Skywarp's Solution: Phase Two

[anon_decepticon]

Title: Skywarp’s Solution: Phase Two
Author: anon_decepticon
Rating: M
Pairing or Character(s): Skywarp/Thundercracker, with just a dash of Starscream.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Transformers.
Warning(s): Sticky sex, masturbation, a touch of voyeurism/exhibitionism.
Overall Summary: Megatron has turned his sights on Thundercracker, but Skywarp has a plan.
Author's Note: Part two of three, Skywarp’s PoV. This is a continuation of the G1 fic continuity that follows my third, fourth and tenth fics for the kink meme, Skywarp Goes Solo, Thunderstruck and Grounded, and the follow-up trilogy, “Ours, Mine, Yours.” Phase One is here. Thanks to kookaburra1701 for her continued support and encouragement, and to everyone who commented on Phase One. This one’s got more plot than smut, but I hope it’s still an engaging read. Starscream demanded I give him more “screen time,” even though I’ve pretty much committed to the idea of writing him a fic of his own at this point. Such a prima donna…



Skywarp's Solution: Phase Two

Thundercracker wasn’t there when Skywarp teleported in.

Skywarp was surprised to find their shared quarters unoccupied when he arrived; he’d fully expected TC to be waiting impatiently for him, wondering where the frag Skywarp had gotten to, but Thundercracker’s berth was empty.

Probably just went to refuel, he thought as he lowered himself gingerly onto his berth, cycling his vents in a weary sigh. Or maybe he went to ask Hook to take a look at his wing for him. Thundercracker’s injury hadn't seemed all that serious, but TC was as protective of his wings as any Seeker, if not more so.

Yeah, he thought, That’s probably it. He’ll be back any klik now.

Primus, but he was tired! He could barely keep his optics online. Megatron had worn him out.

But it had been good. It had been worth it. He may have failed to convince Megatron to give up on TC entirely, but he’d at least ensured Thundercracker wouldn’t have to face him alone.

Ha, ‘face him, he thought, snickering to himself. That’s funny.

His plan would work; he was sure of it. Thundercracker would probably argue otherwise, but Skywarp would convince him it was the only way.

Just as soon as he gets back, he thought, his optics flickering.

Just as soo –

**

He onlined his optics to the familiar sight of the metal ceiling above his berth. A yellow alert notice promptly appeared in his HUD, flashing a warning that his fuel levels were well below optimal. He made to sit up, but immediately fell back again with a groan. He ached all over, especially between his –

“Welcome back,” a deep voice rumbled caustically.

Skywarp turned his helm toward the sound and spied Thundercracker seated on the berth opposite him, buffing his chassis with a polishing cloth.

“Hey TC,” he greeted him muzzily. “You got any energon on you? I’m runnin’ on fumes, here.”

Grumbling, Thundercracker reached into his subspace and extracted a nearly-full cube. He got to his feet and crossed the room, holding it out to Skywarp with a disapproving glower.

Skywarp sat up with difficulty, wincing as his systems protested the movement, and accepted the offering. “Thanks,” he said, wobbling a little.

TC put out a hand to steady him, but yanked it back abruptly. “Ugh, Primus, ‘Warp!” he exclaimed. “You’re covered in – and you reek!”

Skywarp cocked his helm slightly, cycling a draft of air through his vents to sample its chemical composition. There was a distinct…aroma hanging around him, one he recognized – transfluid and lubricant, coupled with a faint whiff of ozone and fried circuitry. He glanced down at himself, and discovered a wide smear of flaking, dried gunk decorating his cockpit.

“Oh. Right,” he said. “Forgot to hit the ‘racks.”

Thundercracker made a disgusted noise and threw the polishing cloth at him.

Skywarp caught it clumsily as Thundercracker spun on his heel-turbine and stalked back to his berth, resuming his seat. The energon fumes rising from the cube in his other hand triggered a grinding sound from Skywarp’s depleted fuel tanks, reminding him that he’d neglected to refuel the night before. Pouring a generous gulp down his intake, he took a few absent-minded swipes at his chassis with the cloth.

“You and Megatron have a good time?” Thundercracker rumbled darkly as Skywarp drained the last of the cube.

Skywarp looked up in surprise, belatedly noticing the scowl on his trinemate’s faceplate. “How’d you know I was with Megatron?” he asked.

Thundercracker looked abruptly discomfited, dropping his angry glare to stare at the floor. “Starscream mentioned it,” he muttered. “Said you were all over him last night.”

“Oh,” he said. Considering Screamer’s mood the last time Skywarp had seen him, he doubted he’d phrased it that politely. “You talked to him?” he asked, dispersing the empty cube and renewing his efforts with the cloth, scrubbing at the large patch of dried fluid on his cockpit.

“A little,” Thundercracker replied with an awkward shrug. “He said it was pathetic; you were lubricating so hard for Megatron he thought you were gonna flood the docking bay,” he added accusingly.

That sounded more like Starscream. Skywarp grumbled irritably. He’d hoped TC wouldn’t find out about Megatron until he’d had a chance to explain why he’d gone after him in the first place. He lowered his gaze sheepishly to the polishing cloth in his hand – and did a double-take, frowning.

There were streaks of paint on it. Red streaks.

