"I want to TOUCH it." "DON'T touch it!" "But-! *wibbles*"
Title: The Nine Rings of Vos
A Transformers G1 Fanfic
Author: Sanjuno Shori Niko
Summary: What's the worst that could happen? Well... Starscream could always end up stuck with these morons for the rest of his function...
Timeline: More of this fic is over here!
The first half of this part!
=/=
(In which Starscream is still being courted!)
Part Five: The Upward Turn
Starscream woke from recharge gradually, his engine purring in quiet contentment. A strange state of affairs to be sure, Starscream was warm and comfortable, bracketed by a solid body on either side.
Starscream woke the rest of the way up in a hurry.
Skywarp beamed at him when Starscream’s optics lit up with a flare, either unaware of or choosing to ignore the alarm in Starscream’s emission field.
“Good morning, beautiful, how was your recharge?” Skywarp grinned at Starscream from a ridiculously close proximity, “How are you feeling now? Better? Or do you need more recharge?”
Starscream’s optics blinked off and on again, and he ran a quick systems check. Starscream did not… feel any different. So they could not have drugged his energon and forced him into a bond last night. Starscream would like to think that even low on energy, suffering from recharge deprivation, and drugged he would still remember getting bonded.
… Actually, put that way, it was entirely possible that Starscream had interfaced with Skywarp and Thundercracker until they all passed out and Starscream had just forgotten the whole thing.
… The idea of that really did not offend Starscream as much as it should.
“What are you doing in my berth?” Starscream demanded, sounding more surprised than offended, “Get out!”
“Well… about that.” Skywarp hedged, striving to look as harmless as possible, “First off, this is mine and TC’s room so… not your berth.”
Starscream’s optics blinked as he looked away from Skywarp to take in his surroundings. Indeed, this was not the room that Starscream had laid down in, “How did I get in here?”
Skywarp could not help grinning, Starscream was so cute when he dropped the wounded dignity and got all confused and rumpled. It made Skywarp want to cuddle Starscream. Not that the wounded dignity was a bad look for Starscream, it is just that what Skywarp wanted to do to Starscream when the pale Seeker got that look was a mite less innocent than cuddling.
“I heard you when you got stuck in a bad memory loop last night, so I went to see if I could help.” Skywarp shrugged, looking not one bit ashamed of his actions, “You calmed down when I touched you, but then you wouldn’t let go, so I ‘ported us both in here so TC wouldn’t have to ‘charge alone.”
“What makes you think I’ll believe that story?” Starscream scowled suspiciously, ashamed that he might have been that weak in front of a virtual stranger - aware of his actions or no - would-be trinemate or not Starscream would not condone such a thing.
“Well for one thing, you’re getting pretty mad at me, but you still haven’t let go.” Skywarp dared to wiggle a little bit closer, lowering his voice, “And you haven’t even tried to make a move to get away from me.”
Starscream froze, the argument he had been gearing up for never leaving his vocalizer. With morbid curiosity, Starscream experimentally shifted bits of himself and yes, those were his arms locked around Skywarp’s waist.
How embarrassing.
(Yet oddly comfortable.)
Furious, ashamed and a little bit hurt - Primus for a moment Starscream had actually expected this time to be different that all of the others - Starscream looked away, shuttering his optics.
This was too much for Starscream, how could he have been so weak?
“Hey now, don’t do that.” Skywarp cupped his hand around the side of Starscream’s face, gently stroking the delicate metal, “Nothing bad happened, you just got some decent recharge for once, and I got to see how pretty you are when you’re peaceful. A good deal all around, right?
Starscream… really should get up, get away, knock Skywarp’s hand off his face and leave, but… Skywarp’s touch was so soft, so gentle - reverent, instead of greedy. It was… nice. Starscream wanted to push into that touch, or - or return it, somehow. As if from very far away, Starscream heard his own voice ask in a caustic tone, “I fail to see how you get anything out of just watching someone recharge.”
“I didn’t.” Skywarp answered without hesitation, and Starscream felt a sharp pang that faded when Skywarp continued with happy assurance, “But it was nice to see you recharging and looking all peaceful, snuggled up with me and TC. You’re not just anyone Starscream, you’re our trinemate.”
“So you say.” Starscream vented a sigh, cautiously relaxing, as the desire for more rest became insistent. It really was quite nice, just lying here with Skywarp and Thundercracker… and after all, the damage was already done. Surely a few more breems of recharge could not hurt.
Surely not.
Not quite believing it was true - Starscream was so prickly! - Skywarp watched avidly as Starscream cycled back into recharge without kicking up a fuss or trying to get away.
“Thank you.” Skywarp whispered gratefully, not knowing who he was speaking to, just knowing that he had to say it out loud. The hope Skywarp had felt when he heard Starscream say his designation with such longing solidified into certainty at this overt sign of trust. Starscream may not want to, or even believe it himself, but the silver Seeker trusted Skywarp enough to recharge in his arms.
Things were looking up.
/…/
Thundercracker woke up in a surprisingly good mood. The blue Seeker was curled up against a warm frame, and Skywarp was grinning at him from the other side of the pretty silver chassis Thundercracker had his arms around. It was a nice way to start the solar cycle.
“Skywarp!” Thundercracker hissed suddenly, not daring to move or speak too loudly once he realized that it was Starscream there in the berth with them, “What did you do you crazy little glitch?”
“Nothing bad!” Skywarp protested innocently.
“That look won’t work this time!” Thundercracker growled, “Starscream trusted us not to pull slag like this!”
“Well.” The pale body in Thundercracker’s arms drawled, alerting them to the fact that Starscream was awake too, “At least I know that you had nothing to do with this situation.”
“Aw, don’t be like that Starscream!” Skywarp grinned - did he ever stop? - Then leaned over to lay a smacking kiss on the side of Thundercracker’s helm, “This big blue lump could recharge through the next coming of Unicron if we gave him the chance.”
“And what am I supposed to do with that interesting little tidbit of information?” Starscream asked dryly, pinned to the berth by two sets of arms (he really ought to be pushing them away) but still calm for all that.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something!” Skywarp said cheerfully and climbed out of the berth to start his morning.
Which left Starscream and Thundercracker alone in the berth together.
Thundercracker felt unaccountably nervous, torn between letting Starscream go (be respectful of personal boundaries) and just holding on until the other Seeker was safely bonded to he and Skywarp (show how much he wanted it.)
A light touch along his arm pulled Thundercracker from his increasingly panicked thoughts to find Starscream running his claws along the plating on Thundercracker’s forearm. Watching the action, Thundercracker relaxed, feeling sleepy contentment creep over him. Starscream’s blue was paler than Thundercracker’s own, but it was a nice contrast.
“They look nice together.” Thundercracker said without thinking, smiling with his gaze on Starscream’s hands and not really noticing Starscream looking at Thundercracker over his shoulder, “Our blues I mean, they match well.”
“… I suppose so.” Starscream said in slight amusement, shifting to lie on his back.
Thundercracker admired Starscream’s profile for a moment before remembering his manners, “Did you rest well? I’m sorry if it looks like we took advantage, but Skywarp usually has his reasons for crazy slag like this. Usually crazy reasons, but he’s usually got his spark in the right place. I still apologise for making you uncomfortable. Would you like some energon? We’ve got a good supply, so have as much as you like.”
“Thundercracker, you’re babbling.” Starscream was obviously amused by the way Thundercracker snapped his mouth shut, looking embarrassed as Starscream chuckled, “I never would have pegged you as a babbler.”
