Verse: TFA

Summary: During one of thier meetings, Starscream asks Optimus a very important questions that will change thier lives forever. NOTHING BELONGS TO ME!

Love, Strange and Wonderful
Chapter 6: New Life

Some would call him crazy. Crazy for having anything to do with a Decepticon. Others would call him daring. But he didn't care either way.

All that mattered to Optimus was being with the one he loved.

He was laying beside a recharging Starscream in a clearing they discovered on Dinobot Island. This was the first time in days the Seeker had been able to recharge peacefully. He had his arm wrapped around Optimus' waist and was snoring slightly.

The younger of the two had his arm over Starscream's cockpit and was looking up at the night sky. Without city lights, the stars were able to shine brightly and beautifully. He sighed contentedly and laid his helm on Starscream's chest.

He didn't hear the Seeker's sparkpulse.

He would've been surprised if he did.

The Autobots already knew that Optimus and Starscream had been in the middle of a relationship before the war started and that they were continuing it now. They thought it was risky and begged Optimus not to continue. But they saw how much the two needed each other.

And Starscream needed Optimus more than ever right now.

Without his spark, he was slowly fading away. The young Autobot was the only thing he had to both convince himself that he was still alive and to not allow himself to become a lifeless drone. Now the Seeker was trying to find a way to remake his spark, without the aid of Sari's key.

Mainly because he knew Sentinel Prime would leap at the opportunity to arrest the Earth Autobots and use Optimus to capture the Decepticon traitor. Neutralizing Autobot traitors and a Decepticon would give him a chance for several promotions.

Recently, Starscream had developed an overprotective nature toward Optimus. He watched the young leader constantly whether he was or wasn't in a battle with the Decepticons. And when things weren't fairing well for the Autobots, he'd lend a servo.

It caused Megatron to up the bounty on the Seeker's head.

Whenever Starscream couldn't watch over his beloved, he had one of his clones do it instead. Optimus found it sweet that Starscream cared enough about him to put himself in jeopardy to watch over him. But it also caused the young Prime to worry.

If Starscream was seen, the Autobots would be expected to engage and neutralize him. When the Elite Guard weren't there, it wasn't that much of a problem. He jet flew away to safety. But when they were there, they attacked him. And if he were captured, Optimus wouldn't be able to do anything to help him.

Optimus looked into his lover's recharging face and smiled.

It wasn't easy.

No one said their relationship would be.

But it was worth it.

Starscream groaned painfully before on-lining his optics. He touched the area above his spark chamber and groaned again. Optimus sat up and gazed at his lover, concern visible in his optics.

"It's hurting again?"

Starscream looked away, ashamed. "…Yes."

Optimus smiled sadly. When Megatron punched Starscream in the spark chamber with Sari's key, he had left a scar that, almost a year from the day, still pained the Seeker.

Luckily, Ratchet had a painkiller that helped.

"Then let's take care of it." The painkiller was a gel that had to be applied to the scar.

Starscream sat up and began the process of removing his armor. He took off the protective cockpit, followed by the shoulder plating, then his chest plate. He laid back down to allow Optimus better access to the scar. Optimus took a container from his subspace and opened the lid. He scooped some of its contents on his fingers.

The scar Optimus was about to treat looked like a bolt of lightning streaking down across the Seeker's chest. Optimus couldn't imagine the amount of pain Starscream went through in the few nano-klicks it took to receive that scar.

He began spreading the gel over the scar and watched as Starscream's optics dimmed in satisfaction. Optimus had always liked the feel of Starscream's protoform flesh. Under the rough metallic skin that had been strengthened by war and scared by battle, was hard, tough, muscle that had taken stellar-cycles to form.

Too soon for Autobot and Decepticon, Optimus finished his task. However, once the container was returned to his subspace, Starscream grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward him. Optimus got the message and moved to sit ontop of the Seeker. After a little coaxing, he found himself straddling Starscream's hips.

Starscream smiled up at the mech as he caressed his thighs, mindful not to hurt him with his claws. "Thank you. I feel much better."

