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English
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Part 1 of Scenes We'd Like To See
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Published:
2020-01-11
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1,756
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1/1
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Cheaper Than Therapy

Summary:

“Oh, it's you,” Soundwave plays back, the pitch altered to be higher than normal.

“Don't take that tone with me,” Starscream growls.

Set at the beginning of Season 2. Starscream is discovered attempting to steal energon from the Nemesis. Soundwave refuses to let him leave until they've...discussed his recent defection.

Starscream should have known better than to think Soundwave would approve of his terrible life decisions.

Notes:

Finally! I've wanted to write some TFP SoundScream for ages but my muses kept being difficult. Hope you all enjoy it :)

Work Text:

“STARSCREAM!”

The energon cube falls from Starscream's grasp as he releases a startled yelp. “Lord Megatron!” he gasps, wings hiked high with terror. “Please, I can explain-”

He turns to see Soundwave standing motionless beside the storeroom door.

“Oh, it's you."

“Oh, it's you,” Soundwave plays back, the pitch altered to be higher than normal.

“Don't take that tone with me,” Starscream growls.

Soundwave tilts his helm, deliberately provocative.

“Fine! Be that way,” Starscream snarls, bending down to collect the dropped energon. “I just need a few moments more to retrieve the energon I discovered and mined, and then I'll be on my way.”

Just as he is about to wrap his claws around the cube a tentacle knocks it out of reach.

“Soundwave!”

He scrambles to pick up the cube from the other side of the storeroom. This time Soundwave waits until Starscream is holding the energon before smacking it from his grasp.

“Are you malfunctioning?!” Starscream screeches, rounding on the Decepticon spymaster.

Soundwave's answer is to retract his tentacle. Still maintaining optic contact he reaches for the storeroom's internal control panel. He enters the combination to close the door and lock them both inside. With slow but purposeful strides he crosses the floor towards Starscream.

Starscream takes a step back.

“I don't see what you're so mad about. If anyone has the right to be angry it's me!”

“It is with the deepest regret, Lord Megatron, that I must inform you that Starscream has abandoned the Decepticon cause,” Airachnid's saccharine-sweet voice purrs from Soundwave's speakers.

“What did you expect me to do?” Starscream demands, taking another step back. “Megatron made it clear I was not welcome – that he was waiting for the slightest excuse to terminate me. Why would I come back?”

Lightning fast Soundwave's tentacle is on his chest armour, forcing him into the wall at his back. Although they are the same height he somehow manages to loom above Starscream.

“You?” Starscream sneers. “Why would I come back for you when you always take his side?”

“I know I can rely on you Soundwave. You know the true meaning of loyalty.”

“You think that was meant as a compliment?” Starscream's grin is all teeth. “Megatron believes loyalty and unquestioning obedience are the same thing. He considers you nothing more than a mindless drone; no better than his eternal slave-” The second tentacle captures his jaw and forces his helm to the side. “Don't like the truth Soundwave?” Starscream snarls. “Then you're going to absolutely hate what I say next.”

“Not if I don't give you the opportunity to speak.”

Starscream has just enough time to recognise that the vocal pattern once belonged to a particularly vile member of the Senate before he feels Soundwave's hands on his calves. Thin fingers dig into his seams, caressing incredibly sensitive wires. Starscream gasps and moves to remove the intruding digits. Soundwave's tentacles immediately capture his wrists and pin them above his helm.

“What are you doing?” he hisses, turning his helm to glare into the depths of the Communication Officer's visor.

Soundwave continues to play with his components. Slowly, he makes his way up Starscream's thigh until his digits are intimately acquainted with the inner workings of Starscream's hip joint.

“Soundwave!”

What was supposed to be a reprimand comes out more like a pleasure-filled moan. Starscream silently curses his frame and its need for physical contact.

“You sorry sack of bolts!” Starscream attempts to growl. “Release me right now or I will make you rue the day-”

He yelps as he is thrown face-first across a nearby table. Before he can exploit the opportunity to escape one tentacle again captures his wrists as Soundwave's hands return to his hips. Slowly, one hand spreads his thighs as the other caresses his modesty panel.

“No,” Starscream groans, pressing his faceplate into the unforgiving surface beneath him. “Stop. I command you to-” Those clever fingers dance up his backstrut to his wing hinges and Starscream capitulates with a gasp of, “Oh, frag you!”

With an audible click his modesty panel retracts. The familiar feel of a tentacle caressing his valve, spreading his lubricant for its master's pleasure, causes Starscream to shiver. His thighs spread voluntarily this time as Soundwave moves his tentacle aside to press his heated panel against Starscream's throbbing valve. The spy grinds against him, his hand still expertly working Starscream's wing, until the jet is pushed to the edge of desperation.

