Story: Cascade
Alright, moya-koordinat drew this incredible picture here with a plot bunny on it. I had to write. This is the second story of the series.
Title: Cascade
Series: River of Change (thank you, okami-myrrhibis for the name!)
By: mmouse15
Pairing: IronhidexRatchet
Rating: R
Warnings: suggestions of intimacy and sex, swearing
"Oh, come on! You can shoot better'n that!"
"These guns aren't part of me! It's harder! How do the humans DO this?"
"Same way we did, it's just more steps."
"OK, 'Hide, show me again."
"Right. Jazz, you need to visualize the target, aim, THEN fire. You can't do the half-assed shooting you're trying for, you got to practice doing it the right way. Once you're so damned good it doesn't matter, THEN you can goof off. But for now, do it right."
"Yes, sir, right away, sir!" Jazz snapped off a salute at Ironhide, who glared at him.
"Quit being a smart aft, Jazz. Bee's been practicing and he's a better shot than you are. We can't rely on our bodies to protect us anymore. We're vulnerable now."
Jazz grumbled, but turned back to the target, muttering as he did, "Yeah, but nobody spends as much time down here as you do."
"True, and nobody's as good as I am, either."
Later, Jazz and Ironhide were heading back to the base. The cybernetic humans had been given a building of their own, tucked away in an area by itself on a base in BFE, western USA. Fortunately, Will Lennox's team had been tapped to liaise with the Autobots and the relationship had continued even after the Autobots had transferred their selves into cyborgs.
Jazz and Ironhide entered the main room to gales of laughter. Jazz quickly joined the group, asking "What'd I miss?"
Sam grinned evilly. "Ah, Jazz. We're trying to teach Bee the fine and manly art of…belching."
"Belching? What's that?"
More laughter. Rob Epps clapped Jazz on the back and handed him a can. "Here, Jazz, pop that open and slug it down."
"Mountain Dew? What is this stuff?"
Sam yelped and dashed forward, yanking the can out of Jazz's hand. "Damn it, Rob! What are you thinking? No overly caffeinated drinks for the hyper bots or Ratchet will have your 'nads for dinner!"
"Well then, how the hell is Jazz supposed to find out what a belch is?"
Sam grinned as he popped the can open. "Well, Rob, you show 'em." Sam tilted his head back and drained the can in one go. He crushed the can, tossed it toward the recycle bin, the let loose a loud, sustained belch, which he varied the pitch of by changing his embouchure. Applause greeted his efforts, along with shouts of 'Good one, Sam!', much to Jazz's amusement.
"So is the whole thing a belch, or just the noise?"
"Just the noise, man, but Sam's a master."
Jazz hm'd thoughtfully. "So is the liquid necessary?"
Sam laughed. "No. My dad just swallows air and can pretty much belch on command. I'm not that good, I need a carbonated drink to get going."
"Ah." Jazz leaned back on his heels, took a few deep breaths, then let loose a loud belch. The room dissolved in laughter and whistles as the group applauded his efforts.
Ironhide walked down the hall to the medbay. He peeked around the door, then grinned at the sight. Perceptor had evidently fallen first, because he had the cot in the corner. Wheeljack was rolled into blankets on one of the beds in the room, while Ratchet was hunched over a microscope, muttering to himself. Ironhide quietly walked into the room, heading for their CMO. Just behind him, 'Hide whispered "Ratchet."
Ratchet jerked his head up, then glanced over his shoulder. "Oh. 'Hide. Are you injured? I had no idea how fragile these bodies were. Why anyone would…"He stopped talking, Ironhide's hand preventing him from speaking.
"Ratch, you've been up for over a day. You need to get some sleep."
"Ah, yes. When I'm finished…"
"No, Ratchet, now. You're tired. Tired people make mistakes. We've got human bodies now; we can't drive ourselves to stasis lock and expect to bounce back after a recharge cycle. You can't do this."
Ratchet set his mouth in what Ironhide had dubbed his 'sorry aft stubborn look' and turned back to the microscope. "I just need to…"
Ironhide grabbed his shoulder and turned him back around. "What does it take to get through that thick head of yours? Ratchet, you need to take care of yourself!"
