Puppy Love

By Snare-chan

Pairings: Implied Side Swipe/Blurr
Ratings: K+
Category(ies): Humor
Warning(s): None
Status: One-shot, complete
Summary: (Armada Verse) Alexis has a theory, and Blurr doesn't want to hear it, though it's hard to fight the evidence when it's standing there right in front of him.

Notes: As per request, rezykel over at livejournal wanted some Armada fic (my first ever!) of Side Swipe/Blurr, and even provided the phrase "What do you mean by 'not enough capacity'?" to get me started. I can't believe I haven't touched this continuity yet, considering I went through the trouble of watching the entire series (which, if anything in life, should get to me sainthood status for surviving the ordeal ;D). This was way too much fun to write – I actually enjoyed writing everyone, the children especially. I should really consider trying more.

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Armada; wish I did like everybody else. They should put Armada in stock, then I'd buy it all!

"What?"

Blurr wasn't a practitioner of repeating himself; he spoke bluntly and simply. To get others to finish what they were assigned or understand, he had to hold their attention long enough to assure that they'd gotten the point. He preferred similar treatment, despising sympathy and extravagance. If someone else had something to say to him, then they had better come out and say it.

Inhabitants of Cybertron could adapt to this mannerism when presented with it, becoming direct in his presence, or at the very least learning to take less offense when he acted as such to them, and those who couldn't seem to grasp his personality learned to ignore him. He could accept that.

The Earthling…children are another matter. Blurr, in all his time as a commander, had never been presented with such spontaneous and confusing individuals. Numerous factors could be attributed to this – age, difference in species, culture – and he reasoned that the combination of them all played a huge factor in error of communication, but normally he could strategize or deduce his way through conversations.

This wasn't one of those times.

Alexis was smiling, hands planted confidently on her hips as she repeated, "Side Swipe. I just realized he's like a big puppy! He's always trailing after you, trying to make you happy; ya know, like a dog."

He took minor assurance by the fact that he wasn't the only one lost on the subject, the three males present – Carlos, Billy and Fred – also looking puzzled.

"What is it with you girls and fantasizing everything? He's more like a giant, metal leech," Billy spoke up for them all, nose wrinkling in distaste. "If I had a clumsy sidekick stalking me everywhere, I wouldn't put up with it!"

Even Blurr had to restrain himself from commenting on that one, or giving a cursory glance to someone in particular in the room. Being frank didn't mean lacking tact.

"I wouldn't expect you to appreciate the situation," Alexis defended, "and I was just pointing out an observation. Haven't you noticed how Side Swipe is just trying to get some sort of approval?"

Carlos chuckled. "Sure we have, Alexis! I mean, I guess you're right. He acts like a dog begging for treats, and hey, he knows all the commands! Like fetch."

Before his friend could reprimand him for such a comment, the door stationed in the back of the room slid open, revealing none other than the subject in question. Side Swipe's shoulders were hunched, his frame appearing smaller for it.

"Side Swipe," Blurr spoke coldly, forgoing any conceivable type of greeting to head straight into an agitated accusation. "What have you done now?"

"Nothing's wrong, Commander Blurr!" he said. His posture went ramrod straight – shoulders back, head high, voice confident, but under his superior's far steadier and heavier gaze, he slouched again and added on with, "Well, nothing's wrong…much."

"What kind of trouble could you possibly have gotten yourself into? The task was simple: load up our supplies and ship them to the newly renovated part of the compound. What could be difficult about that?"

"Of course, sir; exactly, sir!" Side Swipe readily agreed, hanging on every word, and faltering when it was his turn to speak. "Well, see, it was like this…there's been a bit of a problem with shipping. We…can't carry it all. There's not enough capacity-"

"You're kidding," Blurr interrupted, deadpan. "What do you mean by 'not enough capacity'? There were enough units to do the job, last I checked."

"I can explain, I promise! Remember when you were telling Optimus Prime about your concerns with ammo materials? I wanted to help ease your worries by shipping all of them over first and…um…they kind of detonated."

At this, Blurr didn't respond right away, his face falling inside his palm and staying there. He sighed loudly, the sound of it lost in the rushed excuses Side Swipe spouted, having moved onto a more in-depth explanation of the entire incident. It was all a great deal of nonsense and useless information that was stated in such a hurry that, should he have gained the capability to care and listen to the report, he would have been unable to keep up and decipher half of it.

He slid the optics behind his visor to the side, managing to see past his fingers and spot the kids standing vigilant nearby. Alexis in particular was looking amused. In another smooth motion, he gazed past his hand to Side Swipe, posture pathetically imploring and gaze wide and earnest, solely focused on him.

"Side Swipe," he interrupted again, the hand covering his face moving to point to a nearby seat, "go sit over there."

Wordlessly, Side Swipe sat, placing his hands in his lap and nervously wringing them.

"Stay," he ordered next, "while I go and do damage control. Can you do that for me, at least?"

The soldier nodded enthusiastically and saluted as he stated, "Yes! Anything for you, Commander Blurr!"

In exasperation, he shook his head, but accepted the confirmation nonetheless. As he was leaving, he made sure to hurry past the door and stay far enough from its sensors to have it close before Side Swipe could predictably ask if he wanted him to help in some way. However, it didn't slam shut fast enough to block the sounds of all the kids' boisterous laughter.

-Fin-