(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Anwen and any other OC's I've mentioned in previous chapters and sprinkled into the story thus far :))
(Authors Note: Hello dearest readers/fangirls/fanboys/TF nerds/fellow writers, I am so glad to be presenting yet another chapter for all of you to enjoy because I certainly had a blast writing it for all of you (and myself, of course). I wanted to write this chapter sooner but I've been rather distracted and busy lately, but I'll try to update whenever I get the chance. Just remember that I have no intention of ending this story on a cliffhanger, nor do I intend to abandon it. It's far too precious and important to me to just cast aside like an old pair of socks (don't judge LOL). Anyways, feel free to follow and comment for I love reading your feedback and enjoy the good vibes. Until next time, stay safe, stay creative, and stay awesome!)
"English/French"
'Mental thoughts'
"Flashbacks"
'Sarcasm' (or emphasis)
{Cybertronian}
::Sparkbonds::
:Speaker talk:
::Comm. Link::
Chapter 21
After half an hour of continuous playing, Anwen stopped to rest her fingers and was surprised when the lounge room suddenly erupted in applause. Turning around, she finally noticed the large group that had congregated during her performance, to which she felt her body break into a cold sweat. While she was used to working, living and moving among crowds of people, she was always aware of their presence and her surroundings; but having a large group sneak up behind her (to a degree) and catching her off guard? That triggered her anxiety. To say she was startled was a bit of an understatement: she was terrified! Not of the Autobots or the humans, but of this sudden feeling of ambush and being surrounded.
She hated having these occasional spurts of fear, but it wasn't her fault: years of living within a broken foster system and enduring various forms of abuse had negatively impacted her current psyche. Of course, she had been doing fairly well after she set off on her own, but every now and then something would cause her to slip.
'Keep it together, Anwen! They won't hurt you. You're okay, Anwen. You're okay. Everything's okay. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic…,' she mentally repeated to herself before a voice sounded beside her:
"You alright there, Bleu? You're lookin' a little paler than usual," Epps stated in a concerned tone. Why did his voice sound far away when he was standing right next to her? Why was the room spinning? And why was everything becoming fuzzy? Anwen shakily stood up from the piano bench before everything suddenly went dark and the voices around her became quiet.
XXXXX
{Ratchet, is she going to be okay?!}
{She'll be fine, Sideswipe. Miss Bleu just needs some time to rest and calm her nerves. From what Prowl described to me, it seems that she was unintentionally caught off guard by the sheer number of bots and humans within her close proximity. To put it simply: she felt ambushed and overwhelmed, which caused her to mentally panic and succumb to her current state of unconsciousness.}
{Is there anything we can do for her?}
{Not on a medical level, no. But you're both welcome to stay by her side until she wakes up, which should be soon considering the change in her breathing pattern.}
The strange clicking, whirring, metallic noises slowly became audible as Anwen returned to consciousness. While these sounds were unknown to her, something in the back of her mind told her they were familiar and good. Opening her amber eyes, she noticed that she was still in the lounge room, but instead of sitting at the piano, she was now lying on one of the couches.
"Ani! Thank Primus you're okay! You had us all worried there for a few minutes."
"What happened," she asked, confused.
"You fainted, sparklight," Sunstreaker replied as he gently helped her to sit upright while keeping his servo along her back in case she became lightheaded once more.
"What?! Why?!"
"You were caught off guard by the sheer number of people who entered the room while you were busy playing the piano," Sideswipe answered with a sympathetic look across his face. "We should have informed you of the additional company, but we were so enamored by your music that it completely slipped our processors. We're sorry, Anwen."
"Non (No)," she shook her head and placed a hand on his arm, "You two have nothing to be sorry about. I should have made a point to look over my shoulder every now and then, but I didn't, and ended up paying the price for it."
"Well, regardless, we're just glad you're okay."
"Pareil ici (Same here)," she then glanced up at the Autobot CMO, "Merci for your help, Ratchet."
He gave the young redhead a smile, "Anytime, young one. By the way, I heard your music through the open Comm. link: it was beautiful."
At his compliment, a slight dusting of pink appeared across her freckled cheeks, "Merci."
"Of course. Now, as much as I'd like to stay and visit, I have some medical reports to update and file."
"Understandable. We'll see you later, Ratchet."
With a nod he exited the lounge room, to which Prowl then approached and addressed the young ginger with a tilt of his helm, "Miss Bleu, I'm glad to see you're alright. How are you feeling?"
She emitted a content sigh as she looked up at the Praxion, "I'm better now. Merci for the inquiry."
"Of course," he curtly replied with a slight nod and a small flit of his doorwings. "By the way, I apologize for not informing you of the room's increase in occupancy."
She waved it off and shook her head, "It's okay. It's not your fault or anyone else's fault. In truth, I thought I had moved past my anxiety spells, but occasionally I experience one...or two...depending on the situation. But don't worry, this doesn't affect my work performance."
"I never assumed that it did," he replied with a tilt of his helm.
"Oh bien (_ good)." *sigh* "I'm just sorry that I fainted in front of all of you."
