Title: Keep It Together

Author: DeviousGypsy

Summary: Unbeknown to anyone else, Starscream is a young Seeker. So when he hits his first heat cycle, he has no idea how to handle it. His trine tries to help but the plan falls apart and brings Megatron and Starscream together in a strange way...only to have Starscream ripped from Megatron's servos.

Warnings: Slash, mech-preg, the like :P

Pairings: Megatron/Starscream, Thundercracker/Skywarp

Chapter: IX

Notes: Kind of short, but I needed to wrap things up. See the end note for more details about a possible second and some drabbles.

Orn = Roughly 4.7 Earth days, Vorn = 83 Earth years, Breem = 1 Earth minute, Stellercycle = 1 Earth month, Megacycle = 1 Earth hour

–

The next morning Starscream woke up in the berth, the sparklings tucked against him and relaxing in his warmth, yet Megatron had already left. Too proud to admit that that was a hard blow, Starscream sat up, causing Venom to fuss but eventually snuggle against Stillenight. Surprisingly they didn't seem to be hungry, Megatron must have fed them before he left.

Optics turning towards the desk, Starscream noticed that there was another cube of energon sitting there for him. Standing from the bed, Starscream made his way to the cube, taking a few sips as he leaned against the desk, optics on his recharging sparklings. He couldn't help the frown on his faceplates when the thought of how distant Megatron was being to him came up. Admittedly he knew the older mech had duties as their leader, but he couldn't help but feel like Megatron was deliberately keeping his distance.

Starscream wouldn't admit it, but the idea stung. He hadn't been entirely pleased to find that he had interfaced with Megatron and gotten sparked in the process. Starscream had adored Megatron before, but when the war got to the point where there seemed to be no end, Megatron changed. Starscream didn't know who he was anymore, and knew that whatever attempt to get close to the Decepticon leader with be thwarted, so he had given up trying. Now the proof seemed to be in front of his face, maybe Megatron really didn't like him, maybe all Starscream was good for was his skill in the sky and now that he had to take care of the sparklings he was useless.

Setting the empty cube back down on the desk, Starscream made his way back to the berth, sitting down while draping a servo over the sparklings, practically covering them, as his thoughts went back to Megatron. Maybe he would get rid of him soon, after all; Megatron had the sparklings, he'd raise them to be his heirs, he didn't need him anymore. For a moment Starscream wondered why it mattered at all, what did Starscream care if Megatron wasn't pleased with him. He'd handled it before, why was it so different now?

He already knew the answer. They'd shared sparks, something Starscream had never done with another bot before. Though they were high off Starscream's heat, they had shared the most intimate part of them. They had created life together, and that seemed to only intensify the feelings Starscream had once suppressed, the awe and adoration Starscream held for Megatron. He hung his helm in shame, knowing that these feelings and thoughts were unattainable, something he'd never achieve. No matter how badly he wanted it.

–

He couldn't stay in his own quarters, how pathetic was that? Pathetic enough that he spent his time making it look like he actually had something to do so that no one would suspect that he was actually hiding from the Seeker he had cooped up in his quarters. Resting his helm in his arm as he sat back in his throne, Megatron let out a silent growl. He couldn't help it, every time he was near the Seeker that's all his spark wanted to do was join with him, make them a proper family.

That was just weak, if he bonded them and Starscream were to deactivate-as he had proved to be very good at-he'd deactivate as well. Let alone if the Autobots found out, they'd think he was weak, they'd target Starscream or worse yet the sparklings. The sparklings, they had inadvertently gotten to him. Not only were they something created from himself and the mech he'd repressed feelings for for countless vorns, but they had almost been snatched from him, they and Starscream. That alone should have told him to make the seeker his, to show everyone that Starscream was his and not to be touched.

And the smallest sparkling, the one that had almost deactivated. He remembered watching the little frame seize up, whole frame going tense before going limp all together, still silent as ever. Megatron couldn't help it when he stood, going over to his sparkling and feeding him his energon and doing whatever Hook instructed to keep the sparkling online. The sparkling was small, whereas the larger one could fit in the palm of his servo, he could fit two of the smallest in his hand. Making a mental note to ask Starscream about their names, he figured that at one point he'd have to speak to the Seeker.

Standing from his throne, Megatron strode out of the Command Centre, turning down the corridor to his quarters. Typing in the override codes that no one knew but himself, he couldn't help the spark of anger and slight fear when he found the berth empty. "Starscream," he growled, hoping to get the Seeker's attention. Turning towards the back end of his quarters he heard the sound of running water, which told him where Starscream was but didn't tell him where the sparklings were. "Starscream," he called out again, louder so that Starscream could hear him over the water.

"I'm in the wash racks," the Seeker's voice called out, stating the obvious.

"Where are they?"

