Twisted Tales: Shorty and the Beast (Pt 5)
Title: Twisted Tales: Shorty and the Beast (Part 5 - No Matter What)
Rating: G
Verse: G1ish?
Character: Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, Arcee
Warnings: AU. Crack. Sap.
Summary: Once-upon-a-times and might-have-beens paint a story most fair. A beauty stalks a tower in a guise most foul, and only one bot has optics to see past the grisly exterior.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
“Looks like a storm is coming,” Arcee said later that night, peering out the window. “When’s your brother due back?”
“Not for another day or so,” Bumblebee replied. “He’ll probably wait out the storm at one of the rest stops.”
“Hopefully he doesn’t gamble away all of his profit,” Cliffjumper quipped, only half in jest.
“He needs a keeper,” Arcee said and Bumblebee swallowed a laugh.
Cliffjumper grinned at her. “What, you volunteering?”
“Pass. I’ll have enough on my plate just watching this one,” she said, jerking her thumb at Bumblebee.
“Hey!”
“Point,” Cliffjumper acknowledged. Bumblebee glowered at both of them.
“Betrayed,” he said tragically, “by my own kin. What is the world coming too?”
“We’re not kin yet, my mech,” Arcee pointed out.
“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”
“Hmmm…” Arcee turned back to the window as if in consideration, tapping a finger against her chin. Bumblebee sat up straight as if in alarm.
“Dearest? You’re not forsaking me on top of that last betrayal, are you?”
“I’ll let you know,” Arcee replied loftily and Bumblebee grabbed her by the hand and pulled her towards him.
“We’ll see about that…”
“Oh, gag me,” Cliffjumper muttered, covering his optics. “Will you two get a room? Some of us are still trying to process dinner.”
Arcee laughed, nuzzling Bumblebee’s helm before pushing him away. Bumblebee grinned sheepishly and let her go. “Someday,” Arcee said to Cliffjumper, her optics gleaming, “there will come a time when you will fall in love, and I’ll be here to say ‘I told you so’. And laugh at you. A lot.”
Cliffjumper shuddered. “Don’t even joke like that.” He mock-protested. “Act like one of you love-sick goons at the drop of a screw? I’d rather clear organic growth.”
“Well, I do hear that Megatron is looking for someone to help clear the forest of deadfall…” Bumblebee said helpfully. Cliffjumper shoved him off of his chair. Bumblebee stood and shoved back. Things quickly devolved from there until Arcee laughingly jumped in and beat them both back.
Much later, after Arcee had gone home and the brothers were just about to engage their recharge protocols, Bumblebee said, seemingly out of the blue, “we’ll always be together, right?”
Cliffjumper’s optics flashed in surprise. “Huh?”
Bumblebee ducked his helm bashfully. “Well, I mean. Smokey is always going off on some trading trip. And I know you don’t want to be stuck in this town forever…”
Cliffjumper looked out the window, recalling his earlier thoughts. The sky was dark and heavy with storm clouds, the rain still only threatening to fall. It wasn’t a night he’d like to be out in, perhaps, but still… “Well, yeah. This place is kind of boring. I want to see what’s out there, you know? There has to be more than just this.”
“Not really,” Bumblebee admitted. “I have everything I need right here. But…I think I can understand a little.” He paused, seeming to stare off at nothing. Outside, the rain began to fall, fat drops pattering against the window. “I’ll miss you,” he finally announced. “I don’t know what it would be like without you here.”
“Well, I’m not going yet. Still got to get you safely hitched to Arcee, after all. She’d kick my aft if I left before then.”
Bumblebee smiled a little. “I know.”
“Hey,” Cliffjumper said abruptly. “No matter how far we go, we’re still together.” He reached over and thumped his hand over Bumblebee’s spark chamber. “Right here. And no amount of distance can change that.”
Bumblebee stared at him, wide-opticked. “Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?”
“Shut up, I’m being serious.” Cliffjumper huffed. Bumblebee obliged him by shutting up. “No matter what, okay? We’re family. And family always sticks together.”
Bumblebee grinned at him. “Even when we do stupid things?”
“Especially when we do stupid things,” Cliffjumper retorted. “Why do you think we still put up with Smokey?”
“Because he’s family. And family always sticks together.”
“No matter what,” Cliffjumper repeated firmly. Bumblebee smiled brilliantly at him, his optics glowing with warmth.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
Cliffjumper huffed again, but a tiny smile teased the corner of his lips. “Start your recharge. I’m completely fragged and you obviously are too; you’re asking such stupid questions.”