A quiet voice interrupted them. "I can take over here, Ratchet. Ironhide's right. We need you working at your best and that does mean respecting the limitations of these new forms." Perceptor quietly moved forward to look over Ratchet's notes. The CMO glared both of them, then muttered, "Fine. I'll take the cot."
"No. You'll only sleep for an hour or so. You need more. Ironhide, would you please escort him to his room and see that he stays there for an entire recharge cycle?"
Ratchet was sputtering in outrage as Ironhide lifted a brow and asked, "How long is a human recharge cycle?"
"Anywhere from seven to eleven hours. I think eight is the minimum recommended for most people, but to be safe, he should sleep until he wakes up."
"Gotcha, Perc. Later." And with that parting comment, Ironhide deftly scooped Ratchet over his shoulders in a fireman's lift and left the medbay, heading to Ratchet's room. Ratchet was muttering obscenities and threatening Ironhide with painful retribution.''
'Hide moved into Ratchet's room, closed the door with his foot, then lowered the fuming CMO to his feet.
"Damnation, Ironhide! I am not some sparkling incapable of falling into recharge! I do not think…"
"Yeah, Ratch, ya don't think. Shut it, go to bed."
"No. I'm in the middle of…"
Ironhide lost his patience. He grabbed Ratchet by the shoulders and pushed him against the door. "I know that you want to get us back into our bodies as much as we want to be back. I know that you want to find a cure or at least a vaccine against this virus. I know that, Ratchet, but I'm not going to let you kill yourself with overwork! You're part of a team! Let Perceptor and Wheeljack contribute. Trust them. Be smart. Take care of yourself."
"Damn it, 'Hide! I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions about when I recharge!"
Ironhide growled deep in his throat. Ratchet was infamous for his inability to stop and let himself recharge when he was working a problem. Ironhide was going to have to try a different tactic.
Ratchet's justifications and muttering abruptly ceased. His lips were suddenly occupied with Ironhide's, whose mouth had covered his in a deep kiss. Ironhide changed the tilt of his head and discovered that he could taste more of Ratchet. Dropping his hands from Ratchet's shoulders, he wrapped them around the other man's body, pulling them together. Ratchet's arms slid around Ironhide's shoulders, then one hand slid into the thick black hair and clutched the back of his head.
Ironhide pulled back, then nibbled at Ratchet's jaw line, tonguing the stubble and tasting Ratchet. He groaned, sliding one hand to the CMO's rear and pulling their groins together. Ratchet's breath left in a needy whimper, "Ironhide…ah, Primus! What are you doing?"
Ironhide chuckled. "It's called sex, Ratchet. I'm using it to distract you."
Ratchet jerked back, breaking the connection between them. "What?! I…you…"
The weapons specialist followed him, pressing his body over Ratchet's and pushing him against the door. "I was a Primus damned fool. I love you. I have for vorns. I should have bonded myself to you so that you'd know how much you mean to me. It kills me to see you hurt yourself this way. Let me…Ratchet, let me take care of you. Please…let me…" Ironhide nuzzled Ratchet's neck and jaw, muttering all the while, "…let me…please, Ratch…you taste so good…um…", finally arriving at Ratchet's mouth and sealing their lips together in a kiss.
Ratchet groaned, then slumped against the door, clutching Ironhide to himself. "Why…ah…why didn’t you tell me this before?"
Ironhide chuckled, leaning against Ratchet and slowly grinding their hips together. "I was afraid. Afraid you'd say no, afraid that it would change the team. I figured I'd wait until the war was over."
Ratchet growled at him, "Damned fool. I love you, too."
And no more words were needed for a very long time…
"Wheeljack?"
"Yes, Ratchet?" Wheeljack turned on the stool to face his friend.
"Do you think it's possible to still bond in these bodies?"
Wheeljack raised his eyebrows, then grinned. "Did he finally, ah, 'jump your bones' I believe is the term?"
