Challenge Entry
Title: Jealousy is a Blue Opticked Monster
Continuity: Close Encounter AU
Characters/Pairings: Sideswipe/OC (Gwen), Ratchet
Rating: T
Word Count: 1123
Authors Note: Some background for those who read my series. This takes place far in the future of my story world. Gwen is divorced and on an indefinite stress leave. Sideswipe has been shrunk to "human size" for babysitting.
Blue optics narrowed, watching the man and woman embrace. They murmured soft words and a hand tilted a small chin up to exchange a lingering kiss. He sent a quick ping to Ratchet as he turned away, seething.
He moved further into the small living unit, gathering up the last of the clutter - small books, a puzzle and the bowl still half full of popcorn - and forced himself to gently put the fragile things away. He tried to find that inner place of calm, the one he used to survive the labs and the Arena but couldn’t. He had long grown past needing to hide his feelings. Or so he had believed.
He was still standing in the small kitchen, fists clenched, optics shut, slowly ventilating his systems when the door opened and someone walked in.
“Sideswipe?” He heard himself being called softly.
“In here Gwen.” Sideswipe tried forcing himself to calm down. Honestly.
“Hey, how were the kids? Monsters as usual or did they actually behave?” Gwen walked around the corner and stopped when she saw his stance. “Are you okay?”
Tried and failed. Not that he could ever hide anything from her. “Yeah, fine. Kids were great. Andrea drew some more pictures for Sunny and Corey and me played Hot Wheels. Nexus, I’m glad he doesn’t drive me.”
“Bunter carz?”
“Nexus, don’t remind me.” He smiled down at her, spark warming when she smiled back. She had such a beautiful smile. He missed seeing it every day.
“Who’s coming to pick you up? I know you aren’t driving home like this.” She patted his arm, still smiling. “Not again, anyways.”
“Hey, I stayed on the sidewalks and didn’t run anyone over. Wasn’t my fault Ravage thought I was a cat toy,” he protested. “Ratchet is coming to get me. Everyone else is busy or their cab is too small.” He glanced at the clock, a habit he’d picked up from being around humans. Useful now; it allowed him to avoid looking at her face.
At least it did until a small, delicate-looking hand gently turned his face back.
“Sideswipe, talk to me. I may be on a leave of absence, but we are still friends.” Green eyes searched his face, looking for answers he did not want to give her.
“Gwen…” he sighed. Sideswipe knew he could talk to her about anything. Anything but this. Putting her off was impossible; he knew that concerned and determined look. Never could lie to her either. Fraggit Ratchet, hurry up!
She released his chin and pulled his head down to plant a soft kiss on the edge of his helm. “Sides,” she sighed and slipped her arms around his neck, pressing close to hug him. She gently stroked the back of his helm, touch so light he could barely feel it. “What am I going to do with you? I’ve told you time and time again, you can talk to me about anything.”
He slipped his own arms around her, hugging gently. “I know. Really, I’m fine.” Once, he wouldn’t have understood the gesture. Later, he wouldn’t have appreciated it. Now, he didn’t want to let go. Didn’t want her to go back to him. Sideswipe stroked her hair gently, memorizing the feel of each strand before forcing a bright smile and pulling back. “Come on, Andrea made me promise I’d show you her pictures before I took them to Sunny.”
Gwen arched an eyebrow at him in an appraising look but let him lead her to the artwork laid out on the kitchen table. He managed to keep them both distracted looking at each picture and sharing the short anecdote of its creation. They fell back into their old, easy camaraderie for the moment, as if she wasn’t on indefinite stress leave and he wasn’t desperately in love with her.
The perfect moment, one he did not want to end. But like all perfect moments, it ended too soon. Ratchet pinged him from the parking lot.
Sideswipe straightened with a sigh and sent an answering ping in response. “My ride’s here,” he told Gwen. She nodded and helped him gather up the pictures and slip them into a bag. Andrea had been industrious.
He took the bag and walked to the door, Gwen escorting him. He paused before opening it, reluctant to leave.
