[TF] Family Found 02/10
Mar. 23rd, 2020 06:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dracoqueen22Universe: Transformers, Escort AU, All This and Heaven Too
Characters: Sunstreaker/Starscream, Rodimus, Sideswipe, Wrench
Rated: M
Warnings: lost siblings, reunited family, hard choices, angst, bdsm themes, humiliation kink slightly
Description: Sunstreaker didn’t understand why he felt so drawn to Sideswipe, until a mistake revealed the link between them, provoking a turn of events which will change everything.
Family Found
Part Two
Drift and Rodimus wrestling together, laughing as they tried to pin one another to the ground -- Drift succeeding more often than not -- had to be one of the most adorable things Starscream had ever seen. Adorable and arousing.
It was a shame, really, that they didn't seem interested in 'facing each other anymore. Starscream would have paid good creds to see it, and he was quite sure the clients of Blue Sun would feel the same way.
Rodimus laughed as Drift pinned him again, this time on his belly, his aft cradled against Drift's groin, his head turned at the last minute to keep from smashing his nasal structure.
"This isn't fair!" Rodimus declared, close to a whine, his arm pinned behind his back, pressed against his spoiler hinges. "You have more experience than me."
"This is why we practice, Roddy," Drift said, with seemingly infinite patience and a wolfish grin on his lips. "And you are obviously not practicing."
Rodimus' lower lip jutted out in a pout, which would never cease to be alluring. "I'm kind of busy, you know. I have a job to do."
Drift chuckled and sat back on his heels, releasing Rodimus' arm as he did so. "We all work. You're just lazy." He swatted Rodimus on the aft and stood, backing away before Rodimus could get in a retaliatory swipe.
Hmm. Now there was a thought.
Bending Rodimus over his lap, binding his hands behind his back, spanking that aft until it was hot and tender. Rodimus squirmed so prettily, too. He'd pause to dip his fingers into Rodimus' valve -- he'd be dripping for sure. He'd finger him for a bit, just to make him writhe, and when Rodimus thought he'd get to overload, Starscream would swat him again.
Yes.
Perhaps he should give that a try.
"What're you thinking about?"
A hot frame abruptly dropped into Starscream's lap, straddling him and bouncing him out of his musings. Hands draped over his shoulders, a face nuzzling his.
"You," Starscream admitted as he found Rodimus' hips and gave them a squeeze. "Aren't you supposed to be training?"
Rodimus' face contorted into a pout. He draped over Starscream with playful exhaustion. "I'm tired," he declared and tried to tuck his face into Starscream's intake.
Drift snorted as he dropped down beside Starscream, more of a sprawl than a sit, and folded his arms behind his back. "You just want to be spoiled."
"That, too," Rodimus said.
Starscream chuckled. "That does not surprise me." He patted Rodimus on the aft. "But as much as I'd love to cuddle you all day, I do have a client." He gripped Rodimus and tipped him over, dumping him into Drift's lap. "Here. A present."
Drift yelped as Rodimus tumbled over him, and the two tangled together. Rodimus struggled to right himself and hands kept going in unfortunate places. They didn’t frag, but they weren’t above groping each other.
Starscream grinned and stood up, well out of reach of the two flailing speedsters. He was glad they were starting to recover from the pains of their past.
Rodimus needed a friend, and it seemed like Drift did, too.
Untangling turned to scrapping turned to wrestling, and both Drift and Rodimus laughed as they started rolling around on the floor again, speedster engines revving. Primus, Starscream needed to get out of here before the adorable infected him.
"Rodimus, you have a shift later. Make sure you're cleaned up for it," Starscream tossed over his shoulder as he paused in the doorway of the small training room.
"I remember." Rodimus rolled his optics, and then devolved into laughter as Drift's fingers sank into his seams and started to tickle him.
Pah. Sparklings.
Starscream slipped out of the room, amusement curling his lips. He headed straight for the private bathing rooms, the ones reserved for use by clients who wanted a pampering experience. He would be meeting Nightshade there for their session in a few kliks, but he wanted to make sure the room was prepared first.