Ratchet gave him an abashed grin. "Primus, yes. Was it that obvious?"
"Only to everyone else."
Ratchet dropped into a chair and buried his face in his hands. He groaned, then ground out, "How could I have been so stupid?"
Wheeljack patted his friend on the back. "Not stupid, Ratch. Oblivious. And I think you didn't want to see. How much sleep did you get?"
Ratchet glared at him. "Twelve hours. And a shower. And breakfast, before he'd even let me come in here."
"Good for him!"
"Good for whom?" Perceptor stood in the doorway, several notebooks and a box of slides in his hands.
Wheeljack turned and moved to help him. "Ironhide. He seduced Ratchet, got him to sleep around the clock, bathed him and fed him."
Perceptor blinked, then glanced at Ratchet. "Well. It's about time."
Ratchet growled at him, but admitted that he did feel much better. Wheeljack, laughing, went back to his notes after depositing the slides near the microscope. "Still, I don't know the answer to your question, Ratchet."
"What question?"
Ratchet moved as if to cut him off, but Wheeljack cheerfully talked over him.
"Ratchet wondered if we could still bond in these bodies."
"Of course."
Both cyborgs stopped and looked at Perceptor. He looked back at them, then continued, "We moved our sparks into these bodies. It's more difficult, but it is do-able. These bodies are constructs. They may look human, but they will last longer, much longer than a human. And they have modifications. One is an organic spark chamber, located near the heart."
Ratchet glanced at Wheeljack, then back to Perceptor. "Alright. Say I want to bond with Ironhide. How do I go about accomplishing this?"
"Well, you need to…"
Later
"'Hide."
"Hm? You're supposed to be sleeping, Ratch."
Ratchet moved, crawling over his lover and settling his chin on his hands, which were on Ironhide's chest.
"'Hide. I love you. Will you…will you bond with me?"
Ironhide looked up into his beloved's face, two tears welling out the corners of his eyes. Hoarsely, he whispered, "Can we?"
"Yes."
"I would like nothing better than to belong to you. Always, Ratchet, always and forever."
Part 3, Rapids, can be found here.
Title: Cascade
Series: River of Change (thank you, okami-myrrhibis for the name!)
By: mmouse15
Pairing: IronhidexRatchet
Rating: R
Warnings: suggestions of intimacy and sex, swearing
"Oh, come on! You can shoot better'n that!"
"These guns aren't part of me! It's harder! How do the humans DO this?"
"Same way we did, it's just more steps."
"OK, 'Hide, show me again."
"Right. Jazz, you need to visualize the target, aim, THEN fire. You can't do the half-assed shooting you're trying for, you got to practice doing it the right way. Once you're so damned good it doesn't matter, THEN you can goof off. But for now, do it right."
"Yes, sir, right away, sir!" Jazz snapped off a salute at Ironhide, who glared at him.
"Quit being a smart aft, Jazz. Bee's been practicing and he's a better shot than you are. We can't rely on our bodies to protect us anymore. We're vulnerable now."
Jazz grumbled, but turned back to the target, muttering as he did, "Yeah, but nobody spends as much time down here as you do."
"True, and nobody's as good as I am, either."
Later, Jazz and Ironhide were heading back to the base. The cybernetic humans had been given a building of their own, tucked away in an area by itself on a base in BFE, western USA. Fortunately, Will Lennox's team had been tapped to liaise with the Autobots and the relationship had continued even after the Autobots had transferred their selves into cyborgs.
Jazz and Ironhide entered the main room to gales of laughter. Jazz quickly joined the group, asking "What'd I miss?"
Sam grinned evilly. "Ah, Jazz. We're trying to teach Bee the fine and manly art of…belching."
"Belching? What's that?"
More laughter. Rob Epps clapped Jazz on the back and handed him a can. "Here, Jazz, pop that open and slug it down."
"Mountain Dew? What is this stuff?"
Sam yelped and dashed forward, yanking the can out of Jazz's hand. "Damn it, Rob! What are you thinking? No overly caffeinated drinks for the hyper bots or Ratchet will have your 'nads for dinner!"