“I’m not, usually.” Thundercracker said looking discomforted, “Just when I’m nervous about something and Skywarp isn’t here to be a distraction. I let Skywarp do most of the talking anyway.”
“I had noticed that.” Starscream commented, then cast a sly look at Thundercracker, “Do you plan on making Skywarp do all the work during courtship as well?”
“Of course not!” Thundercracker protested automatically before his processors could catch up with the conversation.
“Oh good. I was wondering about that.” Starscream said airily, ignoring Thundercracker’s surprised, joyful expression through vast effort of will, (will not laugh!) “Now I believe that you offered me energon.”
“Of course Starscream.” Thundercracker’s voice was husky, his optics bright as he sat up, pulling Starscream with him, “Whatever you want.”
“Whatever I want, hm?” Starscream shivered, pressing into Thundercracker briefly before standing and walking out of the room, casting another sly glance back over his shoulder at Thundercracker, “I think I like the sound of that. You coming? Or do I have to discover where you keep the energon on my own?”
“Ah, I’m getting up.” Thundercracker scramble to catch up to Starscream, daring to ask a question, “So… what are your plans for the solar cycle? Do you have a place to stay tonight?”
“Why do you ask?” Starscream cocked his head to one side as Thundercracker poured two cubes from the energon dispenser, “Hoping to convince me to stay here again if I don’t?”
“Yes, actually.” Thundercracker said bluntly as he handed Starscream a cube, “Skywarp and I are serious about this, Starscream. We want to court you, and yes, we saw how un-trined Seekers react to you, but they do the same thing to Skywarp and I! You’re the first one we’ve found that either of us feels the pull from and I’ve got the feeling from the way you say our designations that it’s the first time you’ve felt the pull too. So please… give us the chance to prove ourselves to you.”
“Why do you trust this feeling of yours so much?” Starscream asked, giving no indication of his answer to Thundercracker’s plea, “If you’re telling the truth you know how unreliable it is first hand. You know just how often it’s a mistake, or wrong. Why trust it now?”
“Because… you’re different.” Thundercracker shrugged, struggling with the words, “Because with others it was always ‘maybe’ or ‘no way’, but with you… it feels like the way it was with Skywarp. I just know. Starscream, you’re… when I think about you I know, for certain with no doubts at all that you are my trinemate. I hope, please, that you’ll stop fighting so hard and trust yourself, trust us, enough to find the truth of what you feel for us yourself.”
“You present a compelling argument, Thundercracker.” Starscream commented, staring into his cube, “A little skimpy on the details and the evidence is all circumstantial, but a compelling argument none the less.”
“Starscream.” Thundercracker pleaded softly, watching Starscream until the other Seeker lifted his optics to Thundercracker’s, “Please. Let us try?”
“Oh very well.” Starscream said with a dramatic sigh through his vents, “I’ll give you a chance.”
“Yes!” Skywarp cheered, coming out of nowhere to latch onto Starscream’s back, “You won’t regret it Screamer!”
“Get off of me you imbecile!” Starscream shouted, pushed forward into Thundercracker by Skywarp’s weight.
“Skywarp!” Thundercracker bellowed at the same time, energon flying everywhere as the three Seekers tumbled to the floor in a pile.
“Oh hey, yummy!” A grinning Skywarp then promptly leaned down and licked off the energon splattered on Starscream and Thundercracker’s faces, “Thanks for the meal!”
“Thundercracker.” Starscream said slowly, “I hope you don’t mind terribly, but I need to kill your wingmate now.”
“I’ll help.” Thundercracker said with a low growl from his place at the bottom of the pile.
“There, you see? You’re already sharing thoughts and emotions! Bonding’s just a formality at this rate!” Skywarp observed cheerfully, then prudently teleported away when Starscream and Thundercracker lunged at him, claws out and murder in their optics.
Hm, he had managed to get Starscream to relax around them. Now all Skywarp had to do was survive until Starscream and Thundercracker calmed down. That could not be too hard.
… Right?
/…/
Part Six: Reconstruction and Working Through
Six megacycles into the Festival of Winds and Starscream had already, supposedly, found his trinemates and allowed himself to be courted. Starscream felt rather amused by the whole thing. After all, Starscream was one of the fastest Seekers ever sparked, but a six-megacycle courtship? Most Skyborn Seekers would have been bonded by the third, and a Flightless not much longer. If Starscream held out until the end of the Festival, it would be the longest Trine courtship on record.
Starscream snickered. The idea had merit, after all.
/…/
“Look you buffoon I told you already! I’m waiting for someone! Who isn’t you!” Starscream snarled, “I’m not interested! Now back off!”
“Aw, don’t be that way, winglet.” The mint and copper Seeker leaned in closer, and Starscream itched to claw the leer off his face, “I can show you a good time.”
“Hey Star, sorry I’m late.” Thundercracker smoothly slid into place at Starscream’s side, incidentally forcing the Seeker hitting on Starscream to take several quick steps back to avoid getting knocked over, “Come on, we’ve got an appointment to make. You know how Warp will pout if we miss it.”
“Hey!” The belated protest and the Seeker it came from were ignored as Thundercracker pulled Starscream off with an arm around his waist. It was rather obvious, now that the Seeker left behind took the time to check on their emission fields, that the two were in the middle of courtship. Starscream further dissuaded the rather embarrassed Seeker from any notions of further action be directing several explicit and eloquent gestures behind Thundercracker’s back describing just what the other could do with his endearments.
Well. There was no need to be rude.
/…/
Starscream had not known what to expect when Thundercracker had dragged him into a dance hall and then further into one of the private studios. Starscream was still confused when the lights went down and the show began.
The music alone was glorious. A variation of the freewheeling skydance music reworked for performance art. It was the sound of speed, the rhythm of wind over wings, the melody of flight, woven together with dance. Exhilarating.
But it was the dancer himself that Starscream could not tear his optics away from.
Skywarp was grace and danger, a thrill and a familiar comfort. The colours painted by Skywarp’s movement were freedom and joy, wild play made visible. The hyperactive insanity Starscream had started to get used to had been replaced by exquisitely precise ability. Starscream had never seen another Seeker look so vulnerable and so untouchable at once. It made Starscream want to catch Skywarp, then let go so that they could do the chase all over again.
“It’s beautiful.” Starscream murmured, aware of Thundercracker’s arm around him still but not really noticing, to entranced by Skywarp’s dance to care.
“It’s a gift for you.” Thundercracker whispered back, just as taken with Skywarp’s performance as Starscream, “You like it?”
“He’s wonderful.” Starscream said softly with an amazed smile.
And the music hit crescendo, racing towards the climax.
/…/
“You really liked it?” Skywarp asked, draped over Starscream like Cybertron’s largest piece of kibble, “Really, really?”
“Of course I liked it. It was a lovely piece and you dance very well.” Starscream said honestly, most of his mind on wondering where Thundercracker had decided to run off to. At least wearing Skywarp freed him from the attentions of others, but Starscream was a bit leery of being left alone with the bouncy one for too long.
“Hey Starscream?” Skywarp asked, not the type to let the silence remain unbroken, “Why were you so resistant to us courting you? I mean, it’s just courtship! It’s not like we asked you to bond with us right away.”
“But many consider courtship to just be the first step towards forging a bond.” Starscream pointed out, the memories of the past not quite so painful with Skywarp pressed up against his plating, so Starscream kept explaining, “I let my best friend court me once, but didn’t feel the pull of trine from him. I hurt Jetfire a lot when I broke it off, and I don’t like the idea of fostering false hopes.”