He didn't worry about leaving Rodimus with Drift. They'd been working on their relationship for the past several weeks, and though Rodimus hadn't entirely forgiven Drift, they were making progress. It helped that Drift didn't push, asked permission for everything, and was helpfully contrite. Starscream got the feeling Rodimus had missed Drift as well.
At least they were moving forward.
It was a sharp difference from what settled between Starscream and Sunstreaker. It wasn't anger, but there was a definite tension. It simmered, like a bubbling pot, and neither of them wanted to address it. They were roommates, they were friends, they were cordial, they cuddled, they interfaced, but they didn't talk.
Starscream keyed himself into the Magnolia Suite, the scent of perfumed oil tickling his nasal structure. Thankfully, Nightshade's tastes ran more subtle than others, or he'd have to close his vents to a cloying perfume. He checked the available supplies, making sure he had enough cloths, for scrubbing and drying, along with a set of polishing oils. All was well.
At least someone was doing their job properly.
Satisfied, Starscream slid down into the heated oil bath to wait for Nightshade, and groaned as he was eclipsed by the perfect temperature. The escorts had baths of their own, but they were mainly communal and not nearly this comfortable. This was a luxury, and he was getting paid for it.
Nightshade was the best.
The door opened. Starscream grinned as Nightshade stepped inside, a tired slump to his shoulders, but his smile brightening once he caught sight of Starscream.
"Evening lovely," he murmured. The door clicked shut behind him. "You didn't start without me, did you?"
"Of course not." Starscream twisted his wrists, wings twitching. "Join me, will you?" He reached over, snagged the basket of supplies, and tugged it closer.
"Gladly." Nightshade stepped down into the oil baths, choosing to sit on one of the many perches built into the pool.
Starscream waded across to join him, dipping a mesh cloth into the oil and gliding it across Nightshade's upper back. With him seated, they were nearly of a height.
A low thrum of pleasure echoed in Nightshade's field. His plating visibly relaxed, allowing Starscream to tend to the tense cables beneath.
"So," Starscream began. "How was your day?"
Nightshade chuckled. "Officially? Quite busy. You have no idea how much paperwork is involved in investment banking."
"And I don't want to know. It sounds boring." Starscream grinned as he swiped the cloth over Nightshade's frame, as much cleaning him as he was relaxing him. "Unofficially?"
"Oh, now you know I can't tell you that," Nightshade drawled. "Even if you are aware of my... shall we say... illicit activities."
"Fair enough." Starscream slid down, scrubbing at Nightshade's lower back. He hummed, low in his intake. He didn't think he had a pleasant voice, but Nightshade seemed to enjoy the lower tones of it.
"And you?" Nightshade asked.
Starscream chuckled. "Well, I watched Rodimus and Drift train for most of the morning. Rodimus is insistent on learning better self-defense, and I admit, it couldn't hurt for me to pick up a few things as well."
"I can agree with that." Nightshade's tone softened, his field briefly touching upon Starscream's. "You do have a habit of putting yourself in danger."
"So I've been told."
Nightshade set a hand on Starscream’s knee, giving it a pat beneath the warm oil. “There are those who care for you, Starscream. Please don’t forget that.”
Why was it that Nightshade’s suggested caution irked him less than Sunstreaker’s? Perhaps because it hadn’t come with an edge of condescension.
“I promise,” Starscream said. He swept the cloth over Nightshade’s rotors, though careful to keep his touch firm and efficient rather than soft and arousing.
Nightshade made a noncommittal noise. His back armor twitched. “Starscream, might I ask you something?” He almost sounded hesitant.
“Of course.”
Nightshade cycled an audible ventilation. “With the caveat being that if you aren’t comfortable answering me truthfully, you say as much. I don’t want a lie to spare my feelings.”
Hm. That was a little odd. But Starscream liked Nightshade, and probably trusted him at this point. Nightshade had earned a little leeway.
“… All right.”
Nightshade’s hand rested on his knee, giving it a quick squeeze. “Are you happy here?”
It was not a question Starscream had ever been asked by a customer. He chose his words carefully. They were true, but still, carefully chosen. "Well, it's not precisely where I wanted to be, but I'm not unhappy."