“You fragged him,” he said, staring at them in disbelief. “Last night – that’s why you weren’t here when I got back.” He looked up at him, meeting his optics. “You were with him.”

“So what if I was?” Thundercracker said, his ailerons twitching defensively. “You weren’t around.”

He stood up angrily, throwing the cloth on the floor. “You’re torqued off at me for ‘facing Megatron when you’re fragging Screamer behind my back?”

“At least he’s part of the trine!” Thundercracker retorted, rising to square off with him. “Anyway, he ordered me to! What’s your excuse? Megatron didn’t comm you, you went to him, practically begged him to frag you! You’ve got his – stink all over you!”

“I had to do it!” he shouted back. “He was gonna –”

“Right,” Thundercracker interrupted sarcastically, “You had to. ‘Cause Megatron’s just so slagging good in the berth.” He grabbed hold of Skywarp’s chin, forcing him to tilt his helm upward, his optics raking over Skywarp’s scuffed and dented faceplate. “He give you those?” he growled.

Skywarp recoiled, jerking free of his grip. A hot wave of anger and jealousy had flooded the bond when Thundercracker touched him, intense and overwhelming. “Yeah, so?” he said, shrugging defensively.

“You’re both crazy,” Thundercracker said, shaking his helm in disgust. “He beats on you and you like it.”

“I did it for you!” he shouted.

Thundercracker stiffened, his optics widening.

“Don’t you get it, TC?” he cried. “I saw him watching you! You were the one he wanted, the one he was gonna comm – not Starscream, not me – you!”

Thundercracker stared at him in shock.

“I had to distract him,” he said, his tone softening. “Otherwise he would’ve – and he was so angry –”

Thundercracker sank back down onto his berth, as if the servos in his legs had abruptly given way. “You let him do it to you instead,” he said after a stunned astrosecond. “You let him –”

“I thought I could convince him to forget about you,” he said with a shrug. “That if I really wound him up, got him off hard, he’d figure I was better than you, that you weren’t worth the trouble.”

“You let him hurt you,” Thundercracker concluded in a horrified whisper, “so he wouldn’t hurt me.”

He shrugged again, dismissively. “It wasn’t that bad,” he said, wanting to reassure him, disturbed by the look on Thundercracker’s faceplate. “Yeah, he belted me one when I mouthed off to him, and he was kinda rough, but he didn’t really hurt me. It was good; I liked it.”

TC stared up at him incredulously. “You liked it?”

“Yeah,” he said. “It was hot. You know me; I like a good hard frag in the valve.”

“You overloaded for him?” Thundercracker asked.

“Three times,” he confirmed proudly. “You shoulda seen it, TC – I really had him going!”

Thundercracker shook his helm in disbelief. Skywarp frowned, wondering how he should break the news to TC that his plan hadn’t worked, that Megatron still wanted him anyway.

“I don’t know how you can stand it,” Thundercracker said. “I don’t know how you can like being with him.”

Skywarp lifted his shoulder-strut in a half-shrug, taking a seat on the berth next to him, close enough to scrape their plating. He felt a thin thread of revulsion coil through his spark as they touched, an emotion that wasn’t his own. “I don’t, sometimes,” he admitted. “When he’s mad and just jacks in, it sucks. But most of the time it’s pretty good. I don’t mind when he does it right, and usually he does.”

“Guess I was just lucky,” Thundercracker muttered sarcastically.

“You were, TC,” he said quietly.

Thundercracker stared at him in confusion, his startled bewilderment flickering through the bond they shared. “You’re torqued off about it,” he said in surprise.

“You still don’t get it, do you?” he said, exasperated. “He was trying to overload you, TC! He even touched your spike! He never does that! And you didn’t even like it!”

“That’s stupid, ‘Warp,” Thundercracker argued. “He only did that because he wanted to get in my valve! What difference does it make to him if I overload or not?”

“Because that’s what he likes,” he replied impatiently. “He likes fragging Seekers; he likes seeing us go off. That’s what does it for him!”

Thundercracker made a derisive noise. “Right, ‘cause Megatron’s such a considerate mech,” he scoffed. “What does he care if we actually like it when he frags us?”

“Because he’s Megatron!” Skywarp retorted, knowing his overriding frustration was probably resonating through the bond. “’Facing, fighting, it doesn’t matter – he wants to win! That’s why you have to let him frag you, TC! That’s why you have to overload when he does – otherwise you’re just like Starscream, telling him he can’t lead, only you’re telling him he can’t ‘face! And if he can’t beat you that way, he’ll do it another – he’ll slag you.”

Thundercracker jerked back sharply, severing the contact between them, looking downright alarmed. “I thought you said you’d convinced him I wasn’t worth it,” he said. “That he liked you better than me.”

He huffed through his vents. “I tried to,” he said. “But it didn’t work. He likes it with me, but he still wants you.”

Thundercracker slumped back against the wall, stunned by the revelation. “Why?” he asked weakly. “Why does he want me?”

Skywarp pressed in close to him, stroking his cockpit in sympathy. A veritable tidal wave of emotions assailed his spark – worry, dread, confusion, revulsion – making his wrap his arms around his lover, seeking to comfort. “It’s not really you he wants,” he explained. “I mean, it is, but – it‘s like I said: You challenged him. You didn’t overload. He can’t let it go. That’s just how he is.”

