Cybernetics
I cannot tell you how proud I am of this chapter. It's so good! That usually means a lot coming from me, I think everything I write sucks ass, so this must be pretty decent if even I approve ^^
Title: Cybernetics (chapter 38)
Rating: R-ish NSFW
Pairing: Barricade/OC
Summary: Natalie is stressed. She makes some bad decisions. Barricade is happy to help.
Warnings: Steamy sexiness, language, brief mention of attempted rape
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, I just like playing with Barricade's morality.
Chapter 38: Borderline
A/N: Alright gang, house points to whoever can figure out what fandoms I’m crossing over now!
Natalie let out a deep sigh and pressed her forehead against the window.
Great. Just great.
Now she had one more person to add to her shit list. Or, better yet, her “People/Things I Want To Melt With Flamethrowers” list.
The information Frenzy relayed to them was staggering, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to believe it, but what choice did she have?
On the team of doctors, engineers and geneticists who had worked on her there were many scientists, but the only ones really worth remembering at all were the heads of each department. Her “parents” as it were. Dr. Ort Meyer, head of the medical team, a man from Romania who had recently been found murdered and who had been in charge of calculating the changes that needed to be made in her innards to accommodate the new technology. The lovely Dr. Bridgette Tennenbaum, head geneticist who oversaw the process of binding her original biological structure to her new alien enhancements. And then there was Dr. William Birkin, head engineering director. Although it could not be said he played the most important role in her creation (that honor went to Dr. Meyer), he’d been the biggest contributing factor in her life ever since. And why?
Natalie’s fists clenched in anger at just the thought.
He was a man of dubious morality. They all were, really, and none of them had good track records of being loyal to their employers, but neither Meyer nor Tennenbaum had been so low as to accept bribes from the enemy.
An offer to be shown all Decepticon technology and enough test subjects to do as much experimentation as he pleased, were all it took to sway Dr. Birkin into telling the Decepticons everything. Everything. From Natalie’s cup-size, to the name of the dog she’d lost when she was two, to where the Autobot base was.
“So what do we do now?” She breathed against the cold glass of the passenger side window.
“You go to rescue your friends and I will attempt to capture the disloyal fleshbag before the Decepticons do.”
“What makes you think they haven’t got him already? It’s been a long time ‘Cade, and if he really did backstab them by selling their technology on the black market, they’re probably very determined to find him.” She pointed out.
Barricade shook his head. “Yes, but if he was able to keep from them the fact that he lived in Springfield, he has more than likely prevented them from discovering the location of his home. Short of tearing the roof off every house, any search method they chose will take time.”
“Jesus.” She closed her eyes against the onslaught of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. “Can you believe the man who ruined my life lives in the same town I grew up in? We probably sat in the same theatre to see Star Wars or stood in line at the grocery store together...” She shivered.
“Do not dwell on it.” Barricade warned. “Relax. We are approaching the border. If you look nervous they won’t let us through.”
Natalie nodded, and sank back into her seat. Then she went rigid and sat bolt upright. “Barricade, I don’t have a passport.”
“What?”
“A passport. You have to have one to get from country to country!”
Barricade switched off the siren and lights at long last, and her ears rang in the tense silence as he pulled off the road and into an alley across the street from a used car dealership.
He killed the engine and sat for a moment.
“So you’re telling me we can’t get through?” He asked, a little too calm.
“Yes.” She replied meekly.
A shiver of electricity ran through his frame, and she feared it was anger. She sought him out through the bond, but found only cool calculation. And then, “I have an idea.”
***
Barricade pulled up to the station and waited patiently for one of the staffed guards to approach them. He looked at the car suspiciously and Natalie felt her heart sink. That was not a good way to start things off. Obviously a police car trying to cross the border would look weird, especially since they weren’t allowed to leave their area of jurisdiction, and leaving the country would certainly accomplish that.
“Good evening. Can I see some identification?”
The projection in the driver’s seat nodded and gave a polite smile as he reached into the breast pocket of his plain black suit and handed over his holographic government ID.
“Sector Seven? I’ve never heard of that.” The patrolman narrowed his eyes, looking the ID over thoroughly to ensure it wasn’t fake. He handed it back to Barricade and cocked an eyebrow. “Is that why this car doesn’t have plates?”
“This car is government property.” Barricade nodded.