"Well then, how the hell is Jazz supposed to find out what a belch is?"
Sam grinned as he popped the can open. "Well, Rob, you show 'em." Sam tilted his head back and drained the can in one go. He crushed the can, tossed it toward the recycle bin, the let loose a loud, sustained belch, which he varied the pitch of by changing his embouchure. Applause greeted his efforts, along with shouts of 'Good one, Sam!', much to Jazz's amusement.
"So is the whole thing a belch, or just the noise?"
"Just the noise, man, but Sam's a master."
Jazz hm'd thoughtfully. "So is the liquid necessary?"
Sam laughed. "No. My dad just swallows air and can pretty much belch on command. I'm not that good, I need a carbonated drink to get going."
"Ah." Jazz leaned back on his heels, took a few deep breaths, then let loose a loud belch. The room dissolved in laughter and whistles as the group applauded his efforts.
Ironhide walked down the hall to the medbay. He peeked around the door, then grinned at the sight. Perceptor had evidently fallen first, because he had the cot in the corner. Wheeljack was rolled into blankets on one of the beds in the room, while Ratchet was hunched over a microscope, muttering to himself. Ironhide quietly walked into the room, heading for their CMO. Just behind him, 'Hide whispered "Ratchet."
Ratchet jerked his head up, then glanced over his shoulder. "Oh. 'Hide. Are you injured? I had no idea how fragile these bodies were. Why anyone would…"He stopped talking, Ironhide's hand preventing him from speaking.
"Ratch, you've been up for over a day. You need to get some sleep."
"Ah, yes. When I'm finished…"
"No, Ratchet, now. You're tired. Tired people make mistakes. We've got human bodies now; we can't drive ourselves to stasis lock and expect to bounce back after a recharge cycle. You can't do this."
Ratchet set his mouth in what Ironhide had dubbed his 'sorry aft stubborn look' and turned back to the microscope. "I just need to…"
Ironhide grabbed his shoulder and turned him back around. "What does it take to get through that thick head of yours? Ratchet, you need to take care of yourself!"
A quiet voice interrupted them. "I can take over here, Ratchet. Ironhide's right. We need you working at your best and that does mean respecting the limitations of these new forms." Perceptor quietly moved forward to look over Ratchet's notes. The CMO glared both of them, then muttered, "Fine. I'll take the cot."
"No. You'll only sleep for an hour or so. You need more. Ironhide, would you please escort him to his room and see that he stays there for an entire recharge cycle?"
Ratchet was sputtering in outrage as Ironhide lifted a brow and asked, "How long is a human recharge cycle?"
"Anywhere from seven to eleven hours. I think eight is the minimum recommended for most people, but to be safe, he should sleep until he wakes up."
"Gotcha, Perc. Later." And with that parting comment, Ironhide deftly scooped Ratchet over his shoulders in a fireman's lift and left the medbay, heading to Ratchet's room. Ratchet was muttering obscenities and threatening Ironhide with painful retribution.''
'Hide moved into Ratchet's room, closed the door with his foot, then lowered the fuming CMO to his feet.
"Damnation, Ironhide! I am not some sparkling incapable of falling into recharge! I do not think…"
"Yeah, Ratch, ya don't think. Shut it, go to bed."
"No. I'm in the middle of…"
Ironhide lost his patience. He grabbed Ratchet by the shoulders and pushed him against the door. "I know that you want to get us back into our bodies as much as we want to be back. I know that you want to find a cure or at least a vaccine against this virus. I know that, Ratchet, but I'm not going to let you kill yourself with overwork! You're part of a team! Let Perceptor and Wheeljack contribute. Trust them. Be smart. Take care of yourself."
"Damn it, 'Hide! I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions about when I recharge!"
Ironhide growled deep in his throat. Ratchet was infamous for his inability to stop and let himself recharge when he was working a problem. Ironhide was going to have to try a different tactic.