Nightshade hummed. "Let me rephrase: Do you enjoy working here?"
Starscream cycled a ventilation and steadied himself, stopping midscrub to rest his hands on Nightshade's hips. "For my schooling, for what I owe, there are worse jobs. I don't enjoy being in debt, but this is the quickest way to pay it back, and I do enjoy it, to a certain extent." He paused before continuing, "It's like any other job, I suppose. There are good days and bad days. Why do you ask?"
Nightshade didn't immediately respond. Instead, he stood, turning away from Starscream to face him. He sat back down and reached for Starscream's hands, taking them gently in his own.
"I have something I want to ask you," he said, his tone warm but serious, his thumbs sweeping over the back of Starscream's hands. He looked into Starscream's optics, sincerity gleaming in his optics. "You don't have to answer immediately, and whatever you answer, I would hope that it's honest."
Starscream's spark fluttered. He worked his intake. "I don't know if I should be flattered or frightened."
"More of the former, I should think." Nightshade squeezed his hand. "I would like to hire your services for myself. And I don't mean what we have now. I mean in a private employment."
Starscream's vents caught. His optics widened.
"You'd be a free mech," Nightshade rushed to clarify. "You'd have your own apartment, your own place of employment, your own life. But when you are free, if I could come to you, that is what I would like."
Starscream's mouth opened and closed. He felt at once exhilarated and numbed. He'd heard of escorts being offered these kinds of proposals before, but never thought anyone would do so for him. And certainly not Nightshade.
"You'd be well-compensated," Nightshade continued. "Enough to cover your average earnings here and then some. And if... if you wanted to take other clients as well, I wouldn't stop you, I'd only insist that I be given priority should there be a conflict of scheduling."
It was... it was more than fair. It was obscenely generous. It was something Starscream had always wished for.
He could leave Blue Sun. He could pick and choose on his own terms. He could study whenever he wanted without having to worry about work-shifts.
But.
He'd have to leave. Without Sunstreaker. He'd have to say goodbye. Starscream wasn't ready for that. He thought he had a couple years at least.
"I know it's a big decision to make. I'm not asking you to make it right now. It's merely something to consider."
Starscream rebooted his vocalizer. "It's stupidly generous," he said with a shake of his head. "Why would you spend that many credits when you can keep things as they are?"
Nightshade slid a palm around Starscream's face, as gentle as a true lover might be. "Because I've grown fond of you, as much as someone like me can grow fond of anyone. Removing Turmoil opened my optics to the way things are and while I can't save everyone, I can help you."
"I don't need saving." Starscream slipped free of Nightshade's hands, even though he knew he shouldn't, and crossed his arms. "I'm here of my own free will."
"I know that." Nightshade smiled, soft though it was. "I didn't mean to imply otherwise. I just meant that someone as brilliant as you shouldn't be held back by a debt you should have never incurred. You should have been free to study." He paused and lowered his voice. "There are many things on this planet that are unjust and your circumstances are only one of them."
He spoke it quietly, like a whisper, as though he was afraid of someone in greater power hearing him, and throwing him into a dungeon for such things.
Starscream gnawed on his bottom lip. "I don't know if I like the idea of being at the beck and call of a single person. Even if it is you."
"That I can understand. I'm fully willing to discuss particulars and terms. I'm only asking you think about it."
Starscream ducked his head. His wings drifted down. It was a good offer. It was a fantastic offer. It was all he could have hoped for and more. Once upon a time, he would have leapt upon the offer without looking back.
"You hesitate because of Sunstreaker, do you not?"
Starscream's head snapped up, surprise written across his face. He was unwilling to lie, but unwilling to reveal the truth either. It was unseemly to be so open with a client. But then, Nightshade had never been a typical client.
"You love him," Nightshade murmured, optics bright with understanding. "Don't you?"
Starscream worked his intake. The silence made his spark ache. His shoulders drew tight together, armor clamping. He couldn't admit that aloud. He hadn't admitted it to anyone. He barely admitted it to himself.
Nightshade rose, the oil swirling around him at mid-thigh. He approached Starscream, resting his hands on Starscream's shoulders.
