The Uninvited Guest: Chapter 3. Smokesceen and Swindle and Vortex. Pre war.

[ayngelcat]

Title: The Uninvited Guest: Chapter 3
Universe: G1
Rating: NC17
Characters: Swindle, Smokescreen, Vortex
Warnings: Coarse and sexual language, adult themes, non con sexual acts of the sticky variety.

Notes This is the third chapter in one of several stories about Smokescreen and Swindle, their relationship before the war and its demise. Which happened in part because of Swindle's new job with a certain criminal elite outfit. Well, one member in particular.

More thanks to ultharkitty for awesome input, inspiration and beta. Couldn't be doing this without you XD

Drama continues from here


~~Chapter 3~~

But of course, they made it so difficult!

Vortex was lounging on the couch, all black gleaming metal and thighs and rotors. I tried not to look at him. And even less at Swindle, right next to him, all shiny yellow and fresh blackened tyres and gleaming headlamps. My spark twanged again. Both were indisputably irresistible, in their own unique ways, and - I couldn't ignore it – I could see them as an item. But I couldn't bear to think this.

No – well why bother? They weren't worth it anyway! Did they really think I had forgotten what they'd said?

I was aware of an amused look on Vortex's face, of him checking me out as I put the tray down. And, infuriatingly, every move he made sent currents rippling over my sensor net. I looked up to see his red, now unvisored optics glinting straight into mine with a wicked and yet almost playful suggestiveness.

"So – you gonna come an' talk to us or hide out there all night?" he grinned. "Swin, what you tell this guy about me? Seems like he's scared already!"

If Swindle felt awkward, it didn't show one iota. In fact, he giggled, as though he'd already consumed the contents of the cubes on the tray. "He's a bit shy sometimes!" he twittered.

I glared at him, just as Vortex patted the seat on his non Swindle side. "No more shop talk, Swindle!" he said. "Come on, doorwings! Sit beside me!"

I made a point of placing the tray on the table and then sitting down very firmly on the chair opposite. Vortex laughed. Stubbing out his deathstick, he proceeded to help himself to a cube. Meanwhile, alluring purple optics in a fuzzy state of great happiness cast me an imploring look.

//Hey! Lighten up, Smoke!// Swindle said.

//How could you!// I hissed. //So this place is a chintzy dive, is it?//

//Course I don't think that!// he hissed back. //Use ya brains! I'm tryin'a create a good impression!//

//Yeah! Well you're not creating one with me!//

A crestfallen look came about my lover. One I knew well.

//I love this place, Smoke, ya know I do!// he wailed, a pained look in his optics. But it only made me mildly better disposed towards him. Meanwhile, Vortex had noticed our little 'interaction' and was, to my annoyance, looking on with amusement.

"So what's with the domestics?" he drawled. "Smokey!"

I bristled. Only Swindle called me that. I looked at my lover again. The wounded look was gone and he shrugged, playfully. //Told him you like it!// he said.

Chuckling, wickedly, Vortex cracked the cube and threw half the contents down. Then he reached for the death sticks. "Tell me, Smokey," he said, lighting one. How long you been living here at Swin's?" Acrid smoke rose into the air. "You seem uptight," he grinned. "How d'you put up with it, Swin?"

I froze again. Of all the outrageous things so far, this took the cake! How long had I … Well, he could just learn right here and now that it was my place and Swindle lived here! And that Swindle was my lover. I opened my mouth to protest, but Swindle shot me a 'look.'

//Onslaught thinks I got my own place, Smoke!// he said. //If you could kinda keep up the façade – well – that'd be really helpful!//

I was incredulous. /Swindle!/ And now I know I looked furious.

The purple optics got their pleading, appealing look again. //Please, Smokey! Look – that was why I could say it was a heap o'pit, see? It was kinda like – a criticism of me, not you!//

I fumed again, wanting to tell Swindle exactly what I thought of that. But he was still looking at me, and Vortex was watching us again, thoroughly entertained. The combination of the two made things suddenly clear. All this was Vortex's fault! Swindle - as only I knew – seemed all cocky but was full of self doubts, and desperately wanted to be included in this 'outfit.' Vortex had made him feel he had to lie, or they wouldn't want him. Well Swindle didn't need them. He had me, he didn't have to pretend to me! A great wanting for Swindle to be mine and only mine tore through me.

"We've been together a few vorns!" I snapped. "It's what you call a long-term arrangement!"

"Together, huh? Well ain't that nice!" Vortex finished his cube and stubbed his death stick out in it. Then he chucked it on the table. And then, right in front of my obviously furious face, his optics never leaving mine, he casually looped his arm around Swindle's shoulders.

Swindle's face lit up, beaming like an insecticon with a crate of choice spare parts. Vortex grinned.