“Thanks again for watching the kids. They always love it when Unca Sides babysits them.”
He turned and looked down at her. “I like seeing them, spending time with them. I miss having them underfoot everyday.” Sideswipe put his hands on her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. “Gwen, I really miss you.”
Then, before she could respond, Sideswipe leaned down and kissed her. It was more awkward than it looked on TV, he had to be very careful he didn’t use too much force and he really didn’t know what to do with his glossa. The sensation certainly ranked as one of the strangest he’d experienced, almost as intimate as the first instant during interfacing; the strut tingling sensation of another mech plugging into you and brushing against your firewalls but without the accompanying sense of impending invasion. Much softer and wetter too.
A delicious heat spread from his spark throughout his body. He wanted to open his ports and lower his firewalls. He wanted to extend his access cables and found his remote access protocols were coming online. A burst of anger and frustration exploded within him and he pulled away from the startled human. He wanted her. They weren’t physically compatible in anyway but he still wanted her.
“Good night Gwen,” Sideswipe mumbled. Then he fled out the door.
0o0o0o0o0
He stumbled outside into the parking lot beside the small apartment, unsure of how he’d gotten there. A chance glance to his left at the complex’s parking spaces made his spark skip a pulse. He shouldn’t be surprised, wasn’t really surprised but it still hurt. Straightening, he shut his optics and drew some of the cool night air into his intakes, trying to quiet both his overheating systems and breaking spark.
Ratchet sat nearby, idling quietly. His driver’s side door swung open as Sideswipe walked over to him and Sideswipe gratefully climbed in.
“You all right, Sideswipe? You look upset,” Ratchet asked as they pulled out into the street, heading towards home.
“I’m fine Ratchet.” Sideswipe fumbled with his seatbelt. He didn’t really need it but it gave his hands something to do instead of clenching into fists.
“Have a fight with Gwen?” The van gently pressed.
“No, didn’t have a fight.”
“Wasn’t that Andre’s car in the visitor parking?”
Sideswipe closed his optics again, shuddering at the pain in his spark. “Yes. Yes it was.”
Continuity: Close Encounter AU
Characters/Pairings: Sideswipe/OC (Gwen), Ratchet
Rating: T
Word Count: 1123
Authors Note: Some background for those who read my series. This takes place far in the future of my story world. Gwen is divorced and on an indefinite stress leave. Sideswipe has been shrunk to "human size" for babysitting.
Blue optics narrowed, watching the man and woman embrace. They murmured soft words and a hand tilted a small chin up to exchange a lingering kiss. He sent a quick ping to Ratchet as he turned away, seething.
He moved further into the small living unit, gathering up the last of the clutter - small books, a puzzle and the bowl still half full of popcorn - and forced himself to gently put the fragile things away. He tried to find that inner place of calm, the one he used to survive the labs and the Arena but couldn’t. He had long grown past needing to hide his feelings. Or so he had believed.
He was still standing in the small kitchen, fists clenched, optics shut, slowly ventilating his systems when the door opened and someone walked in.
“Sideswipe?” He heard himself being called softly.
“In here Gwen.” Sideswipe tried forcing himself to calm down. Honestly.
“Hey, how were the kids? Monsters as usual or did they actually behave?” Gwen walked around the corner and stopped when she saw his stance. “Are you okay?”
Tried and failed. Not that he could ever hide anything from her. “Yeah, fine. Kids were great. Andrea drew some more pictures for Sunny and Corey and me played Hot Wheels. Nexus, I’m glad he doesn’t drive me.”
“Bunter carz?”
“Nexus, don’t remind me.” He smiled down at her, spark warming when she smiled back. She had such a beautiful smile. He missed seeing it every day.
“Who’s coming to pick you up? I know you aren’t driving home like this.” She patted his arm, still smiling. “Not again, anyways.”
“Hey, I stayed on the sidewalks and didn’t run anyone over. Wasn’t my fault Ravage thought I was a cat toy,” he protested. “Ratchet is coming to get me. Everyone else is busy or their cab is too small.” He glanced at the clock, a habit he’d picked up from being around humans. Useful now; it allowed him to avoid looking at her face.