“So why did you say yes to us?” Skywarp asked, cocking his head to one side curiously and fighting down a strange mix of jealousy and gloating possessiveness.
“Well…” Starscream hesitated, then shrugged, “You wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Aww, don’t be shy Screamer! Tell me how you really feel!” Skywarp cooed playfully and nuzzled the side of Starscream’s helm as the white Seeker sputtered indignantly.
/…/
Skywarp was quite justifiably smug to have earned Starscream’s praise and attentions after his dance. Sending gloating looks at Thundercracker ever since Starscream had run an admiring, covetous hand over Skywarp’s wings.
So Thundercracker plotted.
“Starscream?” Thundercracker smiled at the sight of Skywarp flopped over the object of their affection’s lap, purring happily as Starscream traced idle patterns over Skywarp’s happily fluttering wings, “I’ve got something for you.”
“Oh?” Starscream looked up from the distracting movement in his lap as Thundercracker took a seat next to him, “What is it?”
“I’m not artistic the way Warp is. I’m a trader so… here.” Thundercracker shrugged his wings, handing over a decorated box, “I hope you like it.”
“You bought me something?” Starscream asked in surprised delight, taking the box with enough grace to almost disguise his eagerness, “What is it?”
“Open it and find out.” Thundercracker said, shaking his head in amusement as Starscream gleefully did just that, revealing a small, shining crystal sculpted to look like one of the terraces from Vos’ hanging Garden.
“Praxian crystal…” Starscream said, almost a question as he gently touched one of the outreaching clusters.
“From the Vos Garden.” Thundercracker said shyly, “It’s still alive, so the glow won’t fade out as long as it’s cared for properly.”
“Thank you Thundercracker, it’s lovely.” Starscream said, still gently tracing the crystals, “Did you know… I was a hatchling during the last Raid. I can remember a lot of what happened. What I remember most though is how safe the Gardens were. No one could find us when we hid there.”
Starscream was silent for a long moment, enough time for Skywarp to sit up in concern, for Thundercracker to worry that he had made a mistake, then Starscream continued, “My creators lost the sparkling my Genitor was carrying during that raid. They… never really recovered. My sister, Slipstream, took over much of my care. Losing the newspark damaged the bonds between the two of us and our creators. We didn’t spend a whole lot of time at home after that. We escaped to the Gardens again, to play and be with our friends. To this day the crystals remind me of safety.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you.” Thundercracker said quietly, distressed by Starscream’s reaction to his gift.
Starscream shook his head, “You haven’t upset me, Thundercracker. Instead I think… perhaps it’s a sign.”
“What kind of sign?” Skywarp asked, worried by the strange mood that Starscream would change his mind about them.
Starscream smiled secretively, cradling the small crystal garden, “I’ll tell you in a few cycles.”
Thundercracker and Skywarp just stared in confusion. What did Starscream mean by that?
/…/
Part Seven: Acceptance and Hope
They were existing in a state of uncertainty. Starscream had left, telling Skywarp and Thundercracker to, “Stay put. I’ll bring a surprise back with me.”
Then Starscream had smiled and slipped out of the apartment before either one could object or question. That had been two cycles ago.
“What’s taking him so long?” Skywarp whined as he paced restlessly around the apartment.
“It’s my fault.” Thundercracker sat morosely on the couch where Starscream had left him, “I upset him with that gift. I messed it up. I’m sorry Warp.”
“Aw, Cracker, don’t think that way.” Skywarp said sympathetically, stopping his pacing to settle down in Thundercracker’s lap, plopping his chin on top of the blue Seeker’s helm, “Starscream’ll be back soon. You’ll see. You’re worrying for nothing. Starscream said he liked the gift you gave him.”
“How nice, you’ve started without me.” Starscream’s voice came as if on cue, preceding the aforementioned Seeker through the now open door.
“Starscream, you’re back!” Skywarp said happily, jumping up only to have a large box shoved into his arms, “Uh, what’s this?”
“All my worldly possessions.” Starscream answered dryly, pulling another box through the door and handing it to Thundercracker before picking up a third and final box himself, allowing the door to shut behind him, “Be careful, it’s fragile. We can put these in the guest quarters for now.”
“Um, Starscream?” Thundercracker asked helplessly, exchanging a bewildered glance with Skywarp, “Did you mean that? Can you explain what’s going on please?”
“Did you know that the longest Seeker courtship on record is five megacycles, thirty-two cycles, and fourteen breems?” Starscream asked conversationally as he put his load down on the guest berth and gestured for Skywarp and Thundercracker to do the same, “That’s from moment-of-meeting to bonding. And the average courtship is only two megacycles for Skyborn Seekers, three on the outside.”
“That’s… interesting?” Skywarp said, looking lost, “Um. Did you have a reason for telling us that?”
“Well…” Starscream drawled as he sauntered out into the main room, turning to face Skywarp and Thundercracker again when they followed, putting his back to the berth room and smiling invitingly, “We’ve been courting for, oh, six megacycles, nine cycles, three breems and counting. That’s a new record.”
“We have?” Thundercracker’s optics blinked in response to his shock as what Starscream was implying penetrated. Thundercracker grinned, “It is?”
“Mmhmm.” Starscream pulled out a flask of high grade, the label declaring it to be Blessed Winds. The traditional mix used to fuel a bonding. Once empty, the bottle became a decoration, since breaking the seal made the bottle unsuitable for holding energon again, except as a decanter. Getting a hold of that label required registering intent-to-bond with the High Tower. Skywarp and Thundercracker stared with wide, bright optics as Starscream turned and sashayed into the berth room, “Are you two coming or am I going to have to drink this all on my lonesome?”
“Oh Primus if I’m hallucinating don’t knock me out of it.” Skywarp moaned and scrambled eagerly after Starscream, leaving a gaping Thundercracker to catch up, “Starscream! Are you serious about this?”
Starscream looked up as Skywarp and Thundercracker made it into the room, both looking dazed and hopeful.
“Are you honestly trying to talk me out of this? Never mind.” Starscream then smirked and broke the seal on the flask, stepping up to them and swinging the now-open bottle, “Does this answer your question?”
Thundercracker shuddered and reached for Starscream.
“Ah-ah. Drink first.” Starscream said, suiting actions to words as he drained a third of the bottle in one pull, pushing the flask into Thundercracker’s outstretched hands, “Your turn.”
Impatiently, Thundercracker drank as ordered, never taking his optics off Starscream.
“Good mech.” Starscream purred, nudging the nearly empty bottle in Skywarp’s direction, “Now you. Drink up so we can do this properly.”
With a needy whimper, Skywarp did as he was told, watching avidly as Thundercracker ran greedy hands all over those pretty white wings.
The empty bottle made an awful clatter when it was tossed into the far corner, Skywarp being far too impatient to be bothering with things like putting it down gently or even remembering where the table was.
They swayed in the middle of the room, locked together with caressing hands. Thundercracker’s engine was a deep rumble against Starscream’s back, the vibrations drawing a moan from the white Seeker. Skywarp shamelessly abused his anti-gravs, hitching his legs up around Starscream’s waist, discovering much to his delight that Starscream made even more nice noises when you stroked his chemoreceptors with your glossa. Starscream growled, on hand clamping down on Skywarp’s aft - making the black and purple Seeker squeak happily - and returned the favour with interest.
