Because it's been over a year since I posted the first chapter.
and sdf it's been over a year since the first chapter. Can you believe it took that long to figure out how the second chapter went. *makes a face at the fic*
Title Shall We Dance (2.1/yeeeah no idea)
Characters/Pairings Prowl, Sideswipe (veeery eventual Prowl/Sideswipe)
Summary Prowl sees Sideswipe take two
Author's Note Not exactly calling this a whole chapter. :P But I'm pissed at Star-crossed right now.
Part One
“You know, I would almost think you’ve been avoiding me.”
Prowl’s doorwings twitched as a hand passed between them, reaching for his shoulder. He dipped the panels down, and stepped to the side, even as he keyed his desired mixture into the ration machine. The hand landed on the wall, as though that were its destination to begin with, and the owner leaned on the wall, hovering just next to Prowl.
He didn’t have to look at the mech to identify him. Immediately after his initial meeting with Sideswipe, he had set his voice recognition protocols to alert him to the mech’s particular resonance and tone and dialect. He did not think that he had to admit that he had indeed been avoiding this particular mech, but to say otherwise would violate the precepts of the Code he followed.
So, Prowl said nothing.
The silence dragged on, Sideswpe’s presence heavy on his sensors, heavier still when he quietly brushed up against the edges of the sensory panels. Prowl refused to acknowledge the contact, keeping his intent stare on the slowly filling energon cube. When it finally finished, he picked it up, and turned away from his unwanted visitor.
He didn’t notice the hand had left the wall until it grabbed hold of the cube and had turned him around, shoving him against the wall. Sideswipe pressed into his space, optics bright, and engine softly purring with his exertions.
“I’ve been waiting for you to come back to the sparring rooms on your off hours. Why haven’t you, don’t you use that to relax?”
Prowl frowned at the mech, all too aware of the hands that sat against the wall, just below his doorwings, neatly boxing him in. He could not help but be aware of the surreptitious glances and blatant stares cast in their direction; he ignored them. “I will not ask how you know any of that, I am certain that I won’t like the answer. My personal preferences are none of your concern, nor is my schedule.” Sideswipe’s expression didn’t change, nor did he move a microinch. “I cannot see why you think you would fair any better against another match against me.”
Finally Sideswipe’s expression changed, his lips turning up in a confident grin. “You caught me by surprise last time. It won’t happen again.”
Prowl pressed his doorwings against the wall, refusing the urge to twitch them against Sideswipes fingers. The mech’s face hovered intolerably close, the vibrations from his engine softly rattling Prowl’s chassis. “You seemed to have recovered from any surprise long before I ended the session, Sideswipe.”
Sideswipe shook his head. “Surprising me is not an easy thing to do, and mechs with your specialty having any notable combat skills is very surprising. I underestimated you, it won’t happen again.”
Prowl’s doorwings pinged against the black fingers, and shifted his weight. He wanted to leave the rec room, but Sideswipe was preventing him, therefore there could only be one logical action to take.
One white hand reached out to stroke up the mech’s shining red chestplate. His fingers glided smoothly over the perfect finish, and he took a step away from the wall. “Sideswipe, you really must understand something...”
The mech’s optics brightened with each rev of his engine. “Oh yeah,” he whispered hoarsely. “What’s that?”
Prowl curled his hand around Sideswipe’s neck cables and drew his head down. The mech didn’t resist, instead he pressed the analyst back against the wall, lips parting expectantly.
The white hand wrapped around a handful of the cables and yanked them back, effectively halting Sideswipe’s progress. Their nasal ridges stood only a finger width apart and Prowl closed that distance, stepping in between the other’s legs, until their nasal ridges clinking together.
A shiver touched Sideswipe’s servomotors. His hands left the wall to come to rest on Prowl’s waist and he leaned in…
“You are still underestimating me.” With that he pulled Sideswipe forward, knocking one of the mech’s legs out from under him with a casual kick at his ankles. Balanced only by his hands on Prowl’s waist, Sideswipe couldn’t stop the analyst from stepping lightly to the side.
The warrior slammed his shoulder into the wall, and then dropped. He managed to catch himself on one knee, and he looked stupidly up at Prowl.
Prowl hadn’t spilled even single drop from his cube.
Flicking his doorwings, Prowl stared evenly down at the mech on the floor. “I reserve my time for those that actually deserve it, and I have no desire to spar with anyone so rude as you.” He sharply turned on his heel, and made his way out the door.
He did not miss the snickers that followed him.
He could not miss the very soft, “Glory in the Pits,” that breathed past Sideswipe’s open lips.
minor word choice edit: thanks hellsangelcurse