“...alright. Care to show me some ID sweetheart?” He asked, leaning down to smile at Natalie. She unclipped the ID tag from the hem of her shirt and handed it over. “Give me a moment to run these through our computers.” The guard moved to stand, but Barricade grabbed his wrist.
“Our getting to Michigan in time is a matter of National Security, we don’t have time for you to run checks. We’re federal agents of the U.S. government, let us pass.”
The guard pulled away from the former-Decepticon’s grip and stood up straight. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to come inside with me.”
“I’m telling you, we MUST cross this border-“
“’Cade, just park the damn car and let’s go.” Natalie hissed, smacking his leg.
He glared at her, but obeyed. As they got out he growled at the CD player in the back seat, “Stay here.”
Natalie was surprised to see Barricade had changed his alt form from a police Saleen to a non-descript black sedan. Apparently the patrolman had been suspicious because of the lack of plates, and not car’s purpose as she’d originally thought.
Barricade noticed her lingering and took her hand in his to guide her into the office they were being led to. “It’s not polite to stare.” He scolded her as they entered.
“It’s not polite to attempt rape.” She shot back, low enough so only he could hear.
This cowed Barricade sufficiently. He dropped her hand and edged away, shifting uncomfortably. Natalie felt a little pang of regret go through her, but she couldn’t tell which one of them it belonged to.
Unsurprisingly, when the guard checked the computers he found no record of one Bartholomew Kade or a Ms. Natalie Crossfire as being employed with the USFG, primarily because S7 did not technically exist, and neither did they.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you cross just now. I’m going to...get in contact with the pentagon...see if they give you the all clear.” The patrolman said, drawing her out of her thoughts.
Natalie didn’t buy that for a second. Some border patrolman had a direct line to the Pentagon? No way. There was only one federal agency he’d have a direct line with, and Natalie had no interest in being carted away by the Department of Homeland Security. Without really thinking about it, she came up behind him as he picked up the phone and used her robotic arm to backhand him. He was knocked instantly unconscious, and the phone dropped to the floor.
“Are you malfunctioning?!” Barricade exclaimed.
Natalie froze. “I-I didn’t know what else to do!”
“Fine! We’ll just have to get out of here.” Barricade grabbed her arm and started to drag her away when she stopped him.
“No! Wait! Our names are still in the computer! I don’t want to be on the DHS’s list. Plus we were probably caught on security feed!”
“Well, this is the security office, the recording device should be in here.” He reasoned.
“Not in a government facility. There’s always a backup off-site.” She shook her head.
“Fine, then S7 can clean that up later, for now...” Barricade took all the magnets of the mini fridge in the corner of the office and stuck them on the monitor and the CPU of the computer their victim had been using, then shut down the security cameras and stole the recorder.
“They aren’t going to just let us walk out of here with that!” Natalie looked at him like he was crazy.
“They will if they don’t see us taking it.” Barricade focused his hologram on making the DVR recorder disappear before grabbing her arm again and marching her out the door (which they locked behind them).
It was a tense five minute drive as they headed across the border, unsure of whether or not they were being followed. When they reached the loading dock for the ferry, they had apparently arrived not a moment too soon and were one of the first cars allowed on. Barricade was quick to change his alt form to match a shiny red Porsche they drove past, and alter his holoform as well in case anyone came looking for them. Now he looked about Natalie’s age, and just a few inches taller. Thankfully, he’d ditched the mustache and the cop uniform as well. Instead he wore jeans and a plain-looking black coat. There was a scarf and some gloves thrown in there too on account of it being so cold, and Natalie couldn’t hold back a giggle at how absurdly cute they made him look. Barricade narrowed his eyes at her and locked all his doors, not trusting Frenzy to stay put for the next 60 minutes or so.
Together, hologram and Cyborg ascended the stairs up to the top deck and walked over to the railing. The ferry was a lot bigger than any she’d ever been on. She hadn’t realized they came so large, but she supposed it made sense. There were a lot of passengers on the ship (for it was too large to be called a “boat”) and she couldn’t imagine fitting them all on the one story ferries she had ridden in New England.
It was cold up on deck, and she shivered against the wind. It hadn’t occurred to her to bring a coat.
“Do you want to go inside?” Barricade asked, leaning casually against the rail beside her.
“No. Too many people.” She shook her head.
As the ferry picked up speed and started really getting going across Lake Michigan, a strong wind blew across the deck. She turned her back on it and face Barricade instead, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth as she shivered rather violently.