“Nngh.” Skywarp moaned, tilting his head to fit his mouth tighter against Starscream’s as they tried to see who could get more of their glossa into the others mouth. So many sensors and pressure-sensitive receptors to play with in one small area!
“Pretty.” Thundercracker commented, nipping along the inside of edge of Starscream’s wings.
“So are you.” Starscream said, breaking the kiss with Skywarp to grab the back of Thundercracker’s helm with the hand not occupied with Skywarp’s cute little aft and reel the blue Seeker in for a lip-lock of his own.
Skywarp watched hungrily, fans whirring to life to combat the heat rising in his systems as Starscream devoured Thundercracker’s mouth. Nothing of the shy researcher now, Starscream was a scientist in the midst of his greatest discovery. Nothing short of the building falling down would distract him now.
“Berth.” Starscream muttered into Thundercracker’s mouth, growling impatiently when he received a befuddled look.
Thundercracker looked charmingly shocked to get tossed onto the berth, which made Skywarp giggle even as he received the same treatment. Stalking forward, then slinking up onto the berth himself to hover over them both, Starscream purred in a predatory tone, “Now then. Wherever should I begin? Perhaps here?”
“Starscream.” Skywarp moaned, giggles forgotten as pale blue claws dipped into the joins of his wings, teasing along the inner wires and sending out little jolts of sensation that soon had the dark Seeker ready to beg for further touch, “Please!”
“Please what?” Starscream teased, keeping his energy emission field under tight control, enjoying the way Skywarp’s energy spiked in desperation each time Starscream released a small pulse through his fingers.
“You know what!” Skywarp gasped out, pawing at one white thigh.
“Maybe I do.” Starscream murmured, settling more comfortably in his seat, pinning Skywarp and Thundercracker together on the berth by trapping one leg from each between his knees as he knelt above them, “What do you think Thundercracker?’
“I think you both talk too much!” Thundercracker growled, then arched with an airy cry when Starscream dug his claws into the top of Thundercracker’s thrusters with a chiding little ‘tisk’ and a sharp lash of energy.
Thundercracker pulled the leg up, pushing into Starscream’s hand, rolling half on his side to get his own hands on Starscream and Skywarp both. Skywarp met Thundercracker halfway, whingeing desperately into the other Seeker’s mouth as Starscream finally stroked their fields with the full force of his own energy, letting the fields mesh and mingle in preparation for bonding.
“My goodness, the two of you are hot off the mark.” Starscream observed with a pleased little grin as his engine revved higher. Oh right. Blessed Winds was a special high-grade mix. Chortling, Starscream promptly dropped his hands to Skywarp and Thundercracker’s interface panels.
“Nnh.” Skywarp’s helm thumped against the charge padding even as his hands reflexively scrabbled at Starscream’s own interface panel, “Please!”
“Shh… easy.” Starscream crooned, drawing out one of Skywarp’s cables and plugging it into Thundercracker, then plugging Thundercracker into Skywarp with a pulsing flare of energy. The two Seekers under Starscream cried out, Skywarp clenching a hand on Starscream’s thigh and Thundercracker mindlessly clawing at Starscream’s back, mouth open on soundless whimpers. Pulling out his own cords, Starscream plugged into Skywarp and Thundercracker, sending a precisely timed crackle of electricity racing down the connection even as he plugged them both into himself.
Pleasure, white-hot and intense flooded over the tripled links, leaving Starscream gasping and sinking down into two pairs of welcoming arms. Starscream clutched Skywarp and Thundercracker’s shoulders, his head dropping until his helm rested against theirs as they shook together, energy cycling through their systems.
“Now, please now!” In the aftermath, none of them remembered who had said it - maybe they all did - but those words were the trigger.
Chest plates split and retracted, revealing spark chambers that opened smoothly, loosing streamers of light. The link between Thundercracker and Skywarp shone brightly, old and well set. Awed, Starscream reached out to touch it. Thin tendrils of light - love and trust, devotion and acceptance - reached out from Starscream’s spark to Thundercracker’s, from Starscream’s spark to Skywarp’s, and back. The links twined around each other, forging the trinebond into one from three separate connections. Set, anchored in the depths of three sparks that now shared the same pulse. The energy built, from Starscream to Thundercracker to Skywarp to Starscream until he and they and them and him became us.
The pressure peaked, snapped, and they were flying together, freefalling into bliss beyond description. Together as one, the way they would always be from that moment forth.
Together forever.
/…/
“So these are your trinemates, eh?” Slipstream demanded, standing with her hands on her hips as she raked an assessing gaze over the two Seekers standing on either side of her younger brother. It really was not fair at all. Slipstream still had not found her other wingmate, and here her annoying little brother - who did not even try to find them - just goes for a walk and trips over them. The annoying little fragger, Slipstream scowled, “Huh. They don’t look like much. You’re wingleader?”
“Yes I am.” Starscream said in amusement, ignoring his sisters venom as he watched his wingmates move to keep Starscream between Slipstream and themselves, “Skywarp, Thundercracker, this is my sister Slipstream.”
“Nice to meet you.” Thundercracker said, echoed belatedly by Skywarp.
“I’m sure it is. This is my trinemate Overcast.” Slipstream grinned suddenly in a sly way that strongly emphasised her relation to Starscream, “And this is Overcast’s younger brother, Jetfire. Play nice now sparklings, after all, you’re wingkin now.”
“Thank you for welcoming us into your family.” Thundercracker said reflexively.
“Nice to meet you Overcast, Jetfire.” Skywarp stopped and glared suspiciously at the white and red Seeker trying to hide in a corner and doing his level best not to look upset by the post bonding celebration, “Isn’t Jetfire the name of Screamer’s ex?”
“Uh?” Jetfire froze, looking stricken.
“Why, yes it is!” Slipstream grinned maliciously at the imminent chaos, “So little Starscream told you about that bit of youthful indiscretion already has he?”
Starscream slapped a hand to his face as his new trinemates - possessive glitches that they were - growled threateningly at his now-cowering best friend while his sister cackled in the background.
This was the family he had made; rebuilt from the remains of the old and combined with the new one Starscream had chosen.
… What the slag was wrong with his head?
(Word Count: 12433)
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There we are femmes and gentlemechs, the whole shebang. That is to say, all seven parts of "Courting Starscream" for Rings'verse. I hope you all enjoyed it. Standard ending note here; if you see any typos or things that make you go 'huh?' please make a note of them and lemme know in the comments so I can fix it when I do the compilation and final edit. I have to do this on my own people, cuz I has no beta. *sad face*
Anyway, my cat is faaaaat and pregnant. You can see the kittens moving around inside of her. It's like that one scene in the Alien movie, right before the guys chest bursts open. Plus, I spent something like four hours outside painting the deck today. I went to pick up my little sister and when we got home our conversation went like this;
Sis: Wow, you're red.
Me: What? Really? *looks over shoulder*
Sis: ... you don't even feel that do you?
Me: Feel what? *pokes at big red patch formerly known as my back*
Sis: Yeah, didn't think so. Get out of the sun.
Me: What? But I wanted to go swimming!
Sis: No.
And in less happy news, my Great-Aunt Alvera died yesterday. The funeral's Saturday. She was my maternal grandfather's brother's wife. I don't even know if I've ever met this woman, for all I've been living within driving distance of her for the last few years. Still, she's family. So on with the mourning veil and off to keep a stiff upper lip.
Finally, the Dragon Cave has come out with four new eggs. Guess who managed to grab a few. XP Yeah, I got a Tiny and a Translucent. Go me!
