Title: Volatile Science - First Meeting
Author: odd_stick
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are owned by Hasbro.
Rating: PG
Pairing: Skywarp x Wheeljack (G1)
Summary: Request fic for ldot_rivian on LJ; prompt was "Skywarp/Wheeljack; before the war"

The loud displacement of atmosphere and space causes Wheeljack to jerk in surprise and completely ruin the weld he had been working on. 'You'd think I was used to unexpected explosions by now…' The resulting crash and colorful swearing hasten his investigation into the matter; he sets down his welding torch and rushes to the adjacent room.

He doesn't know what he is expecting exactly, but it definitely wasn't a black and purple seeker draped haphazardly across a fallen set of shelves. The young mech has a hand to his helm and is struggling to find his feet as he lets loose curses elaborate enough to rival Ratchet when he was in a mood.

"Hey, are you okay?" The inventor approaches the mech carefully, wary of any other precarious items and the spilled chemicals upon the floor.

The seeker looks up, the red optic on the side he was favoring offline. "Who the frag are you? Where am I?"

Wheeljack picks his way through the debris, aiming for the seeker's side. He offers a hand and the other mech takes it, using the limb for support as he lifts himself out of the ruined shelving. Headfins flashing, the inventor replies, "I'm Wheeljack and you're in the Academy of Science and Technology in Iacon. How'd you get in here?"

The seeker is finally able to stand on his own pedes and Wheeljack leads him out of the ransacked room and back into the lab he had been working in. "Slag. I shot too far. I'll have to work on my calculations…" the dark mech mumbles to himself, limping along behind the white mech.

He finally leans his hip along the edge of a work table, still pawing at his helm. The masked mech takes notice of the pained expression and his helpful nature won't allow him not to offer assistance, "Did something come loose? I can look at it for you…"

The seeker's dark face turns up, interrupted from his thoughts and mutterings. "You don't mind? Sure, go for it." He turns his head to allow the pale mech better access. "I think it's just a wire that's come loose. My optic's out, but nothing else is fritzing yet." Wheeljack's not a medic by vocation, but having a best friend that is tends to rub some of the simpler skills off on a mech. He fiddles carefully with the side panel of the seeker's helm, quickly finding the loose wire and repositioning it correctly. "Aah. That's /much/ better." Wheeljack closes up the panel and steps back. The seeker looks straight at him, a grin transforming his previously pained face. The dark mech's frame shifts and he stalks closer to the inventor. His grin turns predatory as the dark hand slides up Wheeljack's chassis. "Thanks Doc. Whatever can I do to repay you?"

The white and green mech's headfins flash, but no words escape his vocoder. The seeker's grin doesn't wane as his fingers travel across the curves and seams of the inventor's frame. "A mech of few words, huh? Or maybe I've just caught you off your game. Unfortunately, I've got to go, but that's no reason not to reward you for helping a poor mech in need." The seeker bends forward, pressing his lips to Wheeljack's face plate while his hands caress the stuttering headfins. As soon as the attack is flung, it is stopped by the aggressor himself. "Too bad. I would have really liked to find out what you've got hidden behind that mask. Maybe I'll see you later." He winks invitingly as he takes his own steps away from his rescuer. "It was nice to meet you Wheeljack," he says before the atmosphere around him displaces rapidly.

The inventor continues to stare at the now empty space that the seeker had been occupying. "I never asked for his designation…"

A/N: I'm tempted to write few drabble glimpses at how their relationship could evolve after the war starts...who knows...