"It's all right. You need not answer me now,” he murmured, and his kindness, his patience, would forever surprise Starsscream. “I don't want to own you, Starscream. That is not my intention." He pressed a hand to the top edge of Starscream's nearest wing, not to arouse but to comfort. "I merely want to see you fly."
"Your offer is most generous," Starscream said, a thickness in his intake he couldn't seem to work away. "Any mech would be lucky to accept it. I..."
"Shh. It's all right." Nightshade cupped his face and pressed a kiss to Starscream's forehead. "Just think about it, Starscream. I don't need an answer right away."
He stepped back, wading toward the series of small steps that would make it easier for him to climb out.
Starscream's forehead crinkled. "Your time isn't up yet," he said, dumbly. His processor kept spinning on empty.
Nightshade dripped outside of the oil bath, his rotors flicking to shake off the excess moisture. "I've said what I come to say. You enjoy the rest of the reservation. I chose it for you, after all."
He left.
Starscream didn't have to check his account to know Nightshade had paid for the full session plus a tip that was always more than generous. He had the oilbath to himself for the better part of a half hour. He might as well enjoy it.
His processor, however, had other ideas. It churned on Nightshade's offer, vacillating between an eager acceptance and a reluctant refusal. He soaked, and he scrubbed, and he dried off, and he polished himself to a glossy sheen which would make Sunstreaker proud.
He didn't have an answer for Nightshade still.
Why did he make this so difficult for himself? Nightshade was one of his best clients, and Starscream actually liked him beyond their professional relationship. He was a good mech, and there weren't many left in the world. Other employees at Blue Sun would kill for the kind of offer Starscream had been given.
Hadn’t he always intended to leave? Blue Sun was not his future. It never was. He’d only meant it to be temporary, a stop-over, a means to an end. His feelings for Sunstreaker aside, he’d always planned to leave Blue Sun behind him.
He expected to have more time. He thought, by the time he’d sent off the last payment, he’d have a new plan. He’d know what to do, or he’d be ready to say goodbye.
He wasn't.
Maybe it was a moot point. Maybe it didn't matter. Given the circumstances right now, maybe whatever he and Sunstreaker had was less than Starscream thought. Maybe leaving with Nightshade was the best solution for everyone.
Rodimus would be fine, right? He had Drift now, and Sunstreaker would still look out for him. Turmoil had been arrested, Blue Sun was safer, Streamline was being very, very cautious in his business dealings, and more Enforcers were becoming patrons.
Starscream could leave.
If he wanted to.
It was the last bit which kept tripping him up.
Starscream left the oilbaths and returned to his quarters. He could probably stand to take an extra shift on the sales floor, but he wasn't in a customer service state of mind. He didn't know if he could entice anyone in his current state. He didn't know if he wanted to.
The logical thing to do, he knew, would be to talk to Sunstreaker. See what Sunstreaker thought about the offer, see if there was anything in his roommate's optics that suggested he would ask Starscream to stay. With Nightshade's assured patronage, Starscream could afford Sunstreaker's medical bills as long as he was frugal.
Could he convince Sunstreaker to come with him? Would Sunstreaker even want to?
He came back to an empty suite.
Starscream swallowed his disappointment. Sunstreaker had been very busy as of late, something both rare and unusual. His weak spark usually meant he had more rest days than everyone else, and couldn't take as many clients. Granted, he was in high demand and never lacked for a booking.
He'd been booked every day this week. That, in itself, was unusual. But on top of that, he hadn't been using the spark batteries to strengthen himself either. They were still fully charged in their storage dock. Starscream should know. He charged them himself.
Was that a sign of his health improving? What did it mean? Starscream wished he knew.
He checked the posted schedule, accessible only to members of Blue Sun. Sunstreaker's was usually private on account of his status, but Starscream was one of the few to have access.
Sunstreaker was indeed with a client.
Sideswipe.
Again.
Starscream frowned and sat in the bay window, peering out into the dark streets, a sky hinting of acid rain boiling in the distance.
Sideswipe had engaged Sunstreaker's services every day this week. He was like a mech obsessed. And a rich one, at that, given he could afford Sunstreaker's not at all cheap fees.