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A Transformers G1 Fanfic
Author: Sanjuno Shori Niko
Summary: What's the worst that could happen? Well... Starscream could always end up stuck with these morons for the rest of his function...
Timeline: More of this fic is over here!
The first half of this part!
=/=
(In which Starscream is still being courted!)
Part Five: The Upward Turn
Starscream woke from recharge gradually, his engine purring in quiet contentment. A strange state of affairs to be sure, Starscream was warm and comfortable, bracketed by a solid body on either side.
Starscream woke the rest of the way up in a hurry.
Skywarp beamed at him when Starscream’s optics lit up with a flare, either unaware of or choosing to ignore the alarm in Starscream’s emission field.
“Good morning, beautiful, how was your recharge?” Skywarp grinned at Starscream from a ridiculously close proximity, “How are you feeling now? Better? Or do you need more recharge?”
Starscream’s optics blinked off and on again, and he ran a quick systems check. Starscream did not… feel any different. So they could not have drugged his energon and forced him into a bond last night. Starscream would like to think that even low on energy, suffering from recharge deprivation, and drugged he would still remember getting bonded.
… Actually, put that way, it was entirely possible that Starscream had interfaced with Skywarp and Thundercracker until they all passed out and Starscream had just forgotten the whole thing.
… The idea of that really did not offend Starscream as much as it should.
“What are you doing in my berth?” Starscream demanded, sounding more surprised than offended, “Get out!”
“Well… about that.” Skywarp hedged, striving to look as harmless as possible, “First off, this is mine and TC’s room so… not your berth.”
Starscream’s optics blinked as he looked away from Skywarp to take in his surroundings. Indeed, this was not the room that Starscream had laid down in, “How did I get in here?”
Skywarp could not help grinning, Starscream was so cute when he dropped the wounded dignity and got all confused and rumpled. It made Skywarp want to cuddle Starscream. Not that the wounded dignity was a bad look for Starscream, it is just that what Skywarp wanted to do to Starscream when the pale Seeker got that look was a mite less innocent than cuddling.
“I heard you when you got stuck in a bad memory loop last night, so I went to see if I could help.” Skywarp shrugged, looking not one bit ashamed of his actions, “You calmed down when I touched you, but then you wouldn’t let go, so I ‘ported us both in here so TC wouldn’t have to ‘charge alone.”
“What makes you think I’ll believe that story?” Starscream scowled suspiciously, ashamed that he might have been that weak in front of a virtual stranger - aware of his actions or no - would-be trinemate or not Starscream would not condone such a thing.
“Well for one thing, you’re getting pretty mad at me, but you still haven’t let go.” Skywarp dared to wiggle a little bit closer, lowering his voice, “And you haven’t even tried to make a move to get away from me.”
Starscream froze, the argument he had been gearing up for never leaving his vocalizer. With morbid curiosity, Starscream experimentally shifted bits of himself and yes, those were his arms locked around Skywarp’s waist.
How embarrassing.
(Yet oddly comfortable.)
Furious, ashamed and a little bit hurt - Primus for a moment Starscream had actually expected this time to be different that all of the others - Starscream looked away, shuttering his optics.
This was too much for Starscream, how could he have been so weak?
“Hey now, don’t do that.” Skywarp cupped his hand around the side of Starscream’s face, gently stroking the delicate metal, “Nothing bad happened, you just got some decent recharge for once, and I got to see how pretty you are when you’re peaceful. A good deal all around, right?
Starscream… really should get up, get away, knock Skywarp’s hand off his face and leave, but… Skywarp’s touch was so soft, so gentle - reverent, instead of greedy. It was… nice. Starscream wanted to push into that touch, or - or return it, somehow. As if from very far away, Starscream heard his own voice ask in a caustic tone, “I fail to see how you get anything out of just watching someone recharge.”
“I didn’t.” Skywarp answered without hesitation, and Starscream felt a sharp pang that faded when Skywarp continued with happy assurance, “But it was nice to see you recharging and looking all peaceful, snuggled up with me and TC. You’re not just anyone Starscream, you’re our trinemate.”
“So you say.” Starscream vented a sigh, cautiously relaxing, as the desire for more rest became insistent. It really was quite nice, just lying here with Skywarp and Thundercracker… and after all, the damage was already done. Surely a few more breems of recharge could not hurt.
Surely not.
Not quite believing it was true - Starscream was so prickly! - Skywarp watched avidly as Starscream cycled back into recharge without kicking up a fuss or trying to get away.
“Thank you.” Skywarp whispered gratefully, not knowing who he was speaking to, just knowing that he had to say it out loud. The hope Skywarp had felt when he heard Starscream say his designation with such longing solidified into certainty at this overt sign of trust. Starscream may not want to, or even believe it himself, but the silver Seeker trusted Skywarp enough to recharge in his arms.
Things were looking up.
/…/
Thundercracker woke up in a surprisingly good mood. The blue Seeker was curled up against a warm frame, and Skywarp was grinning at him from the other side of the pretty silver chassis Thundercracker had his arms around. It was a nice way to start the solar cycle.
“Skywarp!” Thundercracker hissed suddenly, not daring to move or speak too loudly once he realized that it was Starscream there in the berth with them, “What did you do you crazy little glitch?”
“Nothing bad!” Skywarp protested innocently.
“That look won’t work this time!” Thundercracker growled, “Starscream trusted us not to pull slag like this!”
“Well.” The pale body in Thundercracker’s arms drawled, alerting them to the fact that Starscream was awake too, “At least I know that you had nothing to do with this situation.”
“Aw, don’t be like that Starscream!” Skywarp grinned - did he ever stop? - Then leaned over to lay a smacking kiss on the side of Thundercracker’s helm, “This big blue lump could recharge through the next coming of Unicron if we gave him the chance.”
“And what am I supposed to do with that interesting little tidbit of information?” Starscream asked dryly, pinned to the berth by two sets of arms (he really ought to be pushing them away) but still calm for all that.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something!” Skywarp said cheerfully and climbed out of the berth to start his morning.
Which left Starscream and Thundercracker alone in the berth together.
Thundercracker felt unaccountably nervous, torn between letting Starscream go (be respectful of personal boundaries) and just holding on until the other Seeker was safely bonded to he and Skywarp (show how much he wanted it.)
A light touch along his arm pulled Thundercracker from his increasingly panicked thoughts to find Starscream running his claws along the plating on Thundercracker’s forearm. Watching the action, Thundercracker relaxed, feeling sleepy contentment creep over him. Starscream’s blue was paler than Thundercracker’s own, but it was a nice contrast.
“They look nice together.” Thundercracker said without thinking, smiling with his gaze on Starscream’s hands and not really noticing Starscream looking at Thundercracker over his shoulder, “Our blues I mean, they match well.”
“… I suppose so.” Starscream said in slight amusement, shifting to lie on his back.
Thundercracker admired Starscream’s profile for a moment before remembering his manners, “Did you rest well? I’m sorry if it looks like we took advantage, but Skywarp usually has his reasons for crazy slag like this. Usually crazy reasons, but he’s usually got his spark in the right place. I still apologise for making you uncomfortable. Would you like some energon? We’ve got a good supply, so have as much as you like.”
“Thundercracker, you’re babbling.” Starscream was obviously amused by the way Thundercracker snapped his mouth shut, looking embarrassed as Starscream chuckled, “I never would have pegged you as a babbler.”
