Fic: Blend
Summary: Prompt: Dressing to Match
Prowl and Jazz have a Serious Discussion
It had happened insidiously, through little things barely noticeable. A mild comment here or there, minor changes at irregularly scheduled times, or a small mishap forcing him to change his plans. It wasn’t until Jazz caught a glimpse of them walking by a bit of reflective glass that he recognized what had been going on right under his innermost sensors. He was shocked, and confused, and definitely unnerved. He stumbled, twisting to get another look.
Prowl paused for him to regain his balance, and he reflexively smiled reassuringly at the smooth, handsome face he suddenly wasn’t sure he could read as well he had thought he could. Had Prowl really been manipulating him this whole time? Had Jazz really fallen for his lover’s tricky ways? Just how long had this even been going on? Thinking back on all the small incidents, things that had slowly built up over… two vorns? Yes, two vorns, almost to the day. What had set it off, though? They had been close lovers, beloved and trusted partners for vorns before this had begun, how had Jazz missed the tipping point?
Jazz paused to look over a street vendor’s wares, ignoring Prowl’s hovering as he bent down and examined a bit of twisted metal. He reviewed memory files at a rapid pace, ignoring the salesmech making hopeful and informative comments as he prodded bundles of cheap wiring. There. A meeting Jazz had long since dismissed. Snide words, nothing they hadn’t heard before, but made crueler because of the person they came from. Prowl had been quiet, moody, and withdrawn for a long time. Jazz had done what he could, and had thought… well, obviously he had thought wrong.
With a faint frown, Jazz brushed past Prowl to reach the next shelter. Prowl’s doorwings swayed happily when they touched. Even after all this time, he still reacted like that, and yet… if that was truly how he felt, why would he do something so underhanded and manipulative? Jazz would have to confront him, but… How should he approach this? He would have to say something, he could already feel the urge bubbling up like poisoned energon. It would be better to wait until they were alone, though. There was no telling how Prowl would react to being confronted.
Mind set, Jazz grasped Prowl’s hand and set off for their nearby apartment. At the edges of his close proximity sensor range he could feel Prowl’s doorwing’s fluttering, and he grinned. Prowl could grumble about public displays of affection and how inappropriate and illogical they were all he wanted, but he secretly adored them. There were a few lines he wouldn’t let Jazz cross, but even then his pleasure at the attention was almost equal to his embarrassment.
Jazz frowned, was Prowl more possessive than he had thought? The issue of jealousy had never come up in their relationship before… had Prowl been hiding it? A certain level of jealousy was normal, even healthy, from what he had seen… but Prowl had a tendency to bottle up emotions, if this was something he’d been covering up for their entire relationship… Jazz minutely shook his head. He adored Prowl, but sometimes he just wanted to shake him until he stopped being so stubborn.
They reached the side of the steel shiny building which housed their apartment, there were no windows, since it was in an area of town with few sights to speak of, but if one looked up they could see cleaners scrupulously scouring the outside for rust or corrosion from the frequent acid rains. On the west side was the lift system. It was a deceptively simple magnetic lift, which was all the rage in the higher end buildings. Stepping up to it Prowl sent the signal and they were magnetized to the side of the building and pulled up to their floor. Sparklings loved it, and it was fast, even if some models of ground bound mechs found it extremely disorienting. Jazz usually looked forward to it, the magnetics and the air rushing past doorwings often gave Prowl a bit of charge that Jazz was always happy to take care of when they got into their apartment.
Upon arrival at their floor, a panel slid under them and the magnetics disengaged. Inside, the building was simple, with clean lines and simple patterns. It was really more to Prowl’s taste than Jazz’s. Their apartment was next to the entrance and relatively small, since they were not particularly large models. The door opened at Prowl’s ping and the door sensor beeped to itself as they crossed the threshold. It was of Jazz’s design, and would deny entrance to unauthorized mecha. Prowl’s doorwing’s swayed when the door slid shut and they relaxed from the tight control he usually kept on them in public.
“So Prowler, why didn ya jus say ya wanted us ta have matching paintjobs?” Jazz asked cheerfully.
The doorwings flicked up in surprise, and Prowl slowly turned to face him.
“Don’ see too many couples wit matching paint, but Ah gotta say, we sure look good together.”
Prowl’s doorwing’s stretched out to their fullest extent, and Jazz knew that every last sensor was currently devoted to studying him. Having Prowl’s unequivocal attention directed at him was clearly labeled, bolded, and underlined as being a Good Thing in his sublevel processors, and they promptly sent signals to raise his charge and speed up his fuel pump.
“Are you angry?” His calm, smooth voice asked.
