So my muse decided to join in the last minute for the April Challenge *heads desk*
Prompt: April Challenge 2010
Title: Taking chances
Rating: T
Universe: Pre Movie 07 verse
Characters: Jazz, Prowl, Ratchet, Wheeljack, mention of others
Warnings: fluff, use of profanities and slight slash
Disclaimer: Not mine, I just toy with with them and hand them back in less than pristine condition.
Summary: Prowl discovers that it sometimes it takes one near death experience to realise just how truly important one single individual can be
So my muse decided to join in the last minute for the April Challenge *heads desk*
'Blah' - thoughts
Breem - minute
Joor - hour
Orn - day
The low hum of the Ark's engines and systems reverberated throughout the entire ship as the sleek, silver transport ship sat stationary in high orbit around the planet shadowed by one of its moons, its purpose in space was to serve as shelter to the battered Autobot forces after their fierce fight with the Decepticons that resulted in severe damage being inflicted upon both armies. Prowl had finally completed the necessary battle rounds with Optimus Prime and was now on his way down to the med-bay to have his own injuries seen too, now that all the relevant paper work and duty assignments were out of the way. The tactician stepped through the doors to the med-bay to find it relatively quiet save for a few mechs who were in medically induced stasis to allow their self repair systems to work. He was greeted by Wheeljack who was just finishing up a couple of minor repairs upon Mirage before he discharged the spy from the repair bay, the engineer quickly cleared up the tools away he had been using before making his way across to the berth the black and white mech had perched himself upon. Prowl tried not to flinch when Wheeljack began probing the joint of the left sensory panel that had been dislocated in a fall.
"Everything checks out fine besides the left panel, you've managed to dislocate it which I can sort out easily, and the dents and scrapes will work themselves out in a few orns." Wheeljack said as he set the scanner down upon the berth and met the tactician's gaze.
"I figured as much." Prowl replied as he glanced around the med-bay again for a certain individual he knew would be down here. He hissed in pain when the engineer slid the needle point of an injection pen into the already too sensitive joint and unloaded a vial of anaesthetic. He heard Wheeljack mumble an apology as he set down the injection device upon the tray before he felt the engineer press one of his hands against the middle of his back. The tactician gritted his denta and gripped the side of the berth as he knew exactly what was coming next when he felt Wheeljack grip the top edge of the sensory panel, he pulled it back and began manipulating it so the appendage snapped back into place. The 2IC grunted at the force being exerted upon his back before he allowed his entire frame to relax, he heard the engineer mutter to himself as he scanned the joint just to make sure that none of the muscle cables had been kinked or energon were trapped.
"It's gonna be sore for a few orns so I suggest that you restrict your duties to desk work until the swelling goes down." Wheeljack told him.
"Understood." Prowl replied as he twitched the left panel only to grimace when he felt discomfort emanating from the joint, he knew it was going to cause no end of problems for him like it usually did when he either damaged or dislocated the panels "how is Jazz?" He asked a few moments later.
"He's going to be fine considering the near suicidal move he pulled." Came Ratchet's voice as the CMO made his way over, Prowl couldn't help but duck his helm in guilt at that. After all he had been his lack of observation during the skirmish down at the outpost that he had landed the saboteur in the med-bay in the first place. He had failed to notice the building's lack of structural integrity behind him until it was too late, he remembered it groaning and crumbling under the impact of several plasma rounds before it had collapsed completely. He understood that if he hadn't managed to escape in time that the weight of concrete and metal would have surely killed him, but luckily enough Jazz had shoved him backwards so the pair of them fell through a small crevice as the building collapsed on top and around them. The tactician recalled regaining consciousness only to find himself being pinned in the small confined space by Jazz's frame, it had been uncomfortable not too mention awkward at first being pressed so intimately close to the saboteur. However since he had no choice but to remain where he was, he made no move to alter their positions in the slightest.