"The sparkling?" Starscream asked, before answering the question knowing that it was obvious. "Hook took them for a diagnostic, just to see how they're adapting to the change in location and air." That made sense, it was dangerous to take a sparkling from the Ark to the underwater base of the Nemesis, different air pressures around them. Before Megatron really knew what he was doing, the Decepticon leader opened the doors to his own personal wash racks. Starscream's helm immediately turned in his direction, the Seeker's optics showing curiosity and slight irritation. "If you'd wait a breem, I can finish and you can have the wash racks all to yourself."

Megatron ignored him, striding closer as he reached a servo out to grasp his Seeker's wing making a content noise in the back of his vocalizer. Starscream wanted to take a step back, but at Megatron's touch and close proximity, his smothered feeling from this morning were starting to resurface. "M-megatron?" Starscream asked, tentative so as not to get a backhand or worse.

Shockingly, instead of hurting the confused Seeker, Megatron leaned down and captured Starscream's lips with his own. Ignoring the startled gasp the Seeker had let out, Megatron pressed himself against the Seeker's frame, keeping one hand on the sensitive wing as he did. At some point the Seeker had started to contribute to his actions, even opening his mouth to him when Megatron ran his glossa over Starscream's lips.

Starscream wasn't entirely sure what was going on, though his frame did the reacting for him; already succumbing to his leader's caresses on his wing. Though it ended as quickly as it began, Megatron released a growl, his optics dulling as he seemed to be trying to pull himself together as he turned and left he wash racks. Left overheated and heaving air from his vent, Starscream glared at the door that Megatron had just left through.

Turning off the water, Starscream marched out of the room as well, not caring if he was still dripping water from his plates. Megatron sat on the berth, servos clasped together tightly as he rested his chin on them, glaring at the wall in front of him. Letting out a growl to get his leader's attention, Starscream clenched his servos together tightly at his side. "What the frag is wrong with you?" He shouted, "You can't just walk in there, have your way, and then leave! It may have happened once but I'll be the first one to say that we were both taken advantage of by that damn heat!"

Watching as Megatron tilted his helm downwards and offlining his optics, Starscream's anger rose as it seemed that Megatron was breaking away from him again. Ignoring him. "Answer me this, Mighty Megatron. Are you going to keep me in this room as a prisoner? Just because of the sparklings? Because I'm sure that we both have the processor capability to keep away from each other and still have access to the sparklings." Starscream paused, spark clenching as he decided to lay his fear out there, better to get it over with than having to watch his back every breem. "If you want to get rid of me because I am weak and you don't think I can preform my duties as your Second and Air Commander, I'd prefer you to get rid of me now." When Megatron still didn't say anything, Starscream frowned. "Soundwave would be happy to take my place, you always liked him better anyway."

"What are their names?" Megatron put in, his voice so uncharacteristically low that Starscream almost didn't hear him.

"Their names," Starscream repeated, as if assuring himself that that was what he had heard. "The Seekerling is Stillenight, the other is Venom."

Megatron nodded at that, reaching a servo out to grasp Starscream's arm and pull him onto the berth next to him. Locking optics with his Seeker, Megatron frowned. "I do want you beside me, Starscream," Megatron admitted, seeing the fear of being replaced in Starscream's optics. "I don't want you to ever leave my side again, but I feel that if I act upon, whatever this is, then it's just another weakness for the Autobots to attack."

Seeing the truthfulness in Megatron's words Starscream frowned, "The sparklings and I would not be a weakness, if anything the sparklings just give us a reason to fight harder, another reason for victory."

Turning, Megatron paid a strong servo on the Seeker's chest, pushing the sleek frame back on the berth as Megatron crawled on top of him. "And if I bonded with you?"

Running a blunt finger down the front of Megatron's chassis, tracing the Decepticon symbol there, Starscream smirked. "Then we'd be an unmatchable force on the battlefield, knowing each other's moves before we made them ourselves."

Megatron smirked at that, opening his mouth to respond before the door to his quarters beeped, once at first, before being pressed continuously by whomever was outside. A growl escaped the large silver mech, "Seeing as it's probably your obnoxious trine mate, I'm going to the wash racks."

Starscream watched as Megatron left the berth and headed for the door the two of them had just left through moments ago. Sighing as Starscream had been overheated then left twice now, he swore that his trine mates had better have a good reason for disturbing them or he'd punch them both in the face. Opening the door he was immediately jumped on by Skywarp, Thundercracker standing back in the hallway as he watched his bond mate attack their leader.

"What?" Starscream growled, struggling to get out of Skywarp's grasp. The purple and black Seeker smiled widely, letting Starscream go as he stepped back.

"I'm sparked!"

–

And that I'm afraid is the end of this particular story. Quite a happy ending I think! Anyway, I may do a second story to this, I may not. What I am going to do is have a story with a bunch of drabbles relating to this story; either before, during, after. What I need is requests from you guys, either put them in a review or PM me your requests and I'll be posting a collection of them as soon as I get the first one done. It can be about the Autobots, the Decepticons, or the sparklings, your choice. First request gets first chapter! So review or PM me and I'll get started as soon as possible! Love you all! And thanks so much for all the amazing reviews and for sticking with me.