Thundercracker looked up at him in dismay, meeting his gaze with despairing optics. “What am I gonna do, ‘Warp?” he asked, his tone soft and pleading.

“‘Face him,” he replied simply.

“I can’t,” Thundercracker said. “I get what you’re saying, I do, but…I can’t go through that again. I just can’t.”

“You have to,” he replied sadly. “It’s the only way.”

“I won’t overload,” Thundercracker said, shaking his helm in denial. “I can’t, not for him – there’s just no way! I only ever did it with you! And if you’re right, and I don’t – he’s just gonna keep trying! He’ll call me in there every night –!”

Skywarp wanted to tell him he was wrong, but he knew in his spark that TC was right; that was exactly what Megatron would do. And when his efforts continued to fail, Megatron’s frustration would swiftly turn into anger, and then –

A low, terrified keen interrupted his thoughts, and Skywarp realized he’d just informed his lover through their bond of just how dire his situation was. Stupid! he thought, Stupid, stupid slagger –!

He grabbed Thundercracker’s helm with both hands, forcing him to meet his gaze. “It’s not gonna be like that, TC,” he said firmly. “I’m not gonna let him do that to you.”

Thundercracker stared at him, his optics wide and frightened, his terror pulsing through their sparks like a living thing, and Skywarp had to fight to stay centered, to counter that fear with his own determination.

“We’re gonna give him what he wants, TC,” he said. “You and me, together. I was able to do that much; I think I talked him into it. When he comms, he’s gonna comm both of us. You won’t have to face him alone.”

Thundercracker was trembling beneath his hands, his wings rattling a tattoo against the wall, and for a moment Skywarp wasn’t sure if the icy fear gripping his spark was TC’s, or his own. Seeing his normally-unshakeable trinemate and lover quaking like a frightened sparkling made it contract painfully in its chamber.

“It’s gonna be okay,” he whispered reassuringly, running his hands over Thundercracker’s frame, as if somehow he could brush the fear away with his fingertips. “I’ll take care of it, TC; I can handle him. Just leave everything to me. Trust me.”

Thundercracker opened his mouth to say something, and Skywarp knew he was going to argue just from the swirl of doubt that rose up through the bond, but before TC could speak, they were interrupted by a low chiming sound from the door – a request for entry.

Exchanging a look, they quickly disentangled themselves from one another and got to their feet. Skywarp moved to activate the mechanism, giving TC a few more astroseconds to collect himself.

The door slid open to reveal a familiar figure; Starscream was standing on the other side.

Starscream scowled at the sight of him, and Skywarp tensed in reaction, half-expecting a blow. Screamer was notorious for holding a grudge. Starscream’s gaze swept over him disdainfully, his lip components curling in disgust, and Skywarp recalled belatedly that he still hadn’t paid that much-needed visit to the washracks.

“I hope you’re not too tired to fly this morning,” Starscream sneered insincerely, “because I’m going to run you ragged.”

Skywarp huffed through his vents. Great.

“What’s going on?” Thundercracker rumbled from behind him.

“Combat maneuvers,” Starscream replied crisply. “You two slaggers have been slacking off lately – don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

It was revenge, Skywarp knew, for his earlier insubordination. Screamer knew perfectly well that he would be exhausted after last night’s romp in Megatron’s quarters, and was counting on Skywarp performing poorly during the proposed training session, thereby granting Starscream ample opportunity to berate him.

He groaned inwardly, anticipating spending the next few joors being forced to execute the same maneuver over and over again while Starscream picked apart every little flaw in his performance, deriding him for his incompetence and overall stupidity.

Out loud he said, “Great, let’s go,” stepping out to join Starscream in the corridor. He wasn’t about to give the Shrieking One the satisfaction of hearing him complain. He’d come up with a way to get back at him later.

Thundercracker exited their quarters behind him, and Skywarp frowned at the narrow-opticked glare Starscream aimed in TC’s direction. He glanced back to gauge his reaction, but Thundercracker had averted his optics, avoiding his commander’s gaze.

The tension between the two of them was almost palpable, but there wasn’t time to question it – Starscream was already moving, heading briskly down to the corridor toward the docking bay, his wings held high and stiff.

Thundercracker moved to fall in behind him. Skywarp grabbed his arm as he passed.

“What was that all about?” he hissed in an undertone.

Thundercracker paused, opening his mouth to reply, but closed it again when Starscream called back sharply, “I’m waiting!”

Thundercracker shook off his hold and continued down the corridor after Starscream. Skywarp hesitated, frowning at the odd flicker of unease he’d felt when he’d touched TC.

“Skywarp!” Starscream shouted, his vocalizer cracking like an electro-whip. “Fall in!”

He got moving.

**

Their training session went surprisingly well.

There was no denying he was tired, but a full night’s recharge coupled with the energon Thundercracker had given him had been enough to bolster Skywarp’s reserves to the point where he was able to carry out the basic combat drills and flight formations Starscream dictated to them.