Unfortunately during the several orns that he and Jazz were trapped under the rubble saw him without company per se as the saboteur was deep in stasis lock, at first the tactician couldn't determine what the silver mech's injuries were until his clawed fingertips brushed against something that was currently wedged in the right side of Jazz's lower back. Prowl had kept all available sensors upon the saboteur's condition during their time of 'captivity' and almost for once in his lifetime found himself panicking when the silver mech's energy levels began dropping rapidly. Luckily for them they had been found and shipped back to the Ark in time before Jazz's injuries could become fatal, although the 2IC had escaped Ratchet's clutches so the chartreuse mech could focus all his efforts upon saving the saboteur.
"Can I see him?" Prowl asked, both Ratchet and Wheeljack glanced at one in surprise before the CMO nodded his head. The tactician slid off the berth he had been sat on and followed the medic to one of the recovery rooms at the back of the repair bay. The room was dimly lit at first until the lights came up fully, lighting up the singular silver form in the room who was currently laid out upon his back, both clawed hands resting upon his abdomen. The black and white mech made his way across the small room until he was stood beside the saboteur's berth, his azure optics settling upon the monitor briefly as it tracked strong vitals.
"I'll leave you to it." Ratchet told him from where he was stood in the doorway "he'll regain consciousness shortly." The tactician didn't spare the CMO a glance but simply nodded in acknowledgement instead. The black and white mech waited for the medic to leave before he tentatively reached out and removed one of the silver clawed hands, he intertwined their fingers as he swept his gaze over Jazz's prone form taking in every scrape and dent that had been left to heal on their own. His azure optics fell upon the lax facial plates of the saboteur and he couldn't help but frown. He was still finding it hard to comprehend why Jazz had put his life on the line to save his, after all if it hadn't been for that crevice Optimus would have surely lost both his second and his third in command, a serious blow to the Autobots that they couldn't afford. Yet the saboteur had done it without question or any prompting which lead him to the possibility that it could be related to a more personal reason instead, he stalled at that; could Jazz possibly have feelings for him? If that was the case then it explained why the silver mech had leapt before he had thought it through. Prowl felt his spark flutter in its chamber at the notion that the saboteur could be harbouring feelings for him, he knew it meant that if he revealed his own feelings he had toward the special ops mech, that he might not be met with rejection and would instead possibly gain something out of it. Although he knew deep down that it was rare for special ops agents such as Jazz to make any commitments since they had a high probability of being killed during a mission, but then again they all did every time they stepped out onto the battlefield which didn't seem to stop any of the current couples upon the Ark from making life long commitments to one another. And now he was beginning to wonder whether he too should take that chance in the event that he would never get another, even though he wasn't exactly one of those who readily took a chance.
"Prowl?" Came a groggy inquiry which brought him out of his line of thinking.
The tactician glanced down at the hazy azure optics that were now gazing up at him "I'm here Jazz."
"Oh thank slag … we made it out." The saboteur uttered as his shuttered his optics again.
"No thanks to the reckless move you pulled in doing so." Prowl told him sternly, his optic ridges drawn downwards in a frown.
"Seemed like the only option at th' time .. an' ya welcome." The special ops mech responded as he un-shuttered his optics and glanced up at the 2IC, he could see a troubled look upon the others facial plates and he frowned in concern "Prowler?"
"Why did you do it Jazz? You could have gotten yourself killed." The tactician inquired as he tightened his grip upon the hand he was still holding a little more.
Jazz fidgeted nervously upon the berth although he soon regretted it when his injuries protested the movement. Could he truly tell Prowl how he felt about him without screwing up the long and close friendship they shared? Especially if the tactician didn't return said feelings but he decided that there really was no time like the present, and even if the black and white mech didn't see him in the same way he could always request a transfer until things blew over. Although if Smokescreen had his way, the diversionary tactician would hunt his aft down and kick his skid-plate all the way back to Cybertron for screwing up his friendship with Prowl.
The saboteur 'swallowed' anxiously "I … Prowl I …." He cursed himself inwardly when his traitorous vocaliser refused to form the words that were lingering in his processor, he could see the somewhat expectant if not questioning look upon the tactician's facial plates 'Frag it, spit it out Jazz before ya lose ya opportunity.' He told himself before he took in a deep intake of air to calm his systems "th' reason I did it mech was because … well I care about ya."
Prowl looked somewhat surprised by that statement "Care about me?"