"You have nothing to apologize for, sweetspark," Sideswipe assured as he gently took a hold of her hand and brushed his thumb over her outer palm. "We're just glad you're alright and unharmed."
She gave him a shy smile and a nod before asking, "Where's Epps and Lennox? I'd like to see them."
"They're outside the room," Prowl gestured over towards the door. "I need to return to my duties, but I'll send them in on my way out."
"Merci. Also, it was nice visiting with you."
"Likewise, Miss Bleu. I'll see you around," he then stepped out of the room and invited Will and Robert inside before heading off.
"Hey Bleu, how ya feelin," Epps asked with a sympathetic look as they took a seat across from the young ginger while being mindful of Sunstreaker's presence: his optics slightly narrowed as he silently watched them (like a hawk or a mountain lion). Truly, he was an intimidating sight. Of course, both men wondered why he was here to begin with, seeing as how he despised humans.
With a sigh, Anwen replied, "I'm doing much better; although I'm still embarrassed about fainting in front of everybody. What a memorable impression that must have left."
"Nah, don't worry about it, Bleu," Lennox assured with a smile. "You experienced a moment of panic because of our negligence to alert you of our presence."
"Well, maybe a mirror can be hung above the piano so I won't be caught off guard again when I play."
"Sure thing. I can have one installed by tomorrow morning."
"I'd appreciate it. Merci."
"No problem. By the way, your performance was beautiful. I wouldn't mind hearing you play again sometime."
"Well, I'm glad you liked it. I certainly don't mind the idea of performing for everybody, provided that I'm aware of their presence beforehand," she lightly smirked. "Besides, now that I've been presented with a piano to play on, I'll have to get back into a musical routine."
XXXXX
-Later-
Shortly after Epps and Lennox left, Anwen headed back to the Autobot barracks with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, where they had activated their holoforms and were now sitting on either side of her on the beanbag lounger and watching Return of the Jedi. A small smile lined the young ginger's freckled face as she felt Sunstreaker place his arm around her shoulders while Sideswipe gently took a hold of her hand and interlaced his fingers with hers.
A comforting warmth settled within Anwen's chest as she reciprocated their affections by resting her head against Sunny's arm and gently squeezing Side's hand. She felt butterflies within her stomach at the conflicting emotions she was feeling right now: on one hand she was happy, but on the other, she was nervous. She wanted to confess her feelings to Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, but she was unsure how to go about it. Also, she worried if maybe she was moving too fast or if she needed to wait a bit longer. Not having any sort of past romantic relationships to go by, Anwen was at a loss on what to do. She certainly didn't want to destroy their blossoming friendship by making things awkward between the three of them, but she silently feared that if she didn't tell them how she felt, she'd regret it later on.
How could she confess her feelings if she was still trying to process them? How could she possibly tell Sunstreaker and Sideswipe that their presence made her feel safe and secure, like a warm blanket swaddled around her frame. Or that their optics outshined the brightest stars, and their smiles (metaphorically) caused her to melt into a puddle. She mentally argued with herself until she decided to just take things as they came. For now, she settled on enjoying their company and relishing in the happiness they brought to her.
XXXXX
-2350-
Opting to spend another night with the twins, Anwen was currently lying on the beanbag lounger when she awoke to the sound of peds walking across the floor. Sitting upright, she noticed Sunstreaker was heading out for his graveyard patrol, to which she slid off the lounger and approached the golden mech:
"..Sunstreaker," she whispered so as to not wake Sideswipe.
Looking down, his optics took on a softer glow upon seeing the speckled femme, "You should be abed, sparklight. It's late."
"I know, but I wanted to see you again before you left for your patrol."
"Oh? Is that so," he asked with a faint smile while his spark happily pulsed within its casing.
"Oui," she nodded as her cheeks heated up, knowing they were turning a deep shade of crimson. "Umm, this might sound odd, but..can you kneel down for a moment so we're more face to face?"
With a curt nod, he knelt before her so that they were now eye to optic level. "Better?"
"O-Oui...merci," Anwen felt her heart racing within her chest at what she was about to do. Reaching out, she gently touched the side of his face (noting how warm and smooth it was) which made him shudder in pleasure at the physical contact, to which he vented out a contented sigh:
"...Sparklight…." His spark hammered within its casing at her touch, before he suddenly felt her lips upon his faceplate. She kissed him! Cupping the side of her face with one of his servos, Sunstreaker slowly (and carefully) entwined his digits through her soft, curly hair while his thumb caressed her freckled cheek.
At this tender show of affection, Anwen leaned into his touch and placed her hands atop his large servo, to which she then lovingly kissed the battle hardened appendage. "Mon artiste en or (My golden artist)."
His optics darkened with desire as he lightly tugged at her hair, prompting her to tilt her head back, to which he then planted a soft yet firm kiss upon her lips, making her breath hitch within her throat and her heart skip a beat. Granted, their size difference was a slight issue, but they somehow made it work. Unfortunately, Sunstreaker needed to head out on his patrol or else sit through another one of Prowl's chastising lectures. Reluctantly, he broke their kiss and vented a sigh, "I wish I could stay, but I need to head out."