Foiled in his first effort to humiliate him, Starscream promptly moved on to Plan B, ordering them to carry out more complex set of aerial maneuvers no Earth jet could emulate – complicated evasive rolls and steep screaming dives ending in rapid transformations followed by precisely aimed shots at non-stationary targeting beacons – and Skywarp was forced to summon forth every ounce of his skill in order to keep up.

He managed, somehow. It was strange – normally his own impatience and short attention span would have worked against him, causing him to commit easily-avoidable errors out of frustration or distraction, but in spite of his weariness, Skywarp felt oddly focused, as if he had a hidden well of patience and tenacity to draw upon.

It was kind of funny, really – the way he was flying almost reminded him of TC.

The thought sent a sudden, sharp pulse through his spark, making him twitch in surprise, fumbling his transformation sequence and missing the fast-moving targeting beacon he’d been aiming at.

It was the first real mistake he’d made all morning, and Starscream pounced on it like a turbofox, gleefully seizing the opportunity to rail on Skywarp for his incompetence, but Starscream’s pointed barbs and scathing insults were just so much white noise to Skywarp, who was caught in the grip of a far more profound revelation.

He was flying like Thundercracker.

It was like the trine bond, in a way – they always flew better after a bonding session, their freshly synchronized systems enhancing their ability to compensate for each other’s individual weaknesses by countering with their own personal strengths – but even then, their actions had always been conscious and deliberate. A strong trine bond induced a greater sympathy and awareness of one another, an understanding that allowed them to better predict their trinemates’ responses and react accordingly.

This was different, more inherent, more…instinctive. It wasn’t just a case of knowing how Thundercracker would react in a given situation – it was as if Skywarp were reacting the way Thundercracker would.

…as if their individual responses were one and the same.

His spark pulsed again at the thought, as if in confirmation.

All of his own skills and abilities were still there, but it was if TC’s had been added to them, blending together into something larger than the both of them.

The spark bond.

“ – are you even listening to me?” Starscream screeched, breaking into his thoughts.

Skywarp looked up, and discovered that his trinemates had transformed and moved to join him, hovering on either side of him in a triangular formation. Starscream looked annoyed, but TC looked startled, staring at Skywarp like he’d never seen him before, yet at the same time like he somehow recognized him, like two strangers who’d met in the street suddenly realizing they’d known each other all their lives. As their optics met, his spark gave another sharp pulse, making his intakes hitch in surprise.

“Yeah,” he said, tearing his gaze from Thundercracker to address his irate commander. “Yeah, I hear you, Screamer.”

“For a moment there I thought you might actually be worth something,” Starscream sneered, scowling at the use of the nickname he hated. “But now I see you’re still the same pathetic excuse for a warrior you always were.”

“You want me to do it again?” he asked grudgingly, knowing the answer would be yes. And again, and again…

“No,” Starscream replied, to Skywarp’s surprise. “I’ve got something much better in mind.”

Something better turned out to be one of the most difficult drills they ever endeavored to perform, one that seemed simple on its face – flying, attacking and dodging in formation – but with the added complexity of maintaining constant awareness of each other’s movements and abilities.

Starscream would play decoy while Thundercracker and Skywarp gave chase, trying to get a targeting lock on him as he wove in and out between them. Starscream’s speed and guile made this no easy task; Screamer was fast, and knew their individual weaknesses all too well. Skywarp had a quick response time, but was easily distracted; Thundercracker was more focused, but slower to react to Starscream’s rapid alterations in course and altitude.

In the past, they’d committed some spectacular blunders while attempting this particular drill, and as such Starscream only ordered it when he was feeling particularly malicious. It invariably gave him enough ammunition to mock them for their inferiority to him for at least a half a decacycle.

But that was in the past.

This time, there was no fumbling, no mistakes. Starscream darted between them, laughing at their attempts at pursuit, but when he dipped in close to Thundercracker to avoid Skywarp’s opening feint, TC responded more swiftly than he ever had before, unleashing his sonic boom as Skywarp ‘ported clear. Starscream quickly banked and dove out to get out of range – and flew straight into Skywarp’s targeting lock.

The entire maneuver, which typically went on for joors, had lasted all of three kliks.

Starscream transformed in midair when his systems informed him of the weapons lock, halting so abruptly they nearly collided as he spun to face them, his optics wide in shocked disbelief.

They transformed as well, meeting his stunned gaze.

“Impossible,” Starscream whispered. “How could you –?”

“You got careless, Starscream,” Thundercracker said mildly. “Should’ve seen that one coming.”

Skywarp looked at him in surprise. He’d been all set to gloat over their victory, really rub it in Screamer’s faceplate, but TC was acting like it was no big deal!

Then he got it.

It was the bond. The trap they’d set for Starscream was one they’d planned and conceived like any other, no different from countless ploys they’d tried before, but the timing required to execute it had to be absolutely perfect – not even signaling to each other over an open comm link was fast enough. In all their previous attempts, they’d never once managed to pull it off.

This time, there’d been no discussion, no planning – they’d simply acted and reacted in flawless unison.

“Well,” Starscream said, drawing Skywarp’s attention back to him, “I must admit…I’m impressed. You two are almost flying at my level. Perhaps there’s hope for this trine after all.”

Skywarp could scarcely believe his audials; Starscream’s statement was the closest he’d ever come to praise.

“We got lucky,” Thundercracker said, shrugging dismissively. “Maybe you just didn’t get enough recharge last night.”