At least it did until a small, delicate-looking hand gently turned his face back.
“Sideswipe, talk to me. I may be on a leave of absence, but we are still friends.” Green eyes searched his face, looking for answers he did not want to give her.
“Gwen…” he sighed. Sideswipe knew he could talk to her about anything. Anything but this. Putting her off was impossible; he knew that concerned and determined look. Never could lie to her either. Fraggit Ratchet, hurry up!
She released his chin and pulled his head down to plant a soft kiss on the edge of his helm. “Sides,” she sighed and slipped her arms around his neck, pressing close to hug him. She gently stroked the back of his helm, touch so light he could barely feel it. “What am I going to do with you? I’ve told you time and time again, you can talk to me about anything.”
He slipped his own arms around her, hugging gently. “I know. Really, I’m fine.” Once, he wouldn’t have understood the gesture. Later, he wouldn’t have appreciated it. Now, he didn’t want to let go. Didn’t want her to go back to him. Sideswipe stroked her hair gently, memorizing the feel of each strand before forcing a bright smile and pulling back. “Come on, Andrea made me promise I’d show you her pictures before I took them to Sunny.”
Gwen arched an eyebrow at him in an appraising look but let him lead her to the artwork laid out on the kitchen table. He managed to keep them both distracted looking at each picture and sharing the short anecdote of its creation. They fell back into their old, easy camaraderie for the moment, as if she wasn’t on indefinite stress leave and he wasn’t desperately in love with her.
The perfect moment, one he did not want to end. But like all perfect moments, it ended too soon. Ratchet pinged him from the parking lot.
Sideswipe straightened with a sigh and sent an answering ping in response. “My ride’s here,” he told Gwen. She nodded and helped him gather up the pictures and slip them into a bag. Andrea had been industrious.
He took the bag and walked to the door, Gwen escorting him. He paused before opening it, reluctant to leave.
“Thanks again for watching the kids. They always love it when Unca Sides babysits them.”
He turned and looked down at her. “I like seeing them, spending time with them. I miss having them underfoot everyday.” Sideswipe put his hands on her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. “Gwen, I really miss you.”
Then, before she could respond, Sideswipe leaned down and kissed her. It was more awkward than it looked on TV, he had to be very careful he didn’t use too much force and he really didn’t know what to do with his glossa. The sensation certainly ranked as one of the strangest he’d experienced, almost as intimate as the first instant during interfacing; the strut tingling sensation of another mech plugging into you and brushing against your firewalls but without the accompanying sense of impending invasion. Much softer and wetter too.
A delicious heat spread from his spark throughout his body. He wanted to open his ports and lower his firewalls. He wanted to extend his access cables and found his remote access protocols were coming online. A burst of anger and frustration exploded within him and he pulled away from the startled human. He wanted her. They weren’t physically compatible in anyway but he still wanted her.
“Good night Gwen,” Sideswipe mumbled. Then he fled out the door.
0o0o0o0o0
He stumbled outside into the parking lot beside the small apartment, unsure of how he’d gotten there. A chance glance to his left at the complex’s parking spaces made his spark skip a pulse. He shouldn’t be surprised, wasn’t really surprised but it still hurt. Straightening, he shut his optics and drew some of the cool night air into his intakes, trying to quiet both his overheating systems and breaking spark.
Ratchet sat nearby, idling quietly. His driver’s side door swung open as Sideswipe walked over to him and Sideswipe gratefully climbed in.
“You all right, Sideswipe? You look upset,” Ratchet asked as they pulled out into the street, heading towards home.
“I’m fine Ratchet.” Sideswipe fumbled with his seatbelt. He didn’t really need it but it gave his hands something to do instead of clenching into fists.
“Have a fight with Gwen?” The van gently pressed.
“No, didn’t have a fight.”
“Wasn’t that Andre’s car in the visitor parking?”
Sideswipe closed his optics again, shuddering at the pain in his spark. “Yes. Yes it was.”