Starscream's frown deepened. He didn't like the implications of this at all.
Maybe Nightshade had the right idea.
***
Characters: Sunstreaker/Starscream, Rodimus, Sideswipe, Wrench
Rated: M
Warnings: lost siblings, reunited family, hard choices, angst, bdsm themes, humiliation kink slightly
Description: Sunstreaker didn’t understand why he felt so drawn to Sideswipe, until a mistake revealed the link between them, provoking a turn of events which will change everything.
Part Two
Drift and Rodimus wrestling together, laughing as they tried to pin one another to the ground -- Drift succeeding more often than not -- had to be one of the most adorable things Starscream had ever seen. Adorable and arousing.
It was a shame, really, that they didn't seem interested in 'facing each other anymore. Starscream would have paid good creds to see it, and he was quite sure the clients of Blue Sun would feel the same way.
Rodimus laughed as Drift pinned him again, this time on his belly, his aft cradled against Drift's groin, his head turned at the last minute to keep from smashing his nasal structure.
"This isn't fair!" Rodimus declared, close to a whine, his arm pinned behind his back, pressed against his spoiler hinges. "You have more experience than me."
"This is why we practice, Roddy," Drift said, with seemingly infinite patience and a wolfish grin on his lips. "And you are obviously not practicing."
Rodimus' lower lip jutted out in a pout, which would never cease to be alluring. "I'm kind of busy, you know. I have a job to do."
Drift chuckled and sat back on his heels, releasing Rodimus' arm as he did so. "We all work. You're just lazy." He swatted Rodimus on the aft and stood, backing away before Rodimus could get in a retaliatory swipe.
Hmm. Now there was a thought.
Bending Rodimus over his lap, binding his hands behind his back, spanking that aft until it was hot and tender. Rodimus squirmed so prettily, too. He'd pause to dip his fingers into Rodimus' valve -- he'd be dripping for sure. He'd finger him for a bit, just to make him writhe, and when Rodimus thought he'd get to overload, Starscream would swat him again.
Yes.
Perhaps he should give that a try.
"What're you thinking about?"
A hot frame abruptly dropped into Starscream's lap, straddling him and bouncing him out of his musings. Hands draped over his shoulders, a face nuzzling his.
"You," Starscream admitted as he found Rodimus' hips and gave them a squeeze. "Aren't you supposed to be training?"
Rodimus' face contorted into a pout. He draped over Starscream with playful exhaustion. "I'm tired," he declared and tried to tuck his face into Starscream's intake.
Drift snorted as he dropped down beside Starscream, more of a sprawl than a sit, and folded his arms behind his back. "You just want to be spoiled."
"That, too," Rodimus said.
Starscream chuckled. "That does not surprise me." He patted Rodimus on the aft. "But as much as I'd love to cuddle you all day, I do have a client." He gripped Rodimus and tipped him over, dumping him into Drift's lap. "Here. A present."
Drift yelped as Rodimus tumbled over him, and the two tangled together. Rodimus struggled to right himself and hands kept going in unfortunate places. They didn’t frag, but they weren’t above groping each other.
Starscream grinned and stood up, well out of reach of the two flailing speedsters. He was glad they were starting to recover from the pains of their past.
Rodimus needed a friend, and it seemed like Drift did, too.
Untangling turned to scrapping turned to wrestling, and both Drift and Rodimus laughed as they started rolling around on the floor again, speedster engines revving. Primus, Starscream needed to get out of here before the adorable infected him.
"Rodimus, you have a shift later. Make sure you're cleaned up for it," Starscream tossed over his shoulder as he paused in the doorway of the small training room.
"I remember." Rodimus rolled his optics, and then devolved into laughter as Drift's fingers sank into his seams and started to tickle him.
Pah. Sparklings.
Starscream slipped out of the room, amusement curling his lips. He headed straight for the private bathing rooms, the ones reserved for use by clients who wanted a pampering experience. He would be meeting Nightshade there for their session in a few kliks, but he wanted to make sure the room was prepared first.
He didn't worry about leaving Rodimus with Drift. They'd been working on their relationship for the past several weeks, and though Rodimus hadn't entirely forgiven Drift, they were making progress. It helped that Drift didn't push, asked permission for everything, and was helpfully contrite. Starscream got the feeling Rodimus had missed Drift as well.
