Megatron sighed as he walked into his private quarters. He made sure to shut and lock the door behind him. He gently tossed the date pads he was carrying onto his deck. The warlord stood tall and rolled his shoulders back. His joints popped and cracked as he reset them into place.

“Megatron?” A low voice called from Megatron’s wash rack. Megatron popped his jaw and looked up at the half opened door. The lights were not on, but a faded glow came from the room. A thin layer of steam lingered in the opening. Megatron forced himself to walk over to the door and push it open. He leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest.

Four large purple and white candles were the only light source in the room. It gave Megatron just enough light to see shadows and shapes in a faint glow. In his personal wash-tub, Starscream was submerged up to his neck in fresh drawn energon. Megatron could feel the heat of the warm energon as it settled around Starscream. The tips of Starscream’s wings and his sharp knee plating were the only parts of him sticking out of the energon besides his head. When Starscream caught sight of Megatron, he sunk even father. Only letting his red final head piece surface. He blew air bubbles to the surface.

“Enjoying yourself?” Megatron’s tired voice asked as he walked into the room and sit down on the edge of the tub. Starscream slowly sat back up, the light blue glow of the energon dripping off his body. He smiled at Megatron and placed his arms on each side on the tub.

“Yes, actually.” Starscream said lightly. Megatron hummed a small laugh under his breath.

“You know how I hate wasting energon, Starscream.” Megatron said as he dipped his fingers down into Starscream’s bath and swirled them around. “I had to give up energon baths, what makes you think you can just have one?” Starscream looked down and watched as Megatron brought his fingers out of the energon and flicked some on the seeker’s face. Starscream shook his head and wiped it out of his eyes. Megatron only laughed, bringing his fingers up to his mouth to suck the rest of the energon off.

“We will recube it and let the Vehicons have it for their daily rations.” Starscream said firmly.

“I would rather not let the drones have a taste of you, Starscream. They may like it too much. After all, dearest, you are like poison.” Megatron wiped his hands on his chest, letting the energon soak onto his plating and into his spark. “Did Knockout tell you to take a bath?”


“Yes, I have a doctor’s note, Master.” Starscream whispered smoothly, his voice staying strong. “Knockout says I only need one to help heel my wounds and help me recover.”  Megatron nodded and laid his hand on top of Starscream’s knee plating that was sticking out of the energon.

“You and that medic make it sound like you were seconds away from death when you returned.” Megatron joked with a toothy grin. “You seemed alright to me.”

“To you?” Starscream repeated. “I could be seconds from death, or worse. I could be dead, and you would say ‘He seems alright to me’.” Starscream pinched the bridge of his nose and looked up at Megatron’s shoulder. It was still healing. Knockout had done his best to put Megatron original arm back on, but there was little he could do to stop the scaring. “You know, an energon bath would help, at least a little, with the scarring.” Starscream started to lift himself up out of the tub to let Megatron take over his bath. But Megatron placed a hand on Starscream chest and pushed him back down. Starscream tilted his head as he looked back up at Megatron.

“I like my scars.” Megatron looked at his arm, he rolled it back. Starscream flinched when it popped and settled into place. “They are reminders of my failures.”  Starscream shook his head and hissed through his teeth.

“Sometime the worse scars come from battles we’ve won.” Starscream said wisely. Megatron laughed and looked down at Starscream.

“You would know that, wouldn’t you?” Megatron teased. Starscream hands splashed in the energon, swirling his talons around.

“Afraid not, I wouldn’t know actually.” Starscream frowned. “But, at least I earn my scars, physically and emotionally.”  Starscream cleared his throat and shifted his eyes around the room. The seeker snarled as his classic smirk took over his face. “Knockout also said my legs were overly stressed and they needed to be tended too as well.” Starscream quickly changed the subjest. Without another word- without any questions, Megatron’s hand wondered down Starscream’s legs. He carefully lifted it out of the energon and gently rubbed Starscream’s sore ankle. Megatron had energon up to his elbows, but he didn’t seem to mind. He turned around, sitting on his knees beside the tub and leaned over Starscream so he could work better. Starscream watched as Megatron worked his rough claws down his stiff lower leg. “Y-you do know that I was j-just playing? You don’t have to do t-that.” Megatron shrugged his shoulders but didn’t look up.

“I know.” He whispered. “It’s not like I have anything better to do this evening anyways. Besides, I suppose I owe you.” Starscream leaned back, resting his wings on the back of the tub. He watched as Megatron’s hands wondered back up his legs, scrubbing the tight joints under Starscream’s red knee plating.

“Owe me?” Starscream questioned. Megatron looked up at the seeker was a twisted frown on his face. He rolled his eyes and shifted his weight to one knee. Starscream wanted to pull his leg away from Megatron’s grip when his claws tighten around his knee.

“You know I am not good at talking about things like this, Starscream.” Megatron growled. Starscream leaned forward, his talons digging into the sides of the tub.

“About what, my lord?” Starscream asked. His voice was so light, so sweet that it sent chills up Megatron’s spine. Megatron closed his eyes and sighed.

“You have really proven yourself over the past couple of days. From the moments you rejoined us, you have been a big help and you have yet to let me down.” Megatron put Starscream’s leg back down in the bath and pulled up his other one. Again, he started at Starscream’s ankle and gently pressed the tightness away.

“In other words, you are proud of me?” Starscream smiled, his wings spreading wide. Megatron stopped rubbing Starscream’s legs and smiled up at him. Starscream leaned forward, as did Megatron. Megatron rested his forehead against Starscream’s.

“Yes.” Megatron sighed and closed his eyes. “I guess I am.”