"Can't say I blame you. Got yourself a little gem, here!" Vortex said. "Worth his weight in electrum." Taking his arm away, he shifted, inclining his back to my lover. "You wouldn't be able to just give rotor number two a little special Swindle treatment would you, mech?"

Swindle did, at least, try to look awkward. But it didn't stop a delighted little smile from lingering on his faceplates, or him taking hold of the rotor and massaging it lightly, pressing with his fingers.

"Mmmnnn … nice!" said Vortex, ruffling his rotors. Swindle made a little noise, his attentions became more pronounced as he dug his fingers in. But he must have sensed my outrage, because he glanced across, and the look on my face by now must have suggested that 'not amused' was the understatement of the vorn, because the fingers eased on the rotors.

//Smoke, I know what this looks like!// he whispered. //But hey – I'm not gonna do anything! This is good business! It's a dangerous game – You want me to stay safe, don't ya?//

"Hey, no slacking!" As Swindle's ministrations resumed in earnest, Vortex looked across and winked at me, a lecherous grin on his face. Opening his mouth, he extended his glossa to just run along his lower lip, as one hand reached over to feel Swindle's knee.

I couldn't look at them, or answer Swindle. "I'm going to check on the food!" I snapped, springing up.

….

I stormed into the kitchen and leaned against the bench, intaking to recover my composure. What the heck could I do about this? Clearly, Vortex was one of those types, good looking, sexy, 'cool.' Able to set off interface sequences in, I imagined, just about anyone. The guy loved the effect he had on Swindle, loved his reaction; and Swindle had shown no hesitation in giving him that satisfaction! It came to me again, the thought of storming back in there, and asking them both to leave.

And then, I felt a great pain in my spark. Because Swindle was vulnerable, so easily swayed by being made to feel important – which was exactly what this fiend was doing. The more I thought about it, the more I was sure that whilst Vortex found Swindle pleasing – I did not see how anybody could not – I was certain that it was not half so appealing to Vortex as Vortex was to Swindle; that Vortex's main interest in Swindle was for his business abilities; that this was a game, in which my lover was strung along, whilst anyone else was equally welcome to fuel his gargantuan ego.

Yes - everything about Vortex suggested a conquest, and Swindle the victim. The latest victim, I surmised. There would be many. And every time one succumbed, it only served to further swell this heliformer's already magnanimous self appreciation.

Hell - he'd even tried it on me! And I had almost been taken in by it!

I yanked open the oven door and pulled out the two containers full of oilcakes, my resolve returning. He wasn't having my 'attentions'. And he certainly wasn't having Swindle! If nothing else in the universe ever transpired, I would see to that!

I would have this 'talk' with Swindle, I decided, as I got out two platters and set them down on the bench. Clever though he was on the business world, my lover was hopelessly naive about some things. I would explain, gently, how attractive his 'abilities' undoubtedly were to this mech, this scoundrel, but how that was probably about all.

Yes. I could feel my optic ridges furrowing into a frown as I wrestled with the lid on the first container. I would lay it down the line – leave my lover in no doubt as to how he would get used in whatever way the heliformer chose – until a better proposition came on the horizon, whereupon he would no longer be 'it,' and would be hung out to dry.

And Swindle would not want to hear it. Oh no - he would get stroppy, cantankerous. Maybe even storm out. But he would have heard enough - and was intelligent enough - to have gotten the drift. He would see sense, return, and be overwhelmed by gratitude.

Next door, Vortex said something in a throaty voice, words I could not catch. Swindle's laughter floated through the air. I gave the container lid an extra hard tug and it came off suddenly, flying out of my hand and landing with a clang. Oh, Swindle had been well and truly taken in! But Swindle was going to be enlightened.

Determined of this, I went to retrieve the lid.

"I'm not fragging him y'know!"

I jumped. I had not registered that the conversation in the other room had come to an end. But it evidently had – as Vortex was leaning against the bench, all black oily smexiness and casual slung rotors. I had not heard him come in. Nor did I know where Swindle had gone.

I could feel his optics roving over me. "No need to get your tailpipe in a knot!" He grinned. The fragging's all yours. I just like his mind."

The nerve of it! And it just served to confirm everything I had been thinking. Yanking the lid off the second container, I started to lay the oilcakes very firmly on the first platter.

"Well you watch your step with his mind!" I snapped. "Because Swindle and I have got a good thing going! And I'd be pretty pissed if some mech stepped in and fragged it over!"

Vortex reached out and helped himself to an oilcake. I heard him take a bite and chew, softly. Steeling my spark, I stopped what I was doing and looked him straight in the optics, returning the red stare with a blue one of my own, and forcing all notions of his attractiveness out of my processor. "And that goes for both his mind and the relationship. So you just remember that, Vortex!"

But the optics only flared slightly, deepening to a rich magenta, as an amused expression appeared. "A love nest!" he chuckled. "How cute! Not the smartest set up, I wouldn'a thought, in our kinda scene."