The saboteur gingerly pushed himself up into a sitting position whilst ignoring the painful twinge from his back, it was then he noticed that the fingers of his right hand was currently intertwined with Prowl's left ones. He saw the tactician duck his head shyly but made no move to take back his hand, Jazz felt his spark flutter and knew that in the small gesture being displayed was all the evidence he needed that his feelings would be returned.
The silver mech's azure gaze met the black and white's fully "I have feelin's for ya, I have fer a while now an' I did it coz I didn't wanna lose ya Prowl." He glanced off to the side "but I understand if ya don't feel th' same way."
Prowl couldn't help but look startled at that and knew he needed to say something quickly before Jazz thought that he didn't feel the same way. He tentatively reached out with his other hand and gently grasped the saboteur's chin and turned his finned helm to face him again, he gave the special ops mech a small reassuring smile before he lowered his helm and brushed his lip components against Jazz's in a soft chaste kiss. He pulled away only slightly to meet the saboteur's gaze only to feel Jazz's free hand slip around the back of his helm and tug him forward again into another kiss. It lasted much longer than the first and when they finally pulled away, the pair of them were drawing in deep intakes of air to cool their rapidly heating systems.
"I take it that means ya feel the same way?" The special ops mech asked just to be sure.
A soft chuckle escaped the tactician "It does."
"Wow mech I never thought . . ." Jazz trailed off.
"Neither did I, but it goes to show that taking chances can produce good results." The black and white mech replied as he smoothed his right thumb over one of the saboteur's defined cheek arches.
"Well its about fraggin' time." Came Ratchet's voice "was beginning to wonder if you too would finally stop dancing around one another." The tactician and the saboteur glanced over to where the CMO was stood leaning against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest, the chartreuse mech pushed himself off and made his way across. Ratchet couldn't help a small smile tug at the corners of his lip components as he checked the special ops mech vitals and the healing wound upon the silver mech's back before he turned to the pair of them "right I want you in recharge and you ..." He pointed at Prowl "…. to report to quarters to refuel and recharge, I assume Wheeljack has already told you that you are to keep to desk work and nothing more for the next few orns?"
"He did yes." The tactician responded as he kept his gaze fixated upon Jazz for a few more astro-seconds before he finally glanced at the CMO "but I would like to remain here with Jazz if that is alright with you?"
The medic vented a sigh from his intakes as he glanced from one mech to the other "Alright but no funny business or I'll kick your aft out of my medical bay is that understood?" He shot a stern look at the pair of them.
"Crystal." The two of them replied. Ratchet glanced at each of them in turn once more before finally leaving the recovery room, the pair of them watched him leave before Prowl turned to Jazz.
"You should rest." The tactician told him.
The saboteur met his gaze with weary optics "So should you."
"And I will, but I better follow the good doctors orders and refuel first, I'll be back in a breem." The black and white said as he leant forward and planted a soft kiss upon the special ops mech's forehead. Prowl helped Jazz to lay down upon his left side before he traced the finned edges of an horn, he gave the saboteur a small smile before quickly leaving the recovery room. The tactician made his trip down to the recreation room as quick as possible to grab a cube of energon, although along the way a few of the mechs on board stopped him to ask him how Jazz and the others were doing. In fact he was on his way back when Red Alert ambushed him, but he simply told the security director that anything they needed to addressed would have to wait before continuing on his way back to the repair bay. When the 2IC entered the med-bay he found the lights dim which indicated the CMO had probably retreated to his own quarters to recharge, he quietly made his way across to the recovery room he knew Jazz was in and entered. He found the saboteur lying in the exact same position he had left him in, he quickly made his way round to the other side of the berth and pulled himself up onto it whilst making sure not to disturb the special ops mech in his much needed rest.
Prowl knew that if this had been any other time he would have felt awkward about sharing the same berth as Jazz, but right now he felt no uneasiness as he laid down upon his right side. He couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lip components before he allowed his systems to begin powering down for recharge. After all it was worth taking a chance regardless of the outcome, which in this case would be the start of hopefully a long and maybe permanent relationship that would stretch many vorns to come.
A/N: Now I've got that bugger out the way, I can get on with the rest of my fics lol.