“I’m not, usually.” Thundercracker said looking discomforted, “Just when I’m nervous about something and Skywarp isn’t here to be a distraction. I let Skywarp do most of the talking anyway.”
“I had noticed that.” Starscream commented, then cast a sly look at Thundercracker, “Do you plan on making Skywarp do all the work during courtship as well?”
“Of course not!” Thundercracker protested automatically before his processors could catch up with the conversation.
“Oh good. I was wondering about that.” Starscream said airily, ignoring Thundercracker’s surprised, joyful expression through vast effort of will, (will not laugh!) “Now I believe that you offered me energon.”
“Of course Starscream.” Thundercracker’s voice was husky, his optics bright as he sat up, pulling Starscream with him, “Whatever you want.”
“Whatever I want, hm?” Starscream shivered, pressing into Thundercracker briefly before standing and walking out of the room, casting another sly glance back over his shoulder at Thundercracker, “I think I like the sound of that. You coming? Or do I have to discover where you keep the energon on my own?”
“Ah, I’m getting up.” Thundercracker scramble to catch up to Starscream, daring to ask a question, “So… what are your plans for the solar cycle? Do you have a place to stay tonight?”
“Why do you ask?” Starscream cocked his head to one side as Thundercracker poured two cubes from the energon dispenser, “Hoping to convince me to stay here again if I don’t?”
“Yes, actually.” Thundercracker said bluntly as he handed Starscream a cube, “Skywarp and I are serious about this, Starscream. We want to court you, and yes, we saw how un-trined Seekers react to you, but they do the same thing to Skywarp and I! You’re the first one we’ve found that either of us feels the pull from and I’ve got the feeling from the way you say our designations that it’s the first time you’ve felt the pull too. So please… give us the chance to prove ourselves to you.”
“Why do you trust this feeling of yours so much?” Starscream asked, giving no indication of his answer to Thundercracker’s plea, “If you’re telling the truth you know how unreliable it is first hand. You know just how often it’s a mistake, or wrong. Why trust it now?”
“Because… you’re different.” Thundercracker shrugged, struggling with the words, “Because with others it was always ‘maybe’ or ‘no way’, but with you… it feels like the way it was with Skywarp. I just know. Starscream, you’re… when I think about you I know, for certain with no doubts at all that you are my trinemate. I hope, please, that you’ll stop fighting so hard and trust yourself, trust us, enough to find the truth of what you feel for us yourself.”
“You present a compelling argument, Thundercracker.” Starscream commented, staring into his cube, “A little skimpy on the details and the evidence is all circumstantial, but a compelling argument none the less.”
“Starscream.” Thundercracker pleaded softly, watching Starscream until the other Seeker lifted his optics to Thundercracker’s, “Please. Let us try?”
“Oh very well.” Starscream said with a dramatic sigh through his vents, “I’ll give you a chance.”
“Yes!” Skywarp cheered, coming out of nowhere to latch onto Starscream’s back, “You won’t regret it Screamer!”
“Get off of me you imbecile!” Starscream shouted, pushed forward into Thundercracker by Skywarp’s weight.
“Skywarp!” Thundercracker bellowed at the same time, energon flying everywhere as the three Seekers tumbled to the floor in a pile.
“Oh hey, yummy!” A grinning Skywarp then promptly leaned down and licked off the energon splattered on Starscream and Thundercracker’s faces, “Thanks for the meal!”
“Thundercracker.” Starscream said slowly, “I hope you don’t mind terribly, but I need to kill your wingmate now.”
“I’ll help.” Thundercracker said with a low growl from his place at the bottom of the pile.
“There, you see? You’re already sharing thoughts and emotions! Bonding’s just a formality at this rate!” Skywarp observed cheerfully, then prudently teleported away when Starscream and Thundercracker lunged at him, claws out and murder in their optics.
Hm, he had managed to get Starscream to relax around them. Now all Skywarp had to do was survive until Starscream and Thundercracker calmed down. That could not be too hard.
… Right?
/…/
Part Six: Reconstruction and Working Through
Six megacycles into the Festival of Winds and Starscream had already, supposedly, found his trinemates and allowed himself to be courted. Starscream felt rather amused by the whole thing. After all, Starscream was one of the fastest Seekers ever sparked, but a six-megacycle courtship? Most Skyborn Seekers would have been bonded by the third, and a Flightless not much longer. If Starscream held out until the end of the Festival, it would be the longest Trine courtship on record.
Starscream snickered. The idea had merit, after all.
/…/
“Look you buffoon I told you already! I’m waiting for someone! Who isn’t you!” Starscream snarled, “I’m not interested! Now back off!”
“Aw, don’t be that way, winglet.” The mint and copper Seeker leaned in closer, and Starscream itched to claw the leer off his face, “I can show you a good time.”
“Hey Star, sorry I’m late.” Thundercracker smoothly slid into place at Starscream’s side, incidentally forcing the Seeker hitting on Starscream to take several quick steps back to avoid getting knocked over, “Come on, we’ve got an appointment to make. You know how Warp will pout if we miss it.”
“Hey!” The belated protest and the Seeker it came from were ignored as Thundercracker pulled Starscream off with an arm around his waist. It was rather obvious, now that the Seeker left behind took the time to check on their emission fields, that the two were in the middle of courtship. Starscream further dissuaded the rather embarrassed Seeker from any notions of further action be directing several explicit and eloquent gestures behind Thundercracker’s back describing just what the other could do with his endearments.
Well. There was no need to be rude.
/…/
Starscream had not known what to expect when Thundercracker had dragged him into a dance hall and then further into one of the private studios. Starscream was still confused when the lights went down and the show began.
The music alone was glorious. A variation of the freewheeling skydance music reworked for performance art. It was the sound of speed, the rhythm of wind over wings, the melody of flight, woven together with dance. Exhilarating.
But it was the dancer himself that Starscream could not tear his optics away from.
Skywarp was grace and danger, a thrill and a familiar comfort. The colours painted by Skywarp’s movement were freedom and joy, wild play made visible. The hyperactive insanity Starscream had started to get used to had been replaced by exquisitely precise ability. Starscream had never seen another Seeker look so vulnerable and so untouchable at once. It made Starscream want to catch Skywarp, then let go so that they could do the chase all over again.
“It’s beautiful.” Starscream murmured, aware of Thundercracker’s arm around him still but not really noticing, to entranced by Skywarp’s dance to care.
“It’s a gift for you.” Thundercracker whispered back, just as taken with Skywarp’s performance as Starscream, “You like it?”
“He’s wonderful.” Starscream said softly with an amazed smile.
And the music hit crescendo, racing towards the climax.
/…/
“You really liked it?” Skywarp asked, draped over Starscream like Cybertron’s largest piece of kibble, “Really, really?”
“Of course I liked it. It was a lovely piece and you dance very well.” Starscream said honestly, most of his mind on wondering where Thundercracker had decided to run off to. At least wearing Skywarp freed him from the attentions of others, but Starscream was a bit leery of being left alone with the bouncy one for too long.
“Hey Starscream?” Skywarp asked, not the type to let the silence remain unbroken, “Why were you so resistant to us courting you? I mean, it’s just courtship! It’s not like we asked you to bond with us right away.”
“But many consider courtship to just be the first step towards forging a bond.” Starscream pointed out, the memories of the past not quite so painful with Skywarp pressed up against his plating, so Starscream kept explaining, “I let my best friend court me once, but didn’t feel the pull of trine from him. I hurt Jetfire a lot when I broke it off, and I don’t like the idea of fostering false hopes.”