He raised an eyebrow at her, the long bangs of his untidy black hair falling in his eyes. It made him look incredibly sexy, and she narrowed her eyes at him in response.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go inside?” He smirked.
Natalie glared and turned to look out at the water as it washed alongside the ship’s hull. The inky blackness reflected the moon just enough to make it eerie. The color reminded her of oil, and she briefly wondered how much of it painted the streets of Springfield. How many mechs had been slain, and for a cause that only Barricade, Frenzy and herself knew wasn’t worth it?
If she called out to Ironhide would he respond? What about Jazz? Optimus? Bumblebee..?
The list went on and on in her head, and she tried desperately to stop imagining Ironhide deactivated, or Donnie and Micha in Starscream’s clutches.
And God, what if Frenzy had lied? What if this was all an elaborate trick? What if-?
“It’s no use worrying when there is nothing you can do.” Barricade said sagely. “You’ll be no use to anyone if you’re too hysterical to think straight.”
Natalie nodded and hugged herself tighter.
Fuck it was cold.
“That’s it. Come.” Barricade gave her no choice in the matter. He simply grabbed her around the waist and forced her into the main seating area. It was warm inside the vessel, but he still held her close. Probably that “you require moral support through physical affection” thing again. She didn’t buy that bullshit for a second, she knew all he wanted was to hold her close, but she didn’t mind so much as long as his arms were around her and she didn’t feel so horribly vulnerable. Or cold.
They sat down toward the edge of the room in a long row of empty seats. Natalie folded her hands in her lap and stared off into space blankly. She hoped she hadn’t done any really horrible damage to the patrolman she’d smacked, like giving him amnesia or a concussion. She could imagine him waking up, not remembering who he was or where, being taken to a hospital with his wife and kids to fret over him. And when they got there, he wouldn’t remember them or the way he cried when his son was born or how he’d met his wife the first day of high school, their first kiss, the first time they’d made love...
“Will you give it a rest?” Barricade sighed beside her.
“I’m sorry!” Natalie cried out defensively. “I just... I’m scared!” She tried in vain for a moment to not cry, but ended up collapsing into tears anyway. “I can’t take any more of this! I don’t know anything about what’s going on or why! If my friends are safe! If Ratchet is safe! They could all be dead!”
“They are fine, and you are causing a scene!” He hissed at her.
Natalie took a deep, shuddering breath and forced herself to calm down a little. “There. Just...just breathe.” Barricade soothed, unsure what to say. He wrapped her up in a consoling embrace and stroked her back to try and calm her. He had seen mothers calm screaming children by rocking them, and hoped desperately that it was some sort of instinctual trigger as he began doing the same.
Natalie let Barricade rock her slowly, and buried her face against his neck. She could tell through the bond that the situation made him feel awkward. “Thanks.”
“Just calm down Fleshling, before I forcibly offline you.”
“You’re so sweet ‘Cade. Really. It’s amazing how so evil a creature as you can be so gentle.”
“And it’s amazing how so stubborn and headstrong an organism such as yourself can be so prone to collapsing into tears for no logical reason whatsoever.”
“Fuck you.”
“You already did.”
“Well you can count on that never happening again if this is how you treat me.”
“It’s inevitable fleshling, we are inexorably tied together.” He tilted her chin up to look at her face and hand her a tissue from a nearby box.
She dried her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. “If you say so.”
“Don’t doubt me so much. Most of what I tell you is true.”
“Most?”
“Most.”
“Then how can I trust you on this ‘inexorably tied together’ thing?” She asked, feeling her worries start to melt away. At least he was good enough to distract her.
“Let me show you...” He whispered, lips suddenly on her neck. She didn’t have much time to protest before his mouth had suddenly moved to cover hers. To the immense surprise of them both, she let him kiss her. She even parted her lips to let his tongue stroke hers. But what really surprised them both was when she tugged him closer and started kissing back.
Maybe it was stress. Maybe it was lust. Maybe they were inexorably tied together. Whatever it was, it felt good.
He kissed her long and deep, terrified that as soon as he pulled away she’d hit him or yell at him or run away. But oh, oh no. When he was finally forced to break the kiss she responded by yanking him back down for another one. A moan escaped him as she grabbed the lapels of his jacket to drag him closer. He was tempted to push her down on the bench and ravage her right there and could feel she wanted the same. Still, there were an awful lot of people around.