On to Part 6!
Rating: G
Verse: G1ish?
Character: Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, Arcee
Warnings: AU. Crack. Sap.
Summary: Once-upon-a-times and might-have-beens paint a story most fair. A beauty stalks a tower in a guise most foul, and only one bot has optics to see past the grisly exterior.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
“Looks like a storm is coming,” Arcee said later that night, peering out the window. “When’s your brother due back?”
“Not for another day or so,” Bumblebee replied. “He’ll probably wait out the storm at one of the rest stops.”
“Hopefully he doesn’t gamble away all of his profit,” Cliffjumper quipped, only half in jest.
“He needs a keeper,” Arcee said and Bumblebee swallowed a laugh.
Cliffjumper grinned at her. “What, you volunteering?”
“Pass. I’ll have enough on my plate just watching this one,” she said, jerking her thumb at Bumblebee.
“Hey!”
“Point,” Cliffjumper acknowledged. Bumblebee glowered at both of them.
“Betrayed,” he said tragically, “by my own kin. What is the world coming too?”
“We’re not kin yet, my mech,” Arcee pointed out.
“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”
“Hmmm…” Arcee turned back to the window as if in consideration, tapping a finger against her chin. Bumblebee sat up straight as if in alarm.
“Dearest? You’re not forsaking me on top of that last betrayal, are you?”
“I’ll let you know,” Arcee replied loftily and Bumblebee grabbed her by the hand and pulled her towards him.
“We’ll see about that…”
“Oh, gag me,” Cliffjumper muttered, covering his optics. “Will you two get a room? Some of us are still trying to process dinner.”
Arcee laughed, nuzzling Bumblebee’s helm before pushing him away. Bumblebee grinned sheepishly and let her go. “Someday,” Arcee said to Cliffjumper, her optics gleaming, “there will come a time when you will fall in love, and I’ll be here to say ‘I told you so’. And laugh at you. A lot.”
Cliffjumper shuddered. “Don’t even joke like that.” He mock-protested. “Act like one of you love-sick goons at the drop of a screw? I’d rather clear organic growth.”
“Well, I do hear that Megatron is looking for someone to help clear the forest of deadfall…” Bumblebee said helpfully. Cliffjumper shoved him off of his chair. Bumblebee stood and shoved back. Things quickly devolved from there until Arcee laughingly jumped in and beat them both back.
Much later, after Arcee had gone home and the brothers were just about to engage their recharge protocols, Bumblebee said, seemingly out of the blue, “we’ll always be together, right?”
Cliffjumper’s optics flashed in surprise. “Huh?”
Bumblebee ducked his helm bashfully. “Well, I mean. Smokey is always going off on some trading trip. And I know you don’t want to be stuck in this town forever…”
Cliffjumper looked out the window, recalling his earlier thoughts. The sky was dark and heavy with storm clouds, the rain still only threatening to fall. It wasn’t a night he’d like to be out in, perhaps, but still… “Well, yeah. This place is kind of boring. I want to see what’s out there, you know? There has to be more than just this.”
“Not really,” Bumblebee admitted. “I have everything I need right here. But…I think I can understand a little.” He paused, seeming to stare off at nothing. Outside, the rain began to fall, fat drops pattering against the window. “I’ll miss you,” he finally announced. “I don’t know what it would be like without you here.”
“Well, I’m not going yet. Still got to get you safely hitched to Arcee, after all. She’d kick my aft if I left before then.”
Bumblebee smiled a little. “I know.”
“Hey,” Cliffjumper said abruptly. “No matter how far we go, we’re still together.” He reached over and thumped his hand over Bumblebee’s spark chamber. “Right here. And no amount of distance can change that.”
Bumblebee stared at him, wide-opticked. “Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?”
“Shut up, I’m being serious.” Cliffjumper huffed. Bumblebee obliged him by shutting up. “No matter what, okay? We’re family. And family always sticks together.”
Bumblebee grinned at him. “Even when we do stupid things?”
“Especially when we do stupid things,” Cliffjumper retorted. “Why do you think we still put up with Smokey?”
“Because he’s family. And family always sticks together.”
“No matter what,” Cliffjumper repeated firmly. Bumblebee smiled brilliantly at him, his optics glowing with warmth.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
Cliffjumper huffed again, but a tiny smile teased the corner of his lips. “Start your recharge. I’m completely fragged and you obviously are too; you’re asking such stupid questions.”
On to Part 6!