At least they were moving forward.
It was a sharp difference from what settled between Starscream and Sunstreaker. It wasn't anger, but there was a definite tension. It simmered, like a bubbling pot, and neither of them wanted to address it. They were roommates, they were friends, they were cordial, they cuddled, they interfaced, but they didn't talk.
Starscream keyed himself into the Magnolia Suite, the scent of perfumed oil tickling his nasal structure. Thankfully, Nightshade's tastes ran more subtle than others, or he'd have to close his vents to a cloying perfume. He checked the available supplies, making sure he had enough cloths, for scrubbing and drying, along with a set of polishing oils. All was well.
At least someone was doing their job properly.
Satisfied, Starscream slid down into the heated oil bath to wait for Nightshade, and groaned as he was eclipsed by the perfect temperature. The escorts had baths of their own, but they were mainly communal and not nearly this comfortable. This was a luxury, and he was getting paid for it.
Nightshade was the best.
The door opened. Starscream grinned as Nightshade stepped inside, a tired slump to his shoulders, but his smile brightening once he caught sight of Starscream.
"Evening lovely," he murmured. The door clicked shut behind him. "You didn't start without me, did you?"
"Of course not." Starscream twisted his wrists, wings twitching. "Join me, will you?" He reached over, snagged the basket of supplies, and tugged it closer.
"Gladly." Nightshade stepped down into the oil baths, choosing to sit on one of the many perches built into the pool.
Starscream waded across to join him, dipping a mesh cloth into the oil and gliding it across Nightshade's upper back. With him seated, they were nearly of a height.
A low thrum of pleasure echoed in Nightshade's field. His plating visibly relaxed, allowing Starscream to tend to the tense cables beneath.
"So," Starscream began. "How was your day?"
Nightshade chuckled. "Officially? Quite busy. You have no idea how much paperwork is involved in investment banking."
"And I don't want to know. It sounds boring." Starscream grinned as he swiped the cloth over Nightshade's frame, as much cleaning him as he was relaxing him. "Unofficially?"
"Oh, now you know I can't tell you that," Nightshade drawled. "Even if you are aware of my... shall we say... illicit activities."
"Fair enough." Starscream slid down, scrubbing at Nightshade's lower back. He hummed, low in his intake. He didn't think he had a pleasant voice, but Nightshade seemed to enjoy the lower tones of it.
"And you?" Nightshade asked.
Starscream chuckled. "Well, I watched Rodimus and Drift train for most of the morning. Rodimus is insistent on learning better self-defense, and I admit, it couldn't hurt for me to pick up a few things as well."
"I can agree with that." Nightshade's tone softened, his field briefly touching upon Starscream's. "You do have a habit of putting yourself in danger."
"So I've been told."
Nightshade set a hand on Starscream’s knee, giving it a pat beneath the warm oil. “There are those who care for you, Starscream. Please don’t forget that.”
Why was it that Nightshade’s suggested caution irked him less than Sunstreaker’s? Perhaps because it hadn’t come with an edge of condescension.
“I promise,” Starscream said. He swept the cloth over Nightshade’s rotors, though careful to keep his touch firm and efficient rather than soft and arousing.
Nightshade made a noncommittal noise. His back armor twitched. “Starscream, might I ask you something?” He almost sounded hesitant.
“Of course.”
Nightshade cycled an audible ventilation. “With the caveat being that if you aren’t comfortable answering me truthfully, you say as much. I don’t want a lie to spare my feelings.”
Hm. That was a little odd. But Starscream liked Nightshade, and probably trusted him at this point. Nightshade had earned a little leeway.
“… All right.”
Nightshade’s hand rested on his knee, giving it a quick squeeze. “Are you happy here?”
It was not a question Starscream had ever been asked by a customer. He chose his words carefully. They were true, but still, carefully chosen. "Well, it's not precisely where I wanted to be, but I'm not unhappy."
Nightshade hummed. "Let me rephrase: Do you enjoy working here?"