"I know," she replied in a disheartened tone while continuing to lean into his touch.
A small smirk lined the golden mech's face as he caressed her soft, freckled cheek, "We'll continue this exchange later. Until then, get some sleep."
With a slight nod, Anwen watched as he then exited the room and closed the door behind him before a familiar voice caught her attention: "Don't worry, sweetspark. He'll be back before you know it."
"Sideswipe...How long have you been awake?"
"Long enough," he playfully winked as he sat upright on his berth. "So, did you enjoy kissing my brother?"
At his question, Anwen's face turned completely red, but she gave him a confirming nod, "Oui, I did." *sigh* "I-I hope you're not mad."
"Mad? Why would I be mad?"
"...Because I didn't kiss you first even though I've wanted to for a while now," she confessed with a bright red blush across her face as she twiddled her fingers and stared at her feet.
At her statement, Sideswipe's optics widened, "You...You wanted to kiss me? Since when?"
"Since the airhorn incident when you caught me in your servos.. Of course, I didn't base my desire to kiss you on that one incident alone, but that was the first time I thought about it…"
"I see," a fond smile lined his face as he then got up from the berth and knelt before her. "I'm glad you told me this, sweetspark. Now that I know how you felt during that brief encounter, I see that particular memory in a newfound light."
"Vraiment (Really)?"
"Mhmm," he curtly nodded before gently cupping the side of her face which prompted her to look at him. As he gazed into her golden amber eyes, Sideswipe felt his spark race, "I remember the way you looked up at me as I held you in my servos: it felt surreal, as if time stood completely still. Your eyes were wide in shock, but they quickly softened and were laced with trust when you realized that I had caught you and had no intentions of letting you fall."
She leaned into his touch and smiled, "That's because I knew you wouldn't drop me." Anwen then reached out and tenderly caressed his faceplate, "I trust you, Sideswipe."
He slightly shuddered in pleasure at her touch, to which his gaze softened as they maintained eye/optic contact, "Thank you."
"De rien...mon patineur d'argent (You're welcome...my silver skater)," she winked, causing his spark to hammer within its casing, demanding that he kiss her. Oh Primus, how he wanted to.
Listening to his spark, Sideswipe leaned in and gently kissed her. Just like her kiss with Sunstreaker, Anwen felt her heart skip a beat while her legs suddenly felt like they were made of jello. Both of them immediately felt a rush of energy surge through their bodies as she slightly parted her lips, allowing him to partially insert his glossa and deepen their kiss.
After a few minutes, they stopped to catch their breath (so to speak), to which Anwen smiled and caressed his faceplate, "Wow...just...wow…"
"That good, huh," Sideswipe asked with a charming smile.
"Oh mon Dieu (_ my God), that was amazing! I mean, I've never been french kissed before, so I have nothing to compare it to, but merde (fuck)…"
At that, he chuckled, "I'm glad you enjoyed it because I feel the same way."
"Ah bon (Really)?"
"Mhmm," he caressed her cheek with his thumb while his digits played with her curly red hair. "You're a natural kisser, Ani."
She felt her face heat up as her cheeks turned a delightful shade of crimson, to which she brushed a loose curl behind her left ear, "I guess my instincts kicked in…I just wish I was your size so I could get the full experience."
With a fond smile, he tenderly rubbed his thumb over her cheek, "You still can…" He then released her and stepped back, to which he transformed and activated his holoform. "I hope you'll be comfortable with me using this false body."
Anwen gave him a nod and cupped his cheek, "It's still you, Sideswipe. Just because you've shifted forms doesn't change that fact. Besides, you're just as handsome as a human as you are as a mech."
"Oh? You find me handsome," He winked, making her smile.
"Oui, you're very handsome in my opinion, but I was initially drawn to your charismatic charm rather than your outward appearance."
"Is that so," he softly asked as he gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"...Oui…" she all but whispered as he lightly ran his thumb over her earlobe, causing her to sigh in pleasure.
'It seems like I found one of her hot spots,' he mentally noted with a self-satisfied smirk. Of course, he had to restrain himself as he certainly didn't want to rush into things too quickly for her liking.
No.
He respected and cared for her too much to do something so inconsiderate and selfish. That, and there were still questions pertaining to this developing sparkbond that he and Sunstreaker needed to ask Ratchet about before they could proceed further into their relationship with Anwen.
(Another Authors Note: OMG, are you guys as happy as I am about how things are progressing?! I've been wanting to finally take the next step with Anwen, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's relationship for a little while now but the timing never felt quite right...until now that is :D Thank you all so, so, so much for sticking around for this long. You've all waited so patiently for this moment to finally happen and I wanted to give you all something to smile about...more so than usual :) Now, just to be clear, they're still going to take things as they come because of the fact that Anwen is inexperienced when it comes to romance. Plus, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are afraid of pressuring her or moving too fast for her liking. Of course, she kinda feels the same, but with not having any prior experience, she's a bit unsure of herself. Anyways, I'll (metaphorically) see you all again in the next chapter. Take care and stay awesome! :))