Starscream gave TC a sharp look. “Hmmm…maybe,” he said. But then he smirked. “I suppose that would be more plausible than the notion that you two might actually be competent.”

“I still got a lock on you, Screamer,” Skywarp reminded him, bristling at the insult.

“No doubt your foul stench was what compromised my sensors,” Starscream shot back with a sneer. “I’d advise a trip to the washracks, Skywarp – that Autobot jeep could track you from here. Dismissed!”

He opened his mouth to issue a retort, but Thundercracker interrupted before he could speak, grabbing hold of his arm. “He’s right, ‘Warp,” TC said. “Let’s go. Your stink's clogging up my filters.”

The flicker of worry that flashed through the bond as TC touched him reminded Skywarp they had bigger concerns than Starscream’s overinflated ego. Skywarp didn’t think Megatron would comm them tonight – after last night, he’d want at least an Earth day to restore his energy levels – but tomorrow was another story.

Without another word, they transformed and flew back to the Nemesis.

**

“You think we should tell him?” Thundercracker asked in an undertone as he scrubbed Skywarp’s backstrut, leaning in close to murmur in his audial.

Skywarp glanced around warily; no one else had been in the washracks when they arrived – although they’d passed a still-dripping Dirge in the corridor – but you never could never be certain that one of Soundwave’s cassettes wasn’t lurking somewhere nearby, hoping to dig up some juicy blackmail material for the boss. “Dunno,” he replied obliquely. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know,” TC said. “You know how he is.”

Skywarp nodded, “Yeah.” He wouldn’t put it past Starscream to use the fact that they were bonded against them, or to reveal it to someone else in a fit of pique.

Thundercracker rested a hand on Skywarp’s shoulder-vent to brace himself and began scrubbing lower, endeavoring to remove the last lingering traces of Megatron’s transfluid from his plating. Skywarp felt a faint flicker of guilt go skipping through the bond, almost like an afterthought.

“You think we should?” he asked in surprise, half-turning to face him.

“Hold still,” Thundercracker said tersely, pushing him so that he faced forward again. “I’m almost done here.”

Skywarp complied, and TC resumed his scrubbing. He waited a few astroseconds, but Thundercracker remained silent. “Well, do you?” he persisted.

Thundercracker huffed through his vents. “No,” he said finally, lowering the brush. “It’s better if he doesn’t know. It’d just slag him off.”

But you feel bad about it, he thought. Why, TC? It’s just ours, remember?

Skywarp turned to face him, intent on asking just that, but Thundercracker anticipated his question, interrupting before he could speak. “Not here,” he hissed, glancing toward the door. “Later.” He switched off the sprayer, replacing the brush in its niche. “Ready?” he asked.

Skywarp nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “I think I’ll skip the dryer tonight; don’t feel like waiting.”

Thundercracker smirked. “So what else is new?”

**

“I’m just worried he might figure it out on his own,” TC said after the door to their quarters had slid shut behind them. “If anyone notices something’s different about us, it’ll be him.”

“He won’t figure it out,” he said. “Not if we’re careful. He’ll never know.”

“If he does, he’ll be even more torqued off that we didn’t tell him in the first place,” Thundercracker pointed out.

“Screamer’s always torqued off about something,” he argued. “I’d rather take my chances. You know if we tell him, he’ll just blab it the first chance he gets.”

Thundercracker vented a sigh, sinking down to sit on his berth. “Yeah. I know.”

“I don’t know why you’d even wanna tell him,” he said reproachfully. “You don’t even like Screamer! It’s none if his business, anyway.”

Thundercracker nodded. “Yeah, I know,” he said again. “You’re right.”

“Must’ve been a pretty good frag,” he muttered resentfully, taking a seat on his own berth, avoiding Thundercracker’s gaze.

There was a brief startled silence. “Don’t start, ‘Warp,” Thundercracker said quietly. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Yeah?” he said, staring sullenly at the floor. “How was it?”

“…weird,” Thundercracker replied after a moment. “It was weird.”

Skywarp looked up at him, frowning in confusion. “What do you mean, weird?”

“It wasn’t you,” TC said, meeting his gaze.

“Oh,” he said softly.

“Was it like that for you?” Thundercracker asked cautiously. “With him?”

Skywarp thought for a moment. “Sort of,” he said. “Mostly it was the same as always…but I kept thinking about you.”

Thundercracker grinned, his optics flashing. “Yeah?”

He grinned back. “Yeah.”

TC’s expression abruptly sobered. “I can’t go back in there,” he said. “I just can’t.”

Skywarp frowned at his expression. “You can. I’ll be there with you,” he reminded him. “It’ll be okay.”

Thundercracker rumbled in frustration. “How can you say that, ‘Warp?” he asked. “He’s going to frag me! Do you honestly think it’ll make any difference whether you’re there or not?!”

“It will!” he insisted. “If I go first, he’ll go slower with you –”

“Oh, that’ll help!” TC retorted sarcastically, throwing up his hands. “It’s not like it took him forever the first time! I’d rather he just got it over with, like St–”

Skywarp looked at him in surprise as TC cut himself off abruptly. “Like who?”