“Not really angry, a little confused.”
Prowl’s doorwings, lowered slightly, nearly trembling with the tension he was putting them under. “It was… silly, I can make an appointment at the body shop tomorrow.”
“Hold on now, Ah didn’ say Ah didn’ say Ah didn’ like it,” Jazz paused and gave Prowl a once over that wasn’t entirely for show. “But yer gonna have ta come clean now. We got a nice long talk comin’.”
“Of course.” Prowl straightened and swiftly crossed into the dining room. Jazz settled onto the nearby couch to wait for him. When Prowl returned he was holding two cubes of energon and after handing one cube to Jazz settled next to him.
“Ah think ah know what kicked this off… But tell meh anyway.”
“I thought… that perhaps if we… looked more similar…” Prowl grimaced, “It was foolish.”
“Ya thought that if we looked da same people wouldn’ say we were too different to be together.”
Prowl muttered, “Illogical.”
“Ah know ya love me. Do ya know ah love you?”
Prowl sat back and met his optics for the first time since sitting down, “Yes.” He smiled softly.
“As long as ya know. So why did you trick me into changing my paintjob?”
“To be fair, you willingly went along with the changes…”
Jazz leveled an unimpressed look at Prowl and he winced.
“Very well.” Prowl visibly gathered himself, “I was… embarrassed, and…”
“And?” Jazz pressed.
“It was… interesting… to plan out how to do it.”
Jazz snorted, “My Prowler, the strategist. Next time remember we’re on da same side.”
“I… apologize. For manipulating you.” His face was utterly sincere and easy to read, as it so rarely was.
“Alrigh’. Ah’ll forgive ya, this time. But it better not happen again. Or Ah’ll just have ta bond ya so ya can’t keep any secrets.”
Prowl stared at him in astonishment “Bond… bonding?” his doorwing fluttered erratically, “Would you?”
“Would Ah what?” Jazz grinned.
“…Bond with me,” Prowl whispered.
“Ah course.” Prowl stared at him like he had just announced the cure to all disease. Jazz beamed, and stood up. Prowl’s hands grasped after him desperately.
“Where are you going?”
“Ta make an appointment for a new paintjob. Our paint should match at the ceremony, don’cha think?” With a wide smile that felt like it would never end, Jazz activated his speakers and moved to the sound of the sappiest love songs he could access.
Prowl and Jazz have a Serious Discussion
It had happened insidiously, through little things barely noticeable. A mild comment here or there, minor changes at irregularly scheduled times, or a small mishap forcing him to change his plans. It wasn’t until Jazz caught a glimpse of them walking by a bit of reflective glass that he recognized what had been going on right under his innermost sensors. He was shocked, and confused, and definitely unnerved. He stumbled, twisting to get another look.
Prowl paused for him to regain his balance, and he reflexively smiled reassuringly at the smooth, handsome face he suddenly wasn’t sure he could read as well he had thought he could. Had Prowl really been manipulating him this whole time? Had Jazz really fallen for his lover’s tricky ways? Just how long had this even been going on? Thinking back on all the small incidents, things that had slowly built up over… two vorns? Yes, two vorns, almost to the day. What had set it off, though? They had been close lovers, beloved and trusted partners for vorns before this had begun, how had Jazz missed the tipping point?
Jazz paused to look over a street vendor’s wares, ignoring Prowl’s hovering as he bent down and examined a bit of twisted metal. He reviewed memory files at a rapid pace, ignoring the salesmech making hopeful and informative comments as he prodded bundles of cheap wiring. There. A meeting Jazz had long since dismissed. Snide words, nothing they hadn’t heard before, but made crueler because of the person they came from. Prowl had been quiet, moody, and withdrawn for a long time. Jazz had done what he could, and had thought… well, obviously he had thought wrong.
With a faint frown, Jazz brushed past Prowl to reach the next shelter. Prowl’s doorwings swayed happily when they touched. Even after all this time, he still reacted like that, and yet… if that was truly how he felt, why would he do something so underhanded and manipulative? Jazz would have to confront him, but… How should he approach this? He would have to say something, he could already feel the urge bubbling up like poisoned energon. It would be better to wait until they were alone, though. There was no telling how Prowl would react to being confronted.
Mind set, Jazz grasped Prowl’s hand and set off for their nearby apartment. At the edges of his close proximity sensor range he could feel Prowl’s doorwing’s fluttering, and he grinned. Prowl could grumble about public displays of affection and how inappropriate and illogical they were all he wanted, but he secretly adored them. There were a few lines he wouldn’t let Jazz cross, but even then his pleasure at the attention was almost equal to his embarrassment.