Barricade was debating whether or not to toss Frenzy in the trunk and take this to his back seat when she pulled away from him without warning.
“No.” She said shakily. “No, we can’t do this. We can’t.”
Worried he’d lose her, he put some distance between them and placed his hands in his lap in hopes it would reassure her he had no intention of touching her when she didn’t want it. That rape comment she’d made in the office still stung.
“I’m scared and I’m freaking out and this is not an appropriate way to deal with it.”
“Whatever you want, fleshling.” He replied, calm, non-threatening.
Natalie sighed heavily. “Why do you call me that? Ratchet already explained to you that ‘fleshling’ is a term for human babies.”
“And I already explained to Ratchet that humans often refer to one another in terms of-“
“But those are terms of endearment.”
“Would you prefer I called you ‘squishy?’” Barricade asked playfully, trying to lighten the mood.
“I’d prefer it if you were less confusing.” She huffed.
“Whatever you want, baby.”
Natalie turned to give him an odd look, and he smirked. There was a brief pause where neither of them spoke or did anything, almost as if they were trying to stare each other down.
Saying nothing, Natalie took his hand and stood to lead him elsewhere. Seven minutes later found them in the shadows below deck where the automobiles were held, Barricade pressed up against the wall while Natalie kissed him passionately. He was unbelievably hard as well as unbelievably patient in the face of how much he wanted her and the way she insisted on teasing. She kissed her way from his lips to his jaw to his ear, relishing the little gasps she drew from him when she bit down. He had his hands down the back of her jeans, cupping her ass to force her hips against his.
“Natalie, baby, let me inside you...” He breathed against her neck, using his new pet name for her and knowing full well it turned her on beyond measure when he did.
“No, just kiss me.” She bit his ear and he moaned.
“Kiss you where?” His voice was heavy with suggestion and he hoped it would remind her of how much she’d enjoyed the last time he’d brought her off using his mouth, back when she was still being held prisoner and the strong emotions she created in him made him fear her touch.
“Barricade,” She kissed him long and slow. “Isn’t this enough?”
“I’ll never have enough of you.” He drew her up against him and kissed her thoroughly as the ship sailed onward, and he prayed silently that there would come a time he’d get to finish this properly.
Title: Cybernetics (chapter 38)
Rating: R-ish NSFW
Pairing: Barricade/OC
Summary: Natalie is stressed. She makes some bad decisions. Barricade is happy to help.
Warnings: Steamy sexiness, language, brief mention of attempted rape
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, I just like playing with Barricade's morality.
Chapter 38: Borderline
A/N: Alright gang, house points to whoever can figure out what fandoms I’m crossing over now!
Natalie let out a deep sigh and pressed her forehead against the window.
Great. Just great.
Now she had one more person to add to her shit list. Or, better yet, her “People/Things I Want To Melt With Flamethrowers” list.
The information Frenzy relayed to them was staggering, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to believe it, but what choice did she have?
On the team of doctors, engineers and geneticists who had worked on her there were many scientists, but the only ones really worth remembering at all were the heads of each department. Her “parents” as it were. Dr. Ort Meyer, head of the medical team, a man from Romania who had recently been found murdered and who had been in charge of calculating the changes that needed to be made in her innards to accommodate the new technology. The lovely Dr. Bridgette Tennenbaum, head geneticist who oversaw the process of binding her original biological structure to her new alien enhancements. And then there was Dr. William Birkin, head engineering director. Although it could not be said he played the most important role in her creation (that honor went to Dr. Meyer), he’d been the biggest contributing factor in her life ever since. And why?
Natalie’s fists clenched in anger at just the thought.
He was a man of dubious morality. They all were, really, and none of them had good track records of being loyal to their employers, but neither Meyer nor Tennenbaum had been so low as to accept bribes from the enemy.
An offer to be shown all Decepticon technology and enough test subjects to do as much experimentation as he pleased, were all it took to sway Dr. Birkin into telling the Decepticons everything. Everything. From Natalie’s cup-size, to the name of the dog she’d lost when she was two, to where the Autobot base was.
“So what do we do now?” She breathed against the cold glass of the passenger side window.
“You go to rescue your friends and I will attempt to capture the disloyal fleshbag before the Decepticons do.”