Ratchet's justifications and muttering abruptly ceased. His lips were suddenly occupied with Ironhide's, whose mouth had covered his in a deep kiss. Ironhide changed the tilt of his head and discovered that he could taste more of Ratchet. Dropping his hands from Ratchet's shoulders, he wrapped them around the other man's body, pulling them together. Ratchet's arms slid around Ironhide's shoulders, then one hand slid into the thick black hair and clutched the back of his head.
Ironhide pulled back, then nibbled at Ratchet's jaw line, tonguing the stubble and tasting Ratchet. He groaned, sliding one hand to the CMO's rear and pulling their groins together. Ratchet's breath left in a needy whimper, "Ironhide…ah, Primus! What are you doing?"
Ironhide chuckled. "It's called sex, Ratchet. I'm using it to distract you."
Ratchet jerked back, breaking the connection between them. "What?! I…you…"
The weapons specialist followed him, pressing his body over Ratchet's and pushing him against the door. "I was a Primus damned fool. I love you. I have for vorns. I should have bonded myself to you so that you'd know how much you mean to me. It kills me to see you hurt yourself this way. Let me…Ratchet, let me take care of you. Please…let me…" Ironhide nuzzled Ratchet's neck and jaw, muttering all the while, "…let me…please, Ratch…you taste so good…um…", finally arriving at Ratchet's mouth and sealing their lips together in a kiss.
Ratchet groaned, then slumped against the door, clutching Ironhide to himself. "Why…ah…why didn’t you tell me this before?"
Ironhide chuckled, leaning against Ratchet and slowly grinding their hips together. "I was afraid. Afraid you'd say no, afraid that it would change the team. I figured I'd wait until the war was over."
Ratchet growled at him, "Damned fool. I love you, too."
And no more words were needed for a very long time…
"Wheeljack?"
"Yes, Ratchet?" Wheeljack turned on the stool to face his friend.
"Do you think it's possible to still bond in these bodies?"
Wheeljack raised his eyebrows, then grinned. "Did he finally, ah, 'jump your bones' I believe is the term?"
Ratchet gave him an abashed grin. "Primus, yes. Was it that obvious?"
"Only to everyone else."
Ratchet dropped into a chair and buried his face in his hands. He groaned, then ground out, "How could I have been so stupid?"
Wheeljack patted his friend on the back. "Not stupid, Ratch. Oblivious. And I think you didn't want to see. How much sleep did you get?"
Ratchet glared at him. "Twelve hours. And a shower. And breakfast, before he'd even let me come in here."
"Good for him!"
"Good for whom?" Perceptor stood in the doorway, several notebooks and a box of slides in his hands.
Wheeljack turned and moved to help him. "Ironhide. He seduced Ratchet, got him to sleep around the clock, bathed him and fed him."
Perceptor blinked, then glanced at Ratchet. "Well. It's about time."
Ratchet growled at him, but admitted that he did feel much better. Wheeljack, laughing, went back to his notes after depositing the slides near the microscope. "Still, I don't know the answer to your question, Ratchet."
"What question?"
Ratchet moved as if to cut him off, but Wheeljack cheerfully talked over him.
"Ratchet wondered if we could still bond in these bodies."
"Of course."
Both cyborgs stopped and looked at Perceptor. He looked back at them, then continued, "We moved our sparks into these bodies. It's more difficult, but it is do-able. These bodies are constructs. They may look human, but they will last longer, much longer than a human. And they have modifications. One is an organic spark chamber, located near the heart."
Ratchet glanced at Wheeljack, then back to Perceptor. "Alright. Say I want to bond with Ironhide. How do I go about accomplishing this?"
"Well, you need to…"
Later
"'Hide."
"Hm? You're supposed to be sleeping, Ratch."
Ratchet moved, crawling over his lover and settling his chin on his hands, which were on Ironhide's chest.
"'Hide. I love you. Will you…will you bond with me?"
Ironhide looked up into his beloved's face, two tears welling out the corners of his eyes. Hoarsely, he whispered, "Can we?"
"Yes."
"I would like nothing better than to belong to you. Always, Ratchet, always and forever."
Part 3, Rapids, can be found here.