Ultra Magnus took the lead as the ground bridge opened up, followed by Smokescreen, then Wheeljack, who whooped with excitement. “Yeah! Time to kick some Decepticon aft.”

            Bumblebee came next, not as enthusiastic but still full of vigor as he went in running.

I was last. I started for the bright glowing portal, but was forced to stop when a firm grip caught me by the wrist. “What?” I growled, not bothering to look back.

            “I’m sorry, really,” Knock Out said, his servo trailing down my arm until it reached my digits, making me shiver with involuntary pleasure. “I’ll be nice from now on, I promise. Let me make it up to you.”

            It was the first time in nearly a week that I had let him speak even a few sentences to me. I didn’t let it show, but I was getting fed up with ignoring him. And I didn’t want to admit it… but I missed him, his comforting touch, and his sugar-coated words. I only wished that he would be as considerate towards everyone else as he was to me.

Sighing, I pulled away from him. “We can talk about it when I get back. Now isn’t the time.” I frowned at him. He appeared placid, but I could see the unmasked lust in his optics. Before he could say anything more, I turned and entered the ground bridge portal.

            “What was the holdup?” Wheeljack turned in my direction when I made it through. We were about a mile away from the energon cave, and the others were already making their way towards it at a different approach than the first time.

            “Just Knock Out.” I shifted out my energon guns to take the place of one of my servos. “Nothing important.”

            Wheeljack chuckled, keeping pace next to me with ease. “You and him, eh? I never would have imagined the two of you pairing up. He treat you well?” His tone was mocking.

            I felt my facial features form a glare, and I didn’t bother to look at Wheeljack. “Just fine, thanks.”

The Wrecker only laughed once again. With a sharp intake of breath, I sprinted ahead of him so I wouldn’t have to deal with his scrap. Why was everyone so against me being happy?

            For the rest of the patrol that day, Ultra Magnus ordered that we only investigate the outside perimeter of the cave and search for any more signs of hidden traps. I tried to stay vigilant to the task, but my mind was flooded with thoughts of Knock Out, and the hours dragged on with unbelievable slowness. By the time we returned to base, it took everything in me to keep from whisking him off to my private quarters, which I did, to say the least, except it wasn’t my quarters that we went to.

            “Anything new?” Knock Out turned from the computer screens that controlled the ground bridge, deactivating the portal once we had all returned. Though he was addressing everyone, his optics were glued on me, scoping me out.

            “Nope, nothing.” I grabbed him by the servo and started down the long, twisting and turning hallway that eventually led to his quarters. Knock Out followed without complaint, lacing his digits between mine. He looked back at Ultra Magnus, who at first opened his mouth as if to protest the two of us leaving, but instead rolled his optics and mumbled something about young mechs and femmes not possessing a sense of self-control. I could feel the stares of everyone else as we left, but I kept my gaze set straight ahead of me, relieved that none of them verbalized their questions of my intentions.

            “Mmm, what have you got in store for me, darling?” Knock Out asked once we were out of hearing range of the others, letting me lead the way through the dim hallway. There were metallic doors lining both sides of the hall, leading to storage rooms and vacant living quarters once containing castes of Cybertronian laborers long ago, either of higher social ranking or lower, I did not know.

            “I just want to talk,” I said without looking at him. It was quiet around here, except for the sound of our pedes stepping on the floor as we went on. I knew where I was going from the last time Knock Out had brought me to his quarters, located at the very end of the building, and when we reached the door leading into his room, which required a password typed into the provided keypad to allow entrance, he pushed me up against it, and before I could object, kissed me without holding back. He pressed his body against mine and bit my lower lip, quickening the pace of our kissing and resting his servos on either side of my waist, grasping my armor. Reaching up towards his broad shoulders, I kissed him back with intense desperation, thrilling with excitement. His cool breath, his gentle caress, the musky smell of his freshly buffed armor… it all drove me crazy, to the point where I did not, or could not, think rational thoughts. I had wanted to discuss the issue of Bumblebee, but my neuro processor went out of whack to the point of no return at Knock Out’s touch, and he knew it.

            “Just want to talk, eh?” Knock Out’s voice was husky. He traced his pointed digits up and down my torso, sending shivers through my body.

            A smile escaped my lips, in which Knock Out kissed once again. Laughing, I tried to push him away with little effort. “Stop that. You know I can’t…”

            “Say no?” Knock Out ended my sentence for me as he reached to the side of the door and entered his password. His ability to read my thoughts was astounding. The door slid open, and Knock Out took me by surprise by lifting me off the ground. “I’ll gladly test you on that.”

Bursting into a fit of giggles, I punched him in the arm in mock protest. “Put me down!”

In response to this, Knock Out hefted me over his shoulder so that the front half of me was dangling over his back, and my rear end was right by his face. “Nice aft,” he teased, carrying me into his room. The door closed behind us on its own, shutting out the rest of the world and leaving just the two of us together. Pounding on his back but making sure not to scratch or dent his armor, I continued to struggle in mock defiance. My giggling died away when he set me down on his recharge berth and stood over me. I couldn’t tell whether he was admiring me or taunting me. Probably both. Putting his servos on his hips, he asked, “So… what would you like to discuss?”

Now that most of my senses were getting a break from him, my mind was clearing, though at a sluggish pace. “Remember earlier today? About Bumblebee?”

“Ah… yes.” Knock Out closed his optics for a brief moment. When he opened them, his expression was sincere. “And I truly am sorry. I just get jealous from time to time. You two have worked together for so long, and you’ve only really known me for a few months. And for most of that time, we haven’t exactly been getting along.”

“You have nothing to be jealous of,” I said. The turn of conversation surprised me a little, but I could understand Knock Out’s point of view. “Bee always has been, and always will be like a brother to me. Nothing more. As for you…” I looked up at him, tilting my head to the side. “I’m still trying to get used to you.”

Knock Out smirked, then laid me down on the berth and positioned himself over me, putting enough of his body weight on me to where he was pressed against me, but also carefully keeping from smothering me. He was a fortress of protection around me, and it was here that I felt safest. He stole another kiss, rubbing his olfactory sensor against mine. “You are stunning. Now, in acceptance of my apology, you must do my bidding, which will consist of much coition, for as long as I wish.”

I laughed, kissing him on the cheek. “And if I refuse?”

“You won’t, love,” he whispered. Our lips met again, remaining together for a long moment, then he bent his head and pressed his mouth to my neck. With a deep inhale, I wrapped my legs around his powerful waist, exposing my neck to him as much as I could. A wave of bliss coursed through me while he nipped and sucked at the sensitive cable in my neck, causing an involuntary gasp to escape me. Embracing him, I offlined my optics, relishing in rapturous decadence.