“What makes you think they haven’t got him already? It’s been a long time ‘Cade, and if he really did backstab them by selling their technology on the black market, they’re probably very determined to find him.” She pointed out.
Barricade shook his head. “Yes, but if he was able to keep from them the fact that he lived in Springfield, he has more than likely prevented them from discovering the location of his home. Short of tearing the roof off every house, any search method they chose will take time.”
“Jesus.” She closed her eyes against the onslaught of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. “Can you believe the man who ruined my life lives in the same town I grew up in? We probably sat in the same theatre to see Star Wars or stood in line at the grocery store together...” She shivered.
“Do not dwell on it.” Barricade warned. “Relax. We are approaching the border. If you look nervous they won’t let us through.”
Natalie nodded, and sank back into her seat. Then she went rigid and sat bolt upright. “Barricade, I don’t have a passport.”
“What?”
“A passport. You have to have one to get from country to country!”
Barricade switched off the siren and lights at long last, and her ears rang in the tense silence as he pulled off the road and into an alley across the street from a used car dealership.
He killed the engine and sat for a moment.
“So you’re telling me we can’t get through?” He asked, a little too calm.
“Yes.” She replied meekly.
A shiver of electricity ran through his frame, and she feared it was anger. She sought him out through the bond, but found only cool calculation. And then, “I have an idea.”
***
Barricade pulled up to the station and waited patiently for one of the staffed guards to approach them. He looked at the car suspiciously and Natalie felt her heart sink. That was not a good way to start things off. Obviously a police car trying to cross the border would look weird, especially since they weren’t allowed to leave their area of jurisdiction, and leaving the country would certainly accomplish that.
“Good evening. Can I see some identification?”
The projection in the driver’s seat nodded and gave a polite smile as he reached into the breast pocket of his plain black suit and handed over his holographic government ID.
“Sector Seven? I’ve never heard of that.” The patrolman narrowed his eyes, looking the ID over thoroughly to ensure it wasn’t fake. He handed it back to Barricade and cocked an eyebrow. “Is that why this car doesn’t have plates?”
“This car is government property.” Barricade nodded.
“...alright. Care to show me some ID sweetheart?” He asked, leaning down to smile at Natalie. She unclipped the ID tag from the hem of her shirt and handed it over. “Give me a moment to run these through our computers.” The guard moved to stand, but Barricade grabbed his wrist.
“Our getting to Michigan in time is a matter of National Security, we don’t have time for you to run checks. We’re federal agents of the U.S. government, let us pass.”
The guard pulled away from the former-Decepticon’s grip and stood up straight. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to come inside with me.”
“I’m telling you, we MUST cross this border-“
“’Cade, just park the damn car and let’s go.” Natalie hissed, smacking his leg.
He glared at her, but obeyed. As they got out he growled at the CD player in the back seat, “Stay here.”
Natalie was surprised to see Barricade had changed his alt form from a police Saleen to a non-descript black sedan. Apparently the patrolman had been suspicious because of the lack of plates, and not car’s purpose as she’d originally thought.
Barricade noticed her lingering and took her hand in his to guide her into the office they were being led to. “It’s not polite to stare.” He scolded her as they entered.
“It’s not polite to attempt rape.” She shot back, low enough so only he could hear.
This cowed Barricade sufficiently. He dropped her hand and edged away, shifting uncomfortably. Natalie felt a little pang of regret go through her, but she couldn’t tell which one of them it belonged to.
Unsurprisingly, when the guard checked the computers he found no record of one Bartholomew Kade or a Ms. Natalie Crossfire as being employed with the USFG, primarily because S7 did not technically exist, and neither did they.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you cross just now. I’m going to...get in contact with the pentagon...see if they give you the all clear.” The patrolman said, drawing her out of her thoughts.
Natalie didn’t buy that for a second. Some border patrolman had a direct line to the Pentagon? No way. There was only one federal agency he’d have a direct line with, and Natalie had no interest in being carted away by the Department of Homeland Security. Without really thinking about it, she came up behind him as he picked up the phone and used her robotic arm to backhand him. He was knocked instantly unconscious, and the phone dropped to the floor.
“Are you malfunctioning?!” Barricade exclaimed.
Natalie froze. “I-I didn’t know what else to do!”
“Fine! We’ll just have to get out of here.” Barricade grabbed her arm and started to drag her away when she stopped him.
“No! Wait! Our names are still in the computer! I don’t want to be on the DHS’s list. Plus we were probably caught on security feed!”