Starscream cycled a ventilation and steadied himself, stopping midscrub to rest his hands on Nightshade's hips. "For my schooling, for what I owe, there are worse jobs. I don't enjoy being in debt, but this is the quickest way to pay it back, and I do enjoy it, to a certain extent." He paused before continuing, "It's like any other job, I suppose. There are good days and bad days. Why do you ask?"
Nightshade didn't immediately respond. Instead, he stood, turning away from Starscream to face him. He sat back down and reached for Starscream's hands, taking them gently in his own.
"I have something I want to ask you," he said, his tone warm but serious, his thumbs sweeping over the back of Starscream's hands. He looked into Starscream's optics, sincerity gleaming in his optics. "You don't have to answer immediately, and whatever you answer, I would hope that it's honest."
Starscream's spark fluttered. He worked his intake. "I don't know if I should be flattered or frightened."
"More of the former, I should think." Nightshade squeezed his hand. "I would like to hire your services for myself. And I don't mean what we have now. I mean in a private employment."
Starscream's vents caught. His optics widened.
"You'd be a free mech," Nightshade rushed to clarify. "You'd have your own apartment, your own place of employment, your own life. But when you are free, if I could come to you, that is what I would like."
Starscream's mouth opened and closed. He felt at once exhilarated and numbed. He'd heard of escorts being offered these kinds of proposals before, but never thought anyone would do so for him. And certainly not Nightshade.
"You'd be well-compensated," Nightshade continued. "Enough to cover your average earnings here and then some. And if... if you wanted to take other clients as well, I wouldn't stop you, I'd only insist that I be given priority should there be a conflict of scheduling."
It was... it was more than fair. It was obscenely generous. It was something Starscream had always wished for.
He could leave Blue Sun. He could pick and choose on his own terms. He could study whenever he wanted without having to worry about work-shifts.
But.
He'd have to leave. Without Sunstreaker. He'd have to say goodbye. Starscream wasn't ready for that. He thought he had a couple years at least.
"I know it's a big decision to make. I'm not asking you to make it right now. It's merely something to consider."
Starscream rebooted his vocalizer. "It's stupidly generous," he said with a shake of his head. "Why would you spend that many credits when you can keep things as they are?"
Nightshade slid a palm around Starscream's face, as gentle as a true lover might be. "Because I've grown fond of you, as much as someone like me can grow fond of anyone. Removing Turmoil opened my optics to the way things are and while I can't save everyone, I can help you."
"I don't need saving." Starscream slipped free of Nightshade's hands, even though he knew he shouldn't, and crossed his arms. "I'm here of my own free will."
"I know that." Nightshade smiled, soft though it was. "I didn't mean to imply otherwise. I just meant that someone as brilliant as you shouldn't be held back by a debt you should have never incurred. You should have been free to study." He paused and lowered his voice. "There are many things on this planet that are unjust and your circumstances are only one of them."
He spoke it quietly, like a whisper, as though he was afraid of someone in greater power hearing him, and throwing him into a dungeon for such things.
Starscream gnawed on his bottom lip. "I don't know if I like the idea of being at the beck and call of a single person. Even if it is you."
"That I can understand. I'm fully willing to discuss particulars and terms. I'm only asking you think about it."
Starscream ducked his head. His wings drifted down. It was a good offer. It was a fantastic offer. It was all he could have hoped for and more. Once upon a time, he would have leapt upon the offer without looking back.
"You hesitate because of Sunstreaker, do you not?"
Starscream's head snapped up, surprise written across his face. He was unwilling to lie, but unwilling to reveal the truth either. It was unseemly to be so open with a client. But then, Nightshade had never been a typical client.
"You love him," Nightshade murmured, optics bright with understanding. "Don't you?"
Starscream worked his intake. The silence made his spark ache. His shoulders drew tight together, armor clamping. He couldn't admit that aloud. He hadn't admitted it to anyone. He barely admitted it to himself.
Nightshade rose, the oil swirling around him at mid-thigh. He approached Starscream, resting his hands on Starscream's shoulders.
