Title: Firsts: Jazz and Prowl
Author: Mirage Shinkiro

Rating: T
Warnings: mech/mech kissing, a.k.a. intimacy between androgynous and asexually reproducing but male-"pronoun'd" 'bots.

Disclaimer: Transformers is the property of Hasbro, and although I wish I could make money off the TF franchise so I could be independently wealthy, I am not. Alas, I remain poor and am just borrowing the lovely robots.

Summary: G1. Knowing Prowl operates by the rules, Jazz finds a rule that will enable him to kiss him.

A/N, explanation: This is another in a series of one shots about various couples, all of them surrounding a first kiss.

oOoOo

Firsts: Jazz and Prowl

Prowl stared at the small, green plant hanging from the rec room's archway. "And why, may I ask, is there a mass of leaves decorating every open doorway in the Ark?"

Optimus Prime cocked his head, obviously considering the innocuous plant. Neither mech had gotten up the nerve to cross under the archway yet. "Blaster and Jazz tell me it's a human tradition. Every December, humans hang mistletoe in doorways. You are then required to kiss whoever you find yourself standing under the mistletoe with."

"Required?" Prowl took a step backwards, hardly wishing to invoke such a cultural ritual with his leader.

Optimus chuckled. "Yes. Apparently it's a long-understood rule."

Prowl glanced into the rec room and saw the twins and Jazz grinning at him. Understanding his danger immediately, he took another step backwards. "In that case, I very much suggest we enter the room separately, if at all."

Apparently struck by the truth of the statement, Optimus whisked into the room, making sure not to pause. From a table in the corner, Ironhide and Ratchet burst into laughter.

"Ah, be a good sport," Ironhide said.

"And risk Elita's wrath?" Optimus was clearly joking, but he still scanned the other Christmas decorations in the room. "Is there anything else I should know?" His gaze fell on the lit tree with glass ornaments. "What about the pine?"

"Apparently humans worship them," Ironhide replied. "Almost everyone has one in their home for this month."

"And the ceramic figurines?"

Ironhide pondered the white, porcelain manger scene in the far corner. "Based on what Spike said, I think it has somethin' to do with how humans interact with Primus."

"Fascinating."

Prowl lost interest in the conversation as he realized Jazz was making his way across the room, a smug little smile tugging on his lips. He's hatched another plot! Prowl took a third step backwards and then sprinted down the hallway. I am not falling for that one.

Wasting no time, Prowl ran to his quarters, only to find mistletoe pinned above the lintel, its green leaves clashing with the orange-gold walls.

"Don't ya think it looks Christmasy?"

Not having heard anyone approach, Prowl yelped and turned to face his stalker. "Jazz."

Jazz laughed and crossed his arms over his chassis. "Come on, Prowler. It's just a harmless tradition."

Prowl stalked down the hallway, headed for his office. "Harmless. Sure. It's more like you have a vendetta against me."

"Vendetta?" Unsurprisingly, Jazz followed him. "Nah, man. It's supposed to be fun!"

"Fun? Humiliating me in front of the troops?" Prowl turned the corner and halted abruptly.

Jazz nearly ran into him. "I'm not tryin' to humiliate ya."

Prowl glared at his office doorway, which had yet more mistletoe hanging over it. "Why do I get the feeling you recruited the twins to help you with this stunt?" He turned and headed for the command center instead.

"Hey," Jazz said, still following, "they may not be our holidays or traditions, but the thought behind them is cool. Ya know, peace, goodwill-"

"Kissing?" Prowl interrupted.

"That, too." Jazz grinned, clearly enjoying himself. His visor flashed as he cocked his head.

Prowl paused again, and Jazz walked past him two steps before turning to see what had happened. Prowl pointed wordlessly to the command center's archway, where another sprig of mistletoe hung. Beyond the doorway, Hoist and Grapple stared at Jazz and him, then exchanged looks and laughed. Prowl executed an abrupt about-face and returned in the same direction he'd come.

Jazz trailed after him. "Man, am I really that repulsive to ya?"

Unable to tell from his tone whether Jazz was joking or not, Prowl decided to answer seriously. "No. But my feelings are not some holiday game, and I have an image that must be upheld as the second-in-command."

This time Jazz stopped in his tracks. "Hey, that's not funny. I know I occasionally play pranks, but never the kind that hurt people. And I'd never make a game out of yer feelings."

Halting to met his gaze, Prowl crossed his arms. "Then why do you seem so obsessed with kissing me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Jazz held out both hands, palms up. "I like ya."

Snorting before he could stop himself, Prowl resumed walking. "What in the universe for? What was it that the twins said?" He cringed internally, not having realized how much the insult had stung until mentioning it out loud. "I'm a 'stuck up, humorless, walking rulebook who'd freeze his processor if he ever had a klik of fun in his whole life?'" He stopped in front of the door to his quarters, pondered his choices, and then punched in his access code with more force than was really necessary.

Jazz grasped his hand, holding it between both of his. "That was cruel of them to say, and that's not what I see. I see a mech who is so devoted to the Autobot cause that he works twice as long and twice as hard as everyone else. He also never lets himself have anythin' that makes him happy. Slaggit, Prowler, stop and look around ya. Take time to enjoy yerself. If ya just want to be my friend, then fine, but take time out to enjoy yer friends. Ya deserve it as much as the next mech."

Struck by the sincerity and concern Jazz showed him, Prowl didn't react at first. He really does care about me as a person, he thought, stunned. He glanced around the hallway and realized that if they did kiss, no one would be present to see it and laugh at him.Maybe this isn't all a joke to him.

Extracting his hand from Jazz's grip, Prowl entered the final number into his lock, triggering the door open. He stepped under the doorway and paused. "All right, then. I'll take your advice."

"Ya will?" Jazz seemed too shocked to react at first, then he looked between Prowl and the mistletoe. "Oh!" He stepped forward, encircling Prowl's waist in an embrace. "If yer sure."

"I'm sure." Prowl wrapped his arms around Jazz's shoulders and leaned forward, bringing their lips together. The kiss was gentle, soft. Not pressuring or demanding, it was more like a request for permission or a testing of ground. Prowl relaxed into the arms that held him, realizing his trust wasn't misplaced, and felt a warm surge race through his circuits.

When they broke the kiss, Jazz gave him a small smile. "Was that okay?"

Prowl nodded. "It was fine." He allowed a grin to turn up one corner of his mouth. "But I think I'll need a second demonstration to be sure."

Jazz opened his mouth and closed it, speechless, and then laughed. "Sure, man. No problem."

"And maybe a third." Prowl chuckled at Jazz's shocked expression, then leaned down for another kiss. Perhaps, he reflected, mistletoe isn't so evil after all.

Postscript: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the other "Firsts" stories! Here's the running list (I hope to write 10 total):

"Firsts: Prowl and Sideswipe"-posted
"Firsts: Wheeljack and Ratchet"-posted
"Firsts: Prowl and Jazz"-here
"Firsts: Hot Rod and Sunstreaker"-forthcoming
"Firsts: Mirage and Jazz"-forthcoming