“Well, this is the security office, the recording device should be in here.” He reasoned.
“Not in a government facility. There’s always a backup off-site.” She shook her head.
“Fine, then S7 can clean that up later, for now...” Barricade took all the magnets of the mini fridge in the corner of the office and stuck them on the monitor and the CPU of the computer their victim had been using, then shut down the security cameras and stole the recorder.
“They aren’t going to just let us walk out of here with that!” Natalie looked at him like he was crazy.
“They will if they don’t see us taking it.” Barricade focused his hologram on making the DVR recorder disappear before grabbing her arm again and marching her out the door (which they locked behind them).
It was a tense five minute drive as they headed across the border, unsure of whether or not they were being followed. When they reached the loading dock for the ferry, they had apparently arrived not a moment too soon and were one of the first cars allowed on. Barricade was quick to change his alt form to match a shiny red Porsche they drove past, and alter his holoform as well in case anyone came looking for them. Now he looked about Natalie’s age, and just a few inches taller. Thankfully, he’d ditched the mustache and the cop uniform as well. Instead he wore jeans and a plain-looking black coat. There was a scarf and some gloves thrown in there too on account of it being so cold, and Natalie couldn’t hold back a giggle at how absurdly cute they made him look. Barricade narrowed his eyes at her and locked all his doors, not trusting Frenzy to stay put for the next 60 minutes or so.
Together, hologram and Cyborg ascended the stairs up to the top deck and walked over to the railing. The ferry was a lot bigger than any she’d ever been on. She hadn’t realized they came so large, but she supposed it made sense. There were a lot of passengers on the ship (for it was too large to be called a “boat”) and she couldn’t imagine fitting them all on the one story ferries she had ridden in New England.
It was cold up on deck, and she shivered against the wind. It hadn’t occurred to her to bring a coat.
“Do you want to go inside?” Barricade asked, leaning casually against the rail beside her.
“No. Too many people.” She shook her head.
As the ferry picked up speed and started really getting going across Lake Michigan, a strong wind blew across the deck. She turned her back on it and face Barricade instead, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth as she shivered rather violently.
He raised an eyebrow at her, the long bangs of his untidy black hair falling in his eyes. It made him look incredibly sexy, and she narrowed her eyes at him in response.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go inside?” He smirked.
Natalie glared and turned to look out at the water as it washed alongside the ship’s hull. The inky blackness reflected the moon just enough to make it eerie. The color reminded her of oil, and she briefly wondered how much of it painted the streets of Springfield. How many mechs had been slain, and for a cause that only Barricade, Frenzy and herself knew wasn’t worth it?
If she called out to Ironhide would he respond? What about Jazz? Optimus? Bumblebee..?
The list went on and on in her head, and she tried desperately to stop imagining Ironhide deactivated, or Donnie and Micha in Starscream’s clutches.
And God, what if Frenzy had lied? What if this was all an elaborate trick? What if-?
“It’s no use worrying when there is nothing you can do.” Barricade said sagely. “You’ll be no use to anyone if you’re too hysterical to think straight.”
Natalie nodded and hugged herself tighter.
Fuck it was cold.
“That’s it. Come.” Barricade gave her no choice in the matter. He simply grabbed her around the waist and forced her into the main seating area. It was warm inside the vessel, but he still held her close. Probably that “you require moral support through physical affection” thing again. She didn’t buy that bullshit for a second, she knew all he wanted was to hold her close, but she didn’t mind so much as long as his arms were around her and she didn’t feel so horribly vulnerable. Or cold.
They sat down toward the edge of the room in a long row of empty seats. Natalie folded her hands in her lap and stared off into space blankly. She hoped she hadn’t done any really horrible damage to the patrolman she’d smacked, like giving him amnesia or a concussion. She could imagine him waking up, not remembering who he was or where, being taken to a hospital with his wife and kids to fret over him. And when they got there, he wouldn’t remember them or the way he cried when his son was born or how he’d met his wife the first day of high school, their first kiss, the first time they’d made love...
“Will you give it a rest?” Barricade sighed beside her.
“I’m sorry!” Natalie cried out defensively. “I just... I’m scared!” She tried in vain for a moment to not cry, but ended up collapsing into tears anyway. “I can’t take any more of this! I don’t know anything about what’s going on or why! If my friends are safe! If Ratchet is safe! They could all be dead!”