“So why did you say yes to us?” Skywarp asked, cocking his head to one side curiously and fighting down a strange mix of jealousy and gloating possessiveness.
“Well…” Starscream hesitated, then shrugged, “You wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Aww, don’t be shy Screamer! Tell me how you really feel!” Skywarp cooed playfully and nuzzled the side of Starscream’s helm as the white Seeker sputtered indignantly.
/…/
Skywarp was quite justifiably smug to have earned Starscream’s praise and attentions after his dance. Sending gloating looks at Thundercracker ever since Starscream had run an admiring, covetous hand over Skywarp’s wings.
So Thundercracker plotted.
“Starscream?” Thundercracker smiled at the sight of Skywarp flopped over the object of their affection’s lap, purring happily as Starscream traced idle patterns over Skywarp’s happily fluttering wings, “I’ve got something for you.”
“Oh?” Starscream looked up from the distracting movement in his lap as Thundercracker took a seat next to him, “What is it?”
“I’m not artistic the way Warp is. I’m a trader so… here.” Thundercracker shrugged his wings, handing over a decorated box, “I hope you like it.”
“You bought me something?” Starscream asked in surprised delight, taking the box with enough grace to almost disguise his eagerness, “What is it?”
“Open it and find out.” Thundercracker said, shaking his head in amusement as Starscream gleefully did just that, revealing a small, shining crystal sculpted to look like one of the terraces from Vos’ hanging Garden.
“Praxian crystal…” Starscream said, almost a question as he gently touched one of the outreaching clusters.
“From the Vos Garden.” Thundercracker said shyly, “It’s still alive, so the glow won’t fade out as long as it’s cared for properly.”
“Thank you Thundercracker, it’s lovely.” Starscream said, still gently tracing the crystals, “Did you know… I was a hatchling during the last Raid. I can remember a lot of what happened. What I remember most though is how safe the Gardens were. No one could find us when we hid there.”
Starscream was silent for a long moment, enough time for Skywarp to sit up in concern, for Thundercracker to worry that he had made a mistake, then Starscream continued, “My creators lost the sparkling my Genitor was carrying during that raid. They… never really recovered. My sister, Slipstream, took over much of my care. Losing the newspark damaged the bonds between the two of us and our creators. We didn’t spend a whole lot of time at home after that. We escaped to the Gardens again, to play and be with our friends. To this day the crystals remind me of safety.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you.” Thundercracker said quietly, distressed by Starscream’s reaction to his gift.
Starscream shook his head, “You haven’t upset me, Thundercracker. Instead I think… perhaps it’s a sign.”
“What kind of sign?” Skywarp asked, worried by the strange mood that Starscream would change his mind about them.
Starscream smiled secretively, cradling the small crystal garden, “I’ll tell you in a few cycles.”
Thundercracker and Skywarp just stared in confusion. What did Starscream mean by that?
/…/
Part Seven: Acceptance and Hope
They were existing in a state of uncertainty. Starscream had left, telling Skywarp and Thundercracker to, “Stay put. I’ll bring a surprise back with me.”
Then Starscream had smiled and slipped out of the apartment before either one could object or question. That had been two cycles ago.
“What’s taking him so long?” Skywarp whined as he paced restlessly around the apartment.
“It’s my fault.” Thundercracker sat morosely on the couch where Starscream had left him, “I upset him with that gift. I messed it up. I’m sorry Warp.”
“Aw, Cracker, don’t think that way.” Skywarp said sympathetically, stopping his pacing to settle down in Thundercracker’s lap, plopping his chin on top of the blue Seeker’s helm, “Starscream’ll be back soon. You’ll see. You’re worrying for nothing. Starscream said he liked the gift you gave him.”
“How nice, you’ve started without me.” Starscream’s voice came as if on cue, preceding the aforementioned Seeker through the now open door.
“Starscream, you’re back!” Skywarp said happily, jumping up only to have a large box shoved into his arms, “Uh, what’s this?”
“All my worldly possessions.” Starscream answered dryly, pulling another box through the door and handing it to Thundercracker before picking up a third and final box himself, allowing the door to shut behind him, “Be careful, it’s fragile. We can put these in the guest quarters for now.”
“Um, Starscream?” Thundercracker asked helplessly, exchanging a bewildered glance with Skywarp, “Did you mean that? Can you explain what’s going on please?”
“Did you know that the longest Seeker courtship on record is five megacycles, thirty-two cycles, and fourteen breems?” Starscream asked conversationally as he put his load down on the guest berth and gestured for Skywarp and Thundercracker to do the same, “That’s from moment-of-meeting to bonding. And the average courtship is only two megacycles for Skyborn Seekers, three on the outside.”
“That’s… interesting?” Skywarp said, looking lost, “Um. Did you have a reason for telling us that?”
“Well…” Starscream drawled as he sauntered out into the main room, turning to face Skywarp and Thundercracker again when they followed, putting his back to the berth room and smiling invitingly, “We’ve been courting for, oh, six megacycles, nine cycles, three breems and counting. That’s a new record.”
“We have?” Thundercracker’s optics blinked in response to his shock as what Starscream was implying penetrated. Thundercracker grinned, “It is?”
“Mmhmm.” Starscream pulled out a flask of high grade, the label declaring it to be Blessed Winds. The traditional mix used to fuel a bonding. Once empty, the bottle became a decoration, since breaking the seal made the bottle unsuitable for holding energon again, except as a decanter. Getting a hold of that label required registering intent-to-bond with the High Tower. Skywarp and Thundercracker stared with wide, bright optics as Starscream turned and sashayed into the berth room, “Are you two coming or am I going to have to drink this all on my lonesome?”
“Oh Primus if I’m hallucinating don’t knock me out of it.” Skywarp moaned and scrambled eagerly after Starscream, leaving a gaping Thundercracker to catch up, “Starscream! Are you serious about this?”
Starscream looked up as Skywarp and Thundercracker made it into the room, both looking dazed and hopeful.
“Are you honestly trying to talk me out of this? Never mind.” Starscream then smirked and broke the seal on the flask, stepping up to them and swinging the now-open bottle, “Does this answer your question?”
Thundercracker shuddered and reached for Starscream.
“Ah-ah. Drink first.” Starscream said, suiting actions to words as he drained a third of the bottle in one pull, pushing the flask into Thundercracker’s outstretched hands, “Your turn.”
Impatiently, Thundercracker drank as ordered, never taking his optics off Starscream.
“Good mech.” Starscream purred, nudging the nearly empty bottle in Skywarp’s direction, “Now you. Drink up so we can do this properly.”
With a needy whimper, Skywarp did as he was told, watching avidly as Thundercracker ran greedy hands all over those pretty white wings.
The empty bottle made an awful clatter when it was tossed into the far corner, Skywarp being far too impatient to be bothering with things like putting it down gently or even remembering where the table was.
They swayed in the middle of the room, locked together with caressing hands. Thundercracker’s engine was a deep rumble against Starscream’s back, the vibrations drawing a moan from the white Seeker. Skywarp shamelessly abused his anti-gravs, hitching his legs up around Starscream’s waist, discovering much to his delight that Starscream made even more nice noises when you stroked his chemoreceptors with your glossa. Starscream growled, on hand clamping down on Skywarp’s aft - making the black and purple Seeker squeak happily - and returned the favour with interest.