“…like, uh, St-Starscream,” Thundercracker said, resetting his vocalizer.

“Starscream’s never fragged you,” he said, giving him a puzzled look. “Screamer never frags anyone.”

“I just meant, you know…‘cause he’s fast,” TC replied awkwardly.

“Oh,” he said, frowning quizzically. “Right.”

“It doesn’t matter how Megatron does it,” Thundercracker said bitterly. “Fast or slow, doesn’t matter – I won’t overload for him. I never do, like that.”

Skywarp gave him a pointed look.

“…except with you,” Thundercracker amended sheepishly. He shrugged, huffing through his vents. “Maybe it’s defective,” he muttered. “Maybe my valve just doesn’t work right. You think Megatron’d believe me if I told him that?”

“Not a chance,” he replied, not wanting to admit that the reason the excuse wouldn’t work was because he’d already told Megatron otherwise. “Pit, I don’t even believe that, TC! I’ve seen you overload – believe me, your valve works.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Thundercracker said wryly.

“You’re just not used to being ‘faced, that’s all,” Skywarp said. He frowned thoughtfully. That gave him an idea...

“That’s it,” he said suddenly. “That’s what we’ve been missing!”

“What is?”

He grinned at him. “You just need to get to know your valve a little.”

Thundercracker stared at him like he’d just suggested he go and seduce an Autobot. “What?”

“Open up, TC,” he said.

“What, now?”

“Yeah, now,” he said, his optics glinting mischievously. “No, wait – first start rubbing your panel.”

Thundercracker looked at him like he’d just suggested he go seduce Optimus Prime.

“Just do it,” he urged. “A little self-service is just what you need.”

“You can’t be serious,” Thundercracker said.

“Of course I’m serious!” he retorted. “Here, I’ll show you.”

Leaning back on the berth, he propped himself up against the wall, drawing his feet up and spreading his knees apart. He reached up with one hand to caress his intakes while reaching down with the other to stroke his panel, all the while deliberately holding Thundercracker’s gaze.

It never took much for Skywarp to get himself wound up, and with TC watching him, it seemed to take no time at all. Within a few kliks Skywarp’s core temperature had begun to rise in response to his roaming fingers; his cooling fans activated, his panel clicking open. His valve had already started producing lubricant, he noted with a grin, tracing the rim with a single fingertip.

He moaned as he slid two fingers inside, offlining his optics as he pumped them in and out of his valve.

A second set of cooling fans switched on, accompanied by a low rumble of desire.

“You like that, TC?” he purred in a low, sultry tone. “You like watching me touch myself?”

Another rumble.

Withdrawing his fingers, he onlined his optics and sat up. Thundercracker was indeed watching him with rapt, undivided attention, his crimson optics ablaze with lust.

“You turn,” he said huskily. “Put on a show for me. Let me see how hot you are.”

Thundercracker’s gaze flickered from his face to his exposed interface array and back again.

“C’mon, you can do it,” he said encouragingly. “Show me.”

Looking vaguely dubious, Thundercracker leaned back the way Skywarp had a few kliks ago, spreading his legs and retracting his panel. His spike extended immediately.

“Ah-ah-ah,” he scolded as Thundercracker reached for it reflexively. “No cheating! Valve or nothin’, TC.”

Thundercracker gave him a dirty look.

Skywarp countered with a lascivious grin. “Go on,” he said.

Slowly, Thundercracker’s hand dipped lower, hesitantly tracing the rim of his valve the way Skywarp had done. Skywarp’s grin widened as he heard TC’s intakes hitch in response.

“There’s a sensor node right above it,” he said. “You know the one I’m talking about. See if you can find it.”

Thundercracker’s fingers moved, searching. An astrosecond later his intakes hitched sharply, his hip plate giving a sudden twitch.

“That’s the one!” Skywarp crowed gleefully. “Don’t press too hard on it – yet.”

He slid off the berth and moved to kneel on the floor beside Thundercracker’s, a position which provided him with an enticing view of his lover’s parted thighs and exposed interface array. He cycled his vents, blowing a cool draft of air across Thundercracker’s naked valve, and grinned when TC twitched again in response.

“Keep going,” he urged. “You’re starting to get wet.” His internal fans kicked on again as he spoke.

“I feel kinda stupid,” Thundercracker said from somewhere above him.

“You look good,” he assured him. “Try slipping a finger in.”

Thundercracker obeyed – and flinched. “Ow,” he said reproachfully.

Skywarp’s optics widened. “Primus, you shouldn’t be that tight. Are your hydraulics pressurized? You tensing up?”

“…kind of,” Thundercracker admitted.

“Pfff– no wonder you hardly ever overload from your valve,” he said. “You’re supposed to relax, TC.”

“I’m trying,” Thundercracker snapped irritably. “It’s not working, ‘Warp. I can’t do this.”

He’d been fighting the urge to touch TC, to taste him, wanting to let his lover discover his valve for himself, but the frustration evident in Thundercracker’s tone compelled him to reach out and lay a hand on his thigh-plate.

The onslaught of emotion that struck him was abrupt and startling in its intensity, a complex snarl of anxiety, frustration, lust and embarrassment that left Skywarp momentarily reeling. Suddenly he had a pretty good idea what the problem was.