“They are fine, and you are causing a scene!” He hissed at her.
Natalie took a deep, shuddering breath and forced herself to calm down a little. “There. Just...just breathe.” Barricade soothed, unsure what to say. He wrapped her up in a consoling embrace and stroked her back to try and calm her. He had seen mothers calm screaming children by rocking them, and hoped desperately that it was some sort of instinctual trigger as he began doing the same.
Natalie let Barricade rock her slowly, and buried her face against his neck. She could tell through the bond that the situation made him feel awkward. “Thanks.”
“Just calm down Fleshling, before I forcibly offline you.”
“You’re so sweet ‘Cade. Really. It’s amazing how so evil a creature as you can be so gentle.”
“And it’s amazing how so stubborn and headstrong an organism such as yourself can be so prone to collapsing into tears for no logical reason whatsoever.”
“Fuck you.”
“You already did.”
“Well you can count on that never happening again if this is how you treat me.”
“It’s inevitable fleshling, we are inexorably tied together.” He tilted her chin up to look at her face and hand her a tissue from a nearby box.
She dried her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. “If you say so.”
“Don’t doubt me so much. Most of what I tell you is true.”
“Most?”
“Most.”
“Then how can I trust you on this ‘inexorably tied together’ thing?” She asked, feeling her worries start to melt away. At least he was good enough to distract her.
“Let me show you...” He whispered, lips suddenly on her neck. She didn’t have much time to protest before his mouth had suddenly moved to cover hers. To the immense surprise of them both, she let him kiss her. She even parted her lips to let his tongue stroke hers. But what really surprised them both was when she tugged him closer and started kissing back.
Maybe it was stress. Maybe it was lust. Maybe they were inexorably tied together. Whatever it was, it felt good.
He kissed her long and deep, terrified that as soon as he pulled away she’d hit him or yell at him or run away. But oh, oh no. When he was finally forced to break the kiss she responded by yanking him back down for another one. A moan escaped him as she grabbed the lapels of his jacket to drag him closer. He was tempted to push her down on the bench and ravage her right there and could feel she wanted the same. Still, there were an awful lot of people around.
Barricade was debating whether or not to toss Frenzy in the trunk and take this to his back seat when she pulled away from him without warning.
“No.” She said shakily. “No, we can’t do this. We can’t.”
Worried he’d lose her, he put some distance between them and placed his hands in his lap in hopes it would reassure her he had no intention of touching her when she didn’t want it. That rape comment she’d made in the office still stung.
“I’m scared and I’m freaking out and this is not an appropriate way to deal with it.”
“Whatever you want, fleshling.” He replied, calm, non-threatening.
Natalie sighed heavily. “Why do you call me that? Ratchet already explained to you that ‘fleshling’ is a term for human babies.”
“And I already explained to Ratchet that humans often refer to one another in terms of-“
“But those are terms of endearment.”
“Would you prefer I called you ‘squishy?’” Barricade asked playfully, trying to lighten the mood.
“I’d prefer it if you were less confusing.” She huffed.
“Whatever you want, baby.”
Natalie turned to give him an odd look, and he smirked. There was a brief pause where neither of them spoke or did anything, almost as if they were trying to stare each other down.
Saying nothing, Natalie took his hand and stood to lead him elsewhere. Seven minutes later found them in the shadows below deck where the automobiles were held, Barricade pressed up against the wall while Natalie kissed him passionately. He was unbelievably hard as well as unbelievably patient in the face of how much he wanted her and the way she insisted on teasing. She kissed her way from his lips to his jaw to his ear, relishing the little gasps she drew from him when she bit down. He had his hands down the back of her jeans, cupping her ass to force her hips against his.
“Natalie, baby, let me inside you...” He breathed against her neck, using his new pet name for her and knowing full well it turned her on beyond measure when he did.
“No, just kiss me.” She bit his ear and he moaned.
“Kiss you where?” His voice was heavy with suggestion and he hoped it would remind her of how much she’d enjoyed the last time he’d brought her off using his mouth, back when she was still being held prisoner and the strong emotions she created in him made him fear her touch.
“Barricade,” She kissed him long and slow. “Isn’t this enough?”
“I’ll never have enough of you.” He drew her up against him and kissed her thoroughly as the ship sailed onward, and he prayed silently that there would come a time he’d get to finish this properly.