He polished off the cake, still wearing that 'entertained' look. But then a change came over him. He seemed to tense, darkening, his optics glinting dangerously. His voice deepened, taking on that 'edge' I had heard earlier.

"It'll be all right, though, provided you don't interfere," he said, optics glinting as he licked his fingers. "Otherwise ... mechs who get in the way of Onslaught's outfit can be kinda - temporary. But I guess you'll figure it out."

I shivered. There was a chilling conviction to the words which made me sure, with a sickening jar, that our lives had changed. Vortex was like a frolicking cybercat, harmless in play, yet always on guard, capable of transforming to a lethal hunter, cruel and merciless for the sake of prey or an enemy. I felt a sharp jab of fear. Vortex was, indeed, very cybercat like. It was then that I realized, this mech didn't kill out of business or even loyalty. Just as with every other conquest, he did it because he enjoyed it.

And he would do it to us, I was certain. If we stepped out of line. If we didn't …. well, he might even protect us. Always, it was a precarious balance, a terrifyingly chilling reality. And yet, despite all my inner protestations, it thrilled me to the core. I began to see, for the first time, what Swindle saw in all of this.

Vortex helped himself to a second cake, with black, slender fingers. His joints rustled with subtle slickness, his gaze flickering away only for a second before it settled back on me. And even though it went against all I wanted to think and feel, I could not help a swathe of heat from washing through me. I had never even considered whether I equated danger with sexiness. But now, as I watched him devour the oilcake, I thought again of the cybercat. This mech was clever, not the brainless lout I'd labelled him, but intelligent and calculating.

Powerful, beautiful, clever, and lethal. And maybe my protector. An irrepressible thrill ran through my circuits, and I was forced to admit it: Right then, I had never seen anyone so attractive in my life.

But a part of me rebelled absolutely. This was not glamorous, or exciting; it was horrendous. Steeling myself, I remained calm, and thought of Swindle; made myself believe that no, none of this was a good thing, and that it was not too late to send this monster packing, and with him the rest of his 'outfit' wherever they needed to go. As I again looked straight into his optics, I tried to inject a dangerous calm into my voice.

"Swindle isn't always gonna be in your world," I said. "This is a business move for him."

But my voice wavered. Vortex shifted closer, and I was only too aware of his immense bulk, his well-put-togetherness. A delicious oily aroma combined with a rich mix of high grade and deathsticks wafted into my sensors, and heat raced through me, that thrill bounding through every circuit as I felt my interface relays shift.

I persisted, swallowing hard. "Look - I'm sure Swin's gonna be an excellent asset to you," I said. "But you're not the be all and end all. He's smart. He could go anywhere he liked, without either you or me. But he's hangin' in with me for now and I kinda like that – and I'm gonna see to it that he gets as far as he possibly can."

But his optics roved over my frame, and my circuits were still tingling, and I knew I was not having anything like the clout I intended. Vortex folded his arms and lounged against the bench, grinning lazily.

"Y'know, you really are quite paranoid aren't you?" he said. "I ain't gonna stand in his way. But you might, the way you're going. Why don't you relax a little, have a bit of fun while he does his thing?"

Vortex's extreme smexiness was suddenly suffocating. I could not look at him any more. Tearing myself away, I strode to the cooker and hauled the door open, reaching for the casserole. I did not know how, but I was going to work this thing out somehow and get us away. Maybe leave Iacon; I'd heard there were opportunities in the northern provinces.

"Does he satisfy you?" Vortex said.

Charge fritzed through my circuits. I froze, staring at the inside of the oven. "What?" I whispered. But I'd heard him perfectly.

"Swindle," he said. "When you frag. Does he satisfy you?"

I could sense him suddenly behind me. Heat radiated from him, flowing over me in waves. His hugeness, his – dangerousness – seemed to fill the whole room. "In your valve, I mean."

His smell invaded me, fiercely intoxicating, and I could feel the air from his intakes wafting on to my wings. Into my mind flashed a glorious vision of that large, hard body against mine, his hands sliding over my panels, his fingers digging in, pulling me closer as his spike pressed against me, huge and hard and throbbing. And my valve was suddenly alive – tingling, the nodes prickling with lubricants the rim opening wide behind its cover, longing to be filled because he was right. Swindle did not do this.

I shivered. Vortex laughed out loud. "I thought so!" he said. And I felt a finger - a very sensuous, slender finger – slide along the edge of my wing, microseconds before he flared his energy field.

I jolted, hard, my exoskin crackling as charge shot through me. Everything fritzed - and at that moment, all I wanted was for him to him to grab me, to take me, to shove that finger and however many others he wanted into my aching valve, closely followed by his rock hard spike; to pound hard, not stopping until every node had fired and I