"It's all right. You need not answer me now,” he murmured, and his kindness, his patience, would forever surprise Starsscream. “I don't want to own you, Starscream. That is not my intention." He pressed a hand to the top edge of Starscream's nearest wing, not to arouse but to comfort. "I merely want to see you fly."
"Your offer is most generous," Starscream said, a thickness in his intake he couldn't seem to work away. "Any mech would be lucky to accept it. I..."
"Shh. It's all right." Nightshade cupped his face and pressed a kiss to Starscream's forehead. "Just think about it, Starscream. I don't need an answer right away."
He stepped back, wading toward the series of small steps that would make it easier for him to climb out.
Starscream's forehead crinkled. "Your time isn't up yet," he said, dumbly. His processor kept spinning on empty.
Nightshade dripped outside of the oil bath, his rotors flicking to shake off the excess moisture. "I've said what I come to say. You enjoy the rest of the reservation. I chose it for you, after all."
He left.
Starscream didn't have to check his account to know Nightshade had paid for the full session plus a tip that was always more than generous. He had the oilbath to himself for the better part of a half hour. He might as well enjoy it.
His processor, however, had other ideas. It churned on Nightshade's offer, vacillating between an eager acceptance and a reluctant refusal. He soaked, and he scrubbed, and he dried off, and he polished himself to a glossy sheen which would make Sunstreaker proud.
He didn't have an answer for Nightshade still.
Why did he make this so difficult for himself? Nightshade was one of his best clients, and Starscream actually liked him beyond their professional relationship. He was a good mech, and there weren't many left in the world. Other employees at Blue Sun would kill for the kind of offer Starscream had been given.
Hadn’t he always intended to leave? Blue Sun was not his future. It never was. He’d only meant it to be temporary, a stop-over, a means to an end. His feelings for Sunstreaker aside, he’d always planned to leave Blue Sun behind him.
He expected to have more time. He thought, by the time he’d sent off the last payment, he’d have a new plan. He’d know what to do, or he’d be ready to say goodbye.
He wasn't.
Maybe it was a moot point. Maybe it didn't matter. Given the circumstances right now, maybe whatever he and Sunstreaker had was less than Starscream thought. Maybe leaving with Nightshade was the best solution for everyone.
Rodimus would be fine, right? He had Drift now, and Sunstreaker would still look out for him. Turmoil had been arrested, Blue Sun was safer, Streamline was being very, very cautious in his business dealings, and more Enforcers were becoming patrons.
Starscream could leave.
If he wanted to.
It was the last bit which kept tripping him up.
Starscream left the oilbaths and returned to his quarters. He could probably stand to take an extra shift on the sales floor, but he wasn't in a customer service state of mind. He didn't know if he could entice anyone in his current state. He didn't know if he wanted to.
The logical thing to do, he knew, would be to talk to Sunstreaker. See what Sunstreaker thought about the offer, see if there was anything in his roommate's optics that suggested he would ask Starscream to stay. With Nightshade's assured patronage, Starscream could afford Sunstreaker's medical bills as long as he was frugal.
Could he convince Sunstreaker to come with him? Would Sunstreaker even want to?
He came back to an empty suite.
Starscream swallowed his disappointment. Sunstreaker had been very busy as of late, something both rare and unusual. His weak spark usually meant he had more rest days than everyone else, and couldn't take as many clients. Granted, he was in high demand and never lacked for a booking.
He'd been booked every day this week. That, in itself, was unusual. But on top of that, he hadn't been using the spark batteries to strengthen himself either. They were still fully charged in their storage dock. Starscream should know. He charged them himself.
Was that a sign of his health improving? What did it mean? Starscream wished he knew.
He checked the posted schedule, accessible only to members of Blue Sun. Sunstreaker's was usually private on account of his status, but Starscream was one of the few to have access.
Sunstreaker was indeed with a client.
Sideswipe.
Again.
Starscream frowned and sat in the bay window, peering out into the dark streets, a sky hinting of acid rain boiling in the distance.
Sideswipe had engaged Sunstreaker's services every day this week. He was like a mech obsessed. And a rich one, at that, given he could afford Sunstreaker's not at all cheap fees.
Starscream's frown deepened. He didn't like the implications of this at all.
Maybe Nightshade had the right idea.