“Soundwave,” he pleads. “Soundwave please. Do it. Just do it. Frag me. I beg you; please just-”

With a click Soundwave's spike extends – hot and heavy and enticingly placed to give Starscream exactly what he needs. With a calculated movement of hips Soundwave slides into Starscream's valve. He holds still for exactly two pulses of Starscream's spark before jumping straight into a punishing pace. Starscream wails as his sensor nodes shoot electric fire through his lines, his claws leaving deep furrows in the table beneath him. He curses and encourages Soundwave with alternating breaths, his optics offline and backstrut arched as his world narrows to the hot frame above him and the pleasure it imparts.

For once Soundwave is not silent. His cooling fans are almost as loud as Starscream's; his systems pushed to the max as if he is back in the gladiatorial arena. A perverse sense of glee fills Starscream. Even in the arena there were few mechs able to make Soundwave work for his victory. Yet here he is, the mighty gladiator, a desperate mess fighting hard to win this battle of wills. That brings a thrill to their encounters all on its own.

Eventually the building charge in his lines becomes too much to bear. Starscream overloads with a sob; after a final burst of intense heat the addicting fire burning throughout his frame slowly dies down into a comforting warmth. Soundwave responds with a harsh burst of static. His pace falters and the warm rush of fluid inside Starscream's valve moments later signals the climax of his pleasure. With the groan of protesting joints Soundwave leans forward to rest his helm beside Starscream's. The jet accepts the contact with good grace, allowing Soundwave to wallow in the afterglow with him. The spymaster is warm and considerate enough not to rest his full weight on Starscream. Although neither is particularly tactile, there are a few instances where they are willing to make exceptions. When their processors are fuzzy with pleasure is definitely one of them.

Eventually the rush of overload fades until Starscream is acutely aware of the cold table digging into his hips. He squirms and flicks his wings; Soundwave immediately moves his deliciously warm frame to a more acceptable distance. His spike slides free and fluids begin to drip down Starscream's legs. Grumbling and groaning, Starscream pushes up from the table and turns to face his partner. He senses the appreciative once-over that Soundwave gives his frame. With an arrogant smirk he leans back on his arms in an attempt to appear relaxed and confident. “Feel better?”

Soundwave doesn't respond. Starscream forces down the self-conscious feeling caused by the fluids making their way down his thighs and the slight tremble in his knee-joints. He's getting too old for letting former gladiators release their frustrations on his frame. Not that he'll ever admit it. Or shy away from the opportunity to experience another processor-melting overload.

“No? Well I'm good for another round if you have further grievances to air.”

An eyeroll emoji appears on Soundwave's visor. A cloth appears in his hand and he offers it to Starscream. With suspicious optics Starscream accepts the cloth and cleans himself up. When finished he closes his modesty panel and holds out the stained fabric. Soundwave steps forward as if to retrieve the cloth, but instead crowds Starscream back into the table. Fear briefly shoots through Starscream before his own vocal pattern is broadcast from Soundwave's speakers.

“Stay.”

It is from one of their first forays into interfacing, back when they were still writing the rules of their relationship. In a moment of desperate madness Starscream had allowed Soundwave to spend the night instead of kicking him out the second the afterglow faded. Soundwave had accepted the invitation and they had both spent the night waiting to be murdered in their feigned recharge. When the morning came and they both remained unharmed was when pure, undiluted lust and frustration had morphed into trust. Fragile, easily broken trust, but trust nonetheless.

Starscream hesitates, memories of that night flashing through his processor at lightening speed. Those were good times; he had command over the warship and Megatron was out of sight and out of mind on the other side of the galaxy. He'd had no reason to plot or to quarrel with Soundwave. They had been united in their desire – for each other and the downfall of the Autobots. Now? Now Megatron is in command, his foot firmly planted on Starscream's neck, and all that brought him and Soundwave together pales in comparison to that.

“He'll kill me if I do. He'll want me on my knees, grovelling, begging for forgiveness. And the second, the very second, I try to regain my pride he'll crush me. The worst part is that you'll let him do it. Don't try to deny it Soundwave! You'd never raise your hand against your precious Megatron. He'll tell you that I'm a traitor and deserve what I get and you'll blindly accept his lies.” He turns his helm, no longer able to watch his hurt, angry reflection in Soundwave's mask. “I'm not you. I can't be blindly loyal to that maniac. I can't bow and scrape and surrender my pride. So I'm leaving. I'm leaving and there's nothing you can do to convince me to stay. Unless I truly was nothing more than a good frag and this is one last indulgence before you hand me over to Megatron for my punishment.”

For a long moment Soundwave doesn't react.

Finally, he takes a slow step back. Starscream watches as he begins to stack energon, his spark soaring.

Soundwave places the collected energon on the table beside Starscream. “This will be our little secret.”

“Thank you Soundwave,” Starscream says as a soft smile makes its way onto his faceplate.

The spy offers him a curt nod before turning away. He moves to unlock the storeroom door, pausing only when the empty corridor beyond is revealed. “You're wrong Starscream.”

With that he leaves Starscream alone with his energon and his regrets.

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