Jazz frowned, was Prowl more possessive than he had thought? The issue of jealousy had never come up in their relationship before… had Prowl been hiding it? A certain level of jealousy was normal, even healthy, from what he had seen… but Prowl had a tendency to bottle up emotions, if this was something he’d been covering up for their entire relationship… Jazz minutely shook his head. He adored Prowl, but sometimes he just wanted to shake him until he stopped being so stubborn.
They reached the side of the steel shiny building which housed their apartment, there were no windows, since it was in an area of town with few sights to speak of, but if one looked up they could see cleaners scrupulously scouring the outside for rust or corrosion from the frequent acid rains. On the west side was the lift system. It was a deceptively simple magnetic lift, which was all the rage in the higher end buildings. Stepping up to it Prowl sent the signal and they were magnetized to the side of the building and pulled up to their floor. Sparklings loved it, and it was fast, even if some models of ground bound mechs found it extremely disorienting. Jazz usually looked forward to it, the magnetics and the air rushing past doorwings often gave Prowl a bit of charge that Jazz was always happy to take care of when they got into their apartment.
Upon arrival at their floor, a panel slid under them and the magnetics disengaged. Inside, the building was simple, with clean lines and simple patterns. It was really more to Prowl’s taste than Jazz’s. Their apartment was next to the entrance and relatively small, since they were not particularly large models. The door opened at Prowl’s ping and the door sensor beeped to itself as they crossed the threshold. It was of Jazz’s design, and would deny entrance to unauthorized mecha. Prowl’s doorwing’s swayed when the door slid shut and they relaxed from the tight control he usually kept on them in public.
“So Prowler, why didn ya jus say ya wanted us ta have matching paintjobs?” Jazz asked cheerfully.
The doorwings flicked up in surprise, and Prowl slowly turned to face him.
“Don’ see too many couples wit matching paint, but Ah gotta say, we sure look good together.”
Prowl’s doorwing’s stretched out to their fullest extent, and Jazz knew that every last sensor was currently devoted to studying him. Having Prowl’s unequivocal attention directed at him was clearly labeled, bolded, and underlined as being a Good Thing in his sublevel processors, and they promptly sent signals to raise his charge and speed up his fuel pump.
“Are you angry?” His calm, smooth voice asked.
“Not really angry, a little confused.”
Prowl’s doorwings, lowered slightly, nearly trembling with the tension he was putting them under. “It was… silly, I can make an appointment at the body shop tomorrow.”
“Hold on now, Ah didn’ say Ah didn’ say Ah didn’ like it,” Jazz paused and gave Prowl a once over that wasn’t entirely for show. “But yer gonna have ta come clean now. We got a nice long talk comin’.”
“Of course.” Prowl straightened and swiftly crossed into the dining room. Jazz settled onto the nearby couch to wait for him. When Prowl returned he was holding two cubes of energon and after handing one cube to Jazz settled next to him.
“Ah think ah know what kicked this off… But tell meh anyway.”
“I thought… that perhaps if we… looked more similar…” Prowl grimaced, “It was foolish.”
“Ya thought that if we looked da same people wouldn’ say we were too different to be together.”
Prowl muttered, “Illogical.”
“Ah know ya love me. Do ya know ah love you?”
Prowl sat back and met his optics for the first time since sitting down, “Yes.” He smiled softly.
“As long as ya know. So why did you trick me into changing my paintjob?”
“To be fair, you willingly went along with the changes…”
Jazz leveled an unimpressed look at Prowl and he winced.
“Very well.” Prowl visibly gathered himself, “I was… embarrassed, and…”
“And?” Jazz pressed.
“It was… interesting… to plan out how to do it.”
Jazz snorted, “My Prowler, the strategist. Next time remember we’re on da same side.”
“I… apologize. For manipulating you.” His face was utterly sincere and easy to read, as it so rarely was.
“Alrigh’. Ah’ll forgive ya, this time. But it better not happen again. Or Ah’ll just have ta bond ya so ya can’t keep any secrets.”
Prowl stared at him in astonishment “Bond… bonding?” his doorwing fluttered erratically, “Would you?”
“Would Ah what?” Jazz grinned.
“…Bond with me,” Prowl whispered.
“Ah course.” Prowl stared at him like he had just announced the cure to all disease. Jazz beamed, and stood up. Prowl’s hands grasped after him desperately.
“Where are you going?”
“Ta make an appointment for a new paintjob. Our paint should match at the ceremony, don’cha think?” With a wide smile that felt like it would never end, Jazz activated his speakers and moved to the sound of the sappiest love songs he could access.