sunny's doing."
"Ah bon (Really)?"
"Mhmm," he smirked and gave her a nod. "My brother may be a bit rough around the edges, but he's a good mech at his core."
"Oui, he is," Anwen felt her cheeks heat up slightly as she thought about the golden mech. Mentally shaking her head, she offered the silver frontliner a smile and asked, "Shall we head back to the room?"
"Sure thing, Ani." He then accompanied her back to the large room and opened the door for them to enter before closing it behind him. Upon re-entering the cozy abode, Anwen removed her socks and placed them on top of her rollerblades before setting her backpack aside and quietly making her way back to the bean bag lounger:
"Bonsoir (Goodnight), Sideswipe," she whispered, to which he gave her a warm smile:
"Goodnight, sweetspark." He then silently rolled back to his berth and slipped underneath the massive thermal blanket before closing his optics for a few more hours of recharge.
XXXXX
-0610-
Sunstreaker awoke to find his brother still in recharge and Anwen peacefully sleeping on the bean bag lounger with the sherpa blanket wrapped around her slender frame. Deciding to step out for a moment, he silently exited the vicinity and made his way down the hall.
After several minutes, the golden mech returned to the room carrying two cubes of energon in his servos. Upon opening the door, he noticed Sideswipe and Anwen were starting to awaken.
"...Morning, Sunny...Did you recharge well?"
"Mhmm," he huffed, annoyed that Sideswipe insisted on addressing him by that Pit forsaken nickname at this hour of the day. "I brought you some energon."
"Aw, thanks Bro," he graciously accepted the cube and took a sip while Sunstreaker approached the young ginger:
*yawn* "...Bonjour, Sunstreaker," Anwen tiredly rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up on the lounger.
"Morning. I brought you some sustenance for your intake," he then reached into his subspace and pulled out a (sealed) tupperware bowl, a spoon, and a bottle of orange juice.
Upon graciously accepting the items, Anwen removed the lid to reveal its contents: a fruit salad that consisted of freshly sliced strawberries, kiwis, pineapple, mango and banana. "Oh mon Dieu (_ my God), Sunstreaker, this looks amazing! Merci beaucoup (Thank you very much)."
"You're welcome," he replied with a curt nod before sitting down on the edge of his berth and taking a drink of energon while Sideswipe did the same.
"So, Ani, what would you like to do today?"
She politely chewed and swallowed a bite of pineapple before replying, "Well, if it's not storming outside, maybe we could take a drive around the island and explore one of the more isolated beaches?"
"Sounds doable," Sunstreaker answered with a shrug. "As for the weather: it's overcast, but not raining as of yet. However, if you're set on walking along the beach, we should probably stop by your apartment so you can adorn the proper footwear. Last time I checked, rollerblades weren't compatible with sand."
At the faint smirk he gave her, Anwen felt a slight tugging sensation within her chest, to which she playfully rolled her eyes and smiled, "Touche, Sunstreaker. But you're correct: I do need to stop by my place and dress accordingly if we are to walk along the beach this morning. Oh, maybe later you two can come up to my apartment and I can teach you how to make pudding chomeur. Of course, I'm open for whatever you both would like to do. I don't want to force you to go along with my ideas if you don't want to."
"You're not forcing us to do anything, sweetspark," Sideswipe assured with a smile. "Honestly, being able to hang out with you has been the most fun we've had in a long time. Sure, we do fun stuff when we're off duty, but we've never really taken the time to explore the island in depth, nor have we ever been invited to hang out at a human's living quarters before."
"Eh bien, ça change aujourd'hui (Well, that changes today)," she cheerfully replied before taking a bite of strawberry.
XXXXX
-0825-
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were currently walking along one of the remote beaches with Anwen as they took in the fresh, morning breeze. Of course, they opted to use their holoforms for this little venture rather than expose their bipedal forms to the sand.
No.
They despised the itchy, grainy material for it was difficult to clean out of their joints and rather irritating if it got underneath their armor. At the moment, they were content just using these false bodies because they allowed them to better explore the terrain with their human companion.
Seeing as how they were walking along the beach, they were currently dressed for it: both twins wore swimming trunks with a pair of water shoes on their feet and t-shirts covering their torsos while Anwen was adorned in her shades, sunhat, pool shoes and a one piece, black and lemon print, skirtini swimdress, while her hair was braided back. Of course, before they even stepped onto the sandy shoreline, she had to apply a layer of sunscreen as an added precaution. Even though it was overcast outside, she refused to take a chance with her fair complexion. Absolutely not! She'd rather keep her pale, speckled skin than turn into a boiled crab.
As they walked, Sideswipe glanced over at the young ginger and said, "I've got a question for you, Ani."
Intrigued, she raised a brow and turned her head to face him, "Oh? And what might that be?"
"Why are humans so fascinated by the ocean? I ask this because I understand that beaches are popular gathering spots for humans to congregate at."
She gave him a shy smile as they continued on their stroll, "Many humans flock to the beach to play in the sand and bathe in the sun, hoping they'll leave with a nice tan. But as for the ocean? Je ne peux pas vraiment dire avec certitude (I can't really say for certain). There's many variables to consider, seeing as how it provides us with nourishment in the form of fish, crustaceans, and other sources of protein and vegetation. But a part of me thinks that the main reason why humans are fascinated by the ocean is because of our natural curiosity. Humans haven't really explored much of the oceans' depths and therefore, we're fascinated by the unknown wonders they hold."
Anwen then stopped and picked up a small shell before speaking once more, "All life on Earth originates from the sea; so perhaps we're drawn to it because we have an ancestral connection to it. Of course, some humans are more drawn to it than others. For those who live to surf or sail, the sea is like a siren luring them in with her song."
"And what about you," Sunstreaker asked in a neutral tone. "Are you drawn to it like most of your fellow fleshies?"
She shook her head, "Not really. I enjoy wading through the shallows and exploring along the shoreline, but I could never dedicate my life sailing across its vast open range or exploring its depths. That, and I'm far too pale to be outdoors for lengthy periods of time."
He gave her a faint smirk as he looked upon her pale, speckled skin, "Your base pigmentation is rather light compared to other fleshies I've seen wandering on base. But overall, your complexion is uniquely fascinating."
"Oh? Vous pensez que c'est fascinant (You find this fascinating)," she playfully asked and gestured towards her exposed arms, to which he gave a curt nod:
"I do."
"Well...merci."