Optimus returned the smile. "It was my pleasure."

Starscream chuckled then moved one hand up Optimus' thigh. The younger off-lined his optics and only thought about the feel of his lover's clawed digits. The hand grasped his aft once, causing him to grind his pelvis into Starscream's cod-piece. The Seeker hissed in pleasure before allowing his hand to continue upward.

The clawed hand stopped at the small of Optimus' back and rested there. Starscream would occasionally fiddle with a clasp that held the armor in place, but otherwise did nothing.

Optimus on-lined his azure optics and looked into the Seeker's scarlet optics. Starscream stared back up at him, the most content look in his optics and on his face.

Optimus felt a small twinge of pride knowing he was the only one to see Starscream this way. All ego and cockiness gone, his defenses lowered….He was the only one the Seeker fully trusted.

Starscream raised his free hand up to cup Optimus' cheek. The mech leaned into the clawed hand and unknowingly began tracing random patterns on the Seeker's abdomen. Starscream caressed his face with his thumb and continued to smile up at him.

"I love you."

Optimus stared at his lover amazedly as the words left Starscream's vocalizer.

"By Primus I love you so much Optimus."

"You…You've never said that before."

Starscream coaxed his love forward until their lips almost touched. "But you knew it."

Optimus smiled as Starscream pressed his lips against his. Starscream's hand moved from Optimus' face to his helm to caress his antennas. The mech moaned giving Starscream the perfect opportunity to slip his glossa into his mouth.

Optimus sucked on the invading glossa before running his own against it. He moved his hands and grabbed the Seeker's bare shoulders before grinding their cod-pieces together.

Starscream moaned and broke the kiss. "No," he stated breathlessly as he took hold off Optimus' hips to still him. "Not tonight…I need to save what little energy I have left."

Optimus sat back up his face showed a hint of disappointment and sadness. "I'm sorry."

"No, no," Starscream pulled Optimus back down and hugged him. "It's not your fault. I just don't have enough energy to spare tonight."

"You need energon?"

"Yes. My clones are already working on getting some. Maybe next time we can fully enjoy ourselves. Hmm?"

Optimus perked up at the promise and nuzzled the Seeker's chest before lying his helm down. For a few moments, they just laid there in each other's arms. Optimus caressed Starscream's chest and the Seeker ran his claws up and down his spinal column.

"Optimus," he paused in rubbing his lover's back and was mustering up the courage to ask him something.

Something important.

Something he had wanted to know for quite some time.

Optimus looked up and inquired, "Yes, Star?"

"…If I ever found a way to get my spark back…would you consider becoming my bonded mate?"

Optimus bolted upright and stared at Starscream in disbelief. "You mean that?" Starscream nodded. "With every fiber of my being."

Optimus smiled. "Of course. Come back to the base with me. Sari will be more than willing to help you."

Now it was Starscream's turn to be surprised. "Optimus, I told you, I'm not giving that wanna-be Prime a chance to court marshal you."

"Sentinel can go to the pit for all I care. If I tell Ultra Magnus what you've done for us, he'll be willing to at least accept you as a Neutral."

Starscream chuckled, "And I thought I was the impatient one."

"I've waited for you long enough…And I'm not going to the run the risk of losing you again…I don't think I could take it a third time." The first time being when he joined the Decepticons and the second being when Megatron nearly killed him with Sari's key.

"…What about the bounty on my head? I'd be putting you and yours in danger."

"We'll deal with any punk bounty hunter or Decepticon that comes knocking."

Starscream sighed and shook his head. "I could say Megatron himself would come after me and you'd still be willing to deal with me. Wouldn't you?"

"Yep."

Starscream chuckled amusedly. "Then your life and the lives of your teammates are about to get a whole lot more interesting."

Optimus smiled and caressed Starscream's wing, causing him to shiver. "As long as I have you, I really don't care."

Starscream chuckled. "What an interesting new life this will be for us."

End

Hey guys, this and the last chapter of my Sunset and New Dawn story will be my last update for the next five days. I'm going to be away for a bit. Tell you guys more about it when I get back. See ya later. :)