“You’re thinking too much,” he scolded. “Don’t think. Wipe your processor; don’t think about anything.”

“Now I know why you’re so good at this,” Thundercracker quipped.

“Ha, ha,” he said. “I’m serious, TC! You’ll never overload like that. All that stuff you’re thinking right now – you think about all that when you’re using your spike?”

“…sometimes,” Thundercracker admitted.

He stared at him incredulously. “Frag, TC – now I know why you always take so long when you ‘face me.”

“Ha, ha,” Thundercracker replied, echoing his earlier sentiment.

Boosting himself up off the floor, he climbed onto the berth next to him. “C’mere,” he said, pulling Thundercracker into his arms, embracing him from behind so that TC was propped up in his lap instead of against the wall. Reaching down, he found Thundercracker’s hand and brought it back to his valve.

“What are you doing?” Thundercracker asked.

“Showing you how it’s done,” he replied. Laying a hand overtop of TC’s, he guided his fingers along the rim of his valve, showing him where to touch. The soft hitch of Thundercracker’s intakes informed him that he was on the right track, but the emotions pulsing through his spark were still troubling.

“Do you trust me?” he asked, moving their hands in a slow, gentle rhythm.

“…yeah...”

“Offline your optics,” he said. “Don’t think. Listen to my voice. Focus on what you’re feeling.” He guided Thundercracker’s hand back to his external sensor node, encouraging him to rub it gently. TC’s intakes hitched again, and Skywarp felt a noticeable increase in the heat of Thundercracker’s plating where it pressed against his cockpit. “That’s it,” he said. “Feel your circuits heating up? All those sensor nodes coming to life under your fingertips?”

Thundercracker gave a quiet moan in reply, shifting against him.

Skywarp urged his fingers back down again, noting with satisfaction that TC’s valve was producing significantly more lubricant. “Try your finger again,” he said. “Not too fast – just sorta ease it in, don’t force it.”

He felt Thundercracker tense against him as he complied, but he didn’t cry out this time – he whimpered.

“Relax,” he reminded him, stroking his cockpit encouragingly with his free hand. “Now move it, just a little. Feel around a bit, find out where your sensors are, which ones feel the best.”

Thundercracker moaned again as he followed his instructions, lifting his hip plate slightly as he moved, pressing into him.

“That’s good, TC,” he whispered in his audial. “You’re doing great; you look really hot.” Unable to resist the urge, he bent down to suck on Thundercracker’s neck cables, eliciting another moan. TC’s hand beneath his own twitched, began pumping faster.

“Try using two fingers now,” he suggested, “and rub your external node with your thumb.”

Thundercracker arched against him with a low, rumbling groan as he complied, his cooling fans kicking into high gear, his movements becoming more urgent. Lust was the dominant emotion flooding the bond now, and Skywarp was no longer sure how much of it was TC’s and how much was his own – he was getting fired up just watching him.

“You’ve got a sweet spot in there somewhere,” he told him, “along the top, sort of. If you curl your fingers a little, you should be able to reach it.”

There was a brief moment of fumbling, and then Thundercracker suddenly jerked and cried out, his free hand reaching up to grab Skywarp’s still stroking his cockpit. Skywarp shivered as he felt the warm gush of lubricant that bathed their fingers, a sensation that caused his spike to slide forth from its housing to press against Thundercracker’s aft.

“Yeah, that’s it,” he panted, grinding against him. “Now you’re getting the hang of it.”

Thundercracker groaned, squirming in his lap, his mouth open, his helm thrown back, venting deep drafts of air through his intakes in an effort to cool his overheating core as he plunged his fingers into his valve repeatedly. The emotions Skywarp felt through the bond were intense and urgent, made up of equal parts lust, frustration and need – TC was close.

“Don’t stop,” he exhorted as Thundercracker’s fingers began pumping faster, his hip plate rising and falling rhythmically, a familiar rumble vibrating deep in his chassis. “Work it, TC, you’ve got it now, you’re almost there – Primus, you look so hot!”

The rumbling grew louder, and Thundercracker jerked in his arms, grunting as he thrust his fingers roughly into his valve with an uncharacteristic ferocity that really spun Skywarp’s turbines. His spike was aching, throbbing almost painfully with need –

“Frag, TC,” he panted, “That’s so hot; I wanna jack into you so bad –!”

“Do it!” Thundercracker rumbled urgently.

Skywarp looked at him in surprise.

“Do it, ‘Warp!” Thundercracker growled, his vocalizer strained. “It’s not – I can’t – get there!” he grunted, punctuating each word with a fierce thrust of his fingers.

The swelling undercurrent of frustration coursing through the bond had become notably more prominent, and Skywarp abruptly understood. “Lean forward a little,” he said, reclaiming his hands to help push TC upright. Thundercracker did so, pulling his fingers free of his valve with a soft, slick-sounding pop that had Skywarp hiding a grin, and tilted forward, lifting his aft and planting his hands on Skywarp’s legs to brace himself.

Skywarp grabbed hold of Thundercracker’s hip plate and maneuvered him into position, lining up his spike with TC’s valve, and carefully pushed into him. His startled gasp nearly drowned out Thundercracker’s soft, relieved groan – TC’s valve was as tight as ever, hot and drenched with lubricant, already flexing around his spike, drawing him in as if it intended to devour him.