“Nngh.” Skywarp moaned, tilting his head to fit his mouth tighter against Starscream’s as they tried to see who could get more of their glossa into the others mouth. So many sensors and pressure-sensitive receptors to play with in one small area!
“Pretty.” Thundercracker commented, nipping along the inside of edge of Starscream’s wings.
“So are you.” Starscream said, breaking the kiss with Skywarp to grab the back of Thundercracker’s helm with the hand not occupied with Skywarp’s cute little aft and reel the blue Seeker in for a lip-lock of his own.
Skywarp watched hungrily, fans whirring to life to combat the heat rising in his systems as Starscream devoured Thundercracker’s mouth. Nothing of the shy researcher now, Starscream was a scientist in the midst of his greatest discovery. Nothing short of the building falling down would distract him now.
“Berth.” Starscream muttered into Thundercracker’s mouth, growling impatiently when he received a befuddled look.
Thundercracker looked charmingly shocked to get tossed onto the berth, which made Skywarp giggle even as he received the same treatment. Stalking forward, then slinking up onto the berth himself to hover over them both, Starscream purred in a predatory tone, “Now then. Wherever should I begin? Perhaps here?”
“Starscream.” Skywarp moaned, giggles forgotten as pale blue claws dipped into the joins of his wings, teasing along the inner wires and sending out little jolts of sensation that soon had the dark Seeker ready to beg for further touch, “Please!”
“Please what?” Starscream teased, keeping his energy emission field under tight control, enjoying the way Skywarp’s energy spiked in desperation each time Starscream released a small pulse through his fingers.
“You know what!” Skywarp gasped out, pawing at one white thigh.
“Maybe I do.” Starscream murmured, settling more comfortably in his seat, pinning Skywarp and Thundercracker together on the berth by trapping one leg from each between his knees as he knelt above them, “What do you think Thundercracker?’
“I think you both talk too much!” Thundercracker growled, then arched with an airy cry when Starscream dug his claws into the top of Thundercracker’s thrusters with a chiding little ‘tisk’ and a sharp lash of energy.
Thundercracker pulled the leg up, pushing into Starscream’s hand, rolling half on his side to get his own hands on Starscream and Skywarp both. Skywarp met Thundercracker halfway, whingeing desperately into the other Seeker’s mouth as Starscream finally stroked their fields with the full force of his own energy, letting the fields mesh and mingle in preparation for bonding.
“My goodness, the two of you are hot off the mark.” Starscream observed with a pleased little grin as his engine revved higher. Oh right. Blessed Winds was a special high-grade mix. Chortling, Starscream promptly dropped his hands to Skywarp and Thundercracker’s interface panels.
“Nnh.” Skywarp’s helm thumped against the charge padding even as his hands reflexively scrabbled at Starscream’s own interface panel, “Please!”
“Shh… easy.” Starscream crooned, drawing out one of Skywarp’s cables and plugging it into Thundercracker, then plugging Thundercracker into Skywarp with a pulsing flare of energy. The two Seekers under Starscream cried out, Skywarp clenching a hand on Starscream’s thigh and Thundercracker mindlessly clawing at Starscream’s back, mouth open on soundless whimpers. Pulling out his own cords, Starscream plugged into Skywarp and Thundercracker, sending a precisely timed crackle of electricity racing down the connection even as he plugged them both into himself.
Pleasure, white-hot and intense flooded over the tripled links, leaving Starscream gasping and sinking down into two pairs of welcoming arms. Starscream clutched Skywarp and Thundercracker’s shoulders, his head dropping until his helm rested against theirs as they shook together, energy cycling through their systems.
“Now, please now!” In the aftermath, none of them remembered who had said it - maybe they all did - but those words were the trigger.
Chest plates split and retracted, revealing spark chambers that opened smoothly, loosing streamers of light. The link between Thundercracker and Skywarp shone brightly, old and well set. Awed, Starscream reached out to touch it. Thin tendrils of light - love and trust, devotion and acceptance - reached out from Starscream’s spark to Thundercracker’s, from Starscream’s spark to Skywarp’s, and back. The links twined around each other, forging the trinebond into one from three separate connections. Set, anchored in the depths of three sparks that now shared the same pulse. The energy built, from Starscream to Thundercracker to Skywarp to Starscream until he and they and them and him became us.
The pressure peaked, snapped, and they were flying together, freefalling into bliss beyond description. Together as one, the way they would always be from that moment forth.
Together forever.
/…/
“So these are your trinemates, eh?” Slipstream demanded, standing with her hands on her hips as she raked an assessing gaze over the two Seekers standing on either side of her younger brother. It really was not fair at all. Slipstream still had not found her other wingmate, and here her annoying little brother - who did not even try to find them - just goes for a walk and trips over them. The annoying little fragger, Slipstream scowled, “Huh. They don’t look like much. You’re wingleader?”
“Yes I am.” Starscream said in amusement, ignoring his sisters venom as he watched his wingmates move to keep Starscream between Slipstream and themselves, “Skywarp, Thundercracker, this is my sister Slipstream.”
“Nice to meet you.” Thundercracker said, echoed belatedly by Skywarp.
“I’m sure it is. This is my trinemate Overcast.” Slipstream grinned suddenly in a sly way that strongly emphasised her relation to Starscream, “And this is Overcast’s younger brother, Jetfire. Play nice now sparklings, after all, you’re wingkin now.”
“Thank you for welcoming us into your family.” Thundercracker said reflexively.
“Nice to meet you Overcast, Jetfire.” Skywarp stopped and glared suspiciously at the white and red Seeker trying to hide in a corner and doing his level best not to look upset by the post bonding celebration, “Isn’t Jetfire the name of Screamer’s ex?”
“Uh?” Jetfire froze, looking stricken.
“Why, yes it is!” Slipstream grinned maliciously at the imminent chaos, “So little Starscream told you about that bit of youthful indiscretion already has he?”
Starscream slapped a hand to his face as his new trinemates - possessive glitches that they were - growled threateningly at his now-cowering best friend while his sister cackled in the background.
This was the family he had made; rebuilt from the remains of the old and combined with the new one Starscream had chosen.
… What the slag was wrong with his head?
(Word Count: 12433)
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There we are femmes and gentlemechs, the whole shebang. That is to say, all seven parts of "Courting Starscream" for Rings'verse. I hope you all enjoyed it. Standard ending note here; if you see any typos or things that make you go 'huh?' please make a note of them and lemme know in the comments so I can fix it when I do the compilation and final edit. I have to do this on my own people, cuz I has no beta. *sad face*
Anyway, my cat is faaaaat and pregnant. You can see the kittens moving around inside of her. It's like that one scene in the Alien movie, right before the guys chest bursts open. Plus, I spent something like four hours outside painting the deck today. I went to pick up my little sister and when we got home our conversation went like this;
Sis: Wow, you're red.
Me: What? Really? *looks over shoulder*
Sis: ... you don't even feel that do you?
Me: Feel what? *pokes at big red patch formerly known as my back*
Sis: Yeah, didn't think so. Get out of the sun.
Me: What? But I wanted to go swimming!
Sis: No.
And in less happy news, my Great-Aunt Alvera died yesterday. The funeral's Saturday. She was my maternal grandfather's brother's wife. I don't even know if I've ever met this woman, for all I've been living within driving distance of her for the last few years. Still, she's family. So on with the mourning veil and off to keep a stiff upper lip.
Finally, the Dragon Cave has come out with four new eggs. Guess who managed to grab a few. XP Yeah, I got a Tiny and a Translucent. Go me!
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