“Frag, TC,” he said in amazement. “You valve wants my spike; it’s pulling me in!”

Thundercracker responded by shoving his hip plate downward, impaling himself on Skywarp’s spike, and somehow in the midst of the overwhelming rush of sensation, Skywarp remembered the whole point of this endeavor.

Sliding his hands up to rest lightly on Thundercracker’s waist components, Skywarp forced himself to relax, to depressurize his hydraulics and lie back on the berth, fighting the urge to thrust vigorously into that tight, clenching heat. “Go for it, TC,” he said.

“What?” Thundercracker asked in confusion.

“Ride me,” he said. “Ride my spike; get yourself off.”

Thundercracker hesitated, but not for long – he was too wound up to wait. He raised himself up slowly, then eased back down again, uncertain. He paused for a moment, then repeated the motion, diffidently. “Am I – doing this right?” he asked.

“You tell me,” Skywarp replied. “The right way is whatever feels good.”

Thundercracker shifted slightly in his lap, aquainting himself with the sensation of Skywarp’s spike filling his valve. “Aren’t you supposed to – aren’t you gonna do anything?” he asked.

“Nope,” he said cheerfully. “It’s all you, TC.”

Thundercracker grumbled, but didn’t argue. He straightened a little, sitting up – and stilled abruptly. Leaning forward again, he rocked back experimentally, and Skywarp heard his intakes hitch.

“That’s it,” Skywarp said. “Move around, figure out what works for you.”

Thundercracker repeated the motion, rocking forward and then back, almost cautiously. Skywarp couldn’t help but grin when after a brief pause, TC did it again, and then again, each time moving with greater deliberation, a soft grunt escaping his vocalizer.

“You’re doing good, TC,” he said encouragingly. “Keep it up.”

To be honest, Thundercracker’s slow, uncertain movements were almost unbearable, teasing Skywarp’s aching, needy spike. Having to lie still like this was killing him, but for TC’s sake he held back, stroking Thundercracker’s hip plates in an effort to distract himself from the overwhelming desire to throw his lover down on the berth and frag him senseless.

Fortunately for Skywarp, Thundercracker was gaining confidence with every shift of his hips, his movements gradually becoming less hesitant, more concerted – he soon established a steady rhythm, rocking back and forth over Skywarp’s spike, and if his ventilations were anything to go by, it was working for him.

It was working for Skywarp, too, but he impatiently awaited the moment when Thundercracker got tired of just rocking like that and started riding him in earnest. “Yeah, do it, TC,” he urged, his vents cycling hard.

Thundercracker moved, but not in the way Skywarp expected – he ground against him, shifting his hip plate in a roughly circular motion around Skywarp’s spike. With every movement he grew quieter, more intense and focused, his hip plate moving in jerky little circles, with only the occasional soft grunt escaping his vocalizer to punctuate the low, continuous rumble vibrating up from his chassis.

Not wanting to distract him, Skywarp muted his vocalizer and waited, relishing the sensation of Thundercracker’s valve flexing around his spike, the way TC’s hands tightened on his thighs, his hip plate scraping against Skywarp’s interface array with every shift and grind.

That steady rumble was growing louder, deep and portentious like the ocean storm Skywarp had once watched as it approached the docking tower of the Nemesis, sweeping in over the horizon, preceded by stark flashes of lightning and an ominous roll of thunder, dark and formidable.

At the time, he’d thought it was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen.

Thundercracker’s movements were becoming rougher, jerkier, his intakes hitching in short, sharp gasps. The low rumbling grew deeper and deeper, dropping into subsonic range, more felt than heard, until TC abruptly stiffened above him, twitching, his valve spasming around Skywarp’s spike so hard it almost hurt –

He cried out as the vibrating wave of sound-not-sound hit, rattling their frames, the walls and even the berth beneath them as it struck like a silent bomb, giving Skywarp the brief, dizzying impression that he’d just been clocked on the helm by a titanium girder – wrapped in a nice soft polishing cloth.

He fell back on the berth with a clank, his processor reeling, his hips jerking upward reflexively as the combination of sensation and vibration overwhelmed his systems, thrusting up into Thundercracker’s flexing valve as it clenched around his spike like a fist, and then he was overloading, fluids pumping from his spike with more force than Skywarp could ever recall, so hard if felt like they’d somehow escaped TC’s valve and ended up splattering over his thigh-plates.

He’d never overloaded so hard in his life.

He tried to say something to that effect, but all that emerged from his vocalizer was a buzz of static as his systems crashed and he slipped offline.

*Part One of Phase Three is here*

A/N: Whoops, forgot to mention in my rush to get this post up before bed, for those of you who are curious about what all went on between TC and Starscream while 'Warp was...busy with Megs, I've written an outtake chapter of that scene as a teaser to the Starscream fic I'm trying to pull together. So many bunnies, so little time.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

The ABCs of Masturbation, as taught by Skywarp.

You really do write interesting interaction into your smut. Its not just plugging it in, its the journey to get there.

Megatron is a scary old mech too, I might add. The whole not being happy until I can make you come for me, even if you hate it, and if you don't like it, I'll just kill you.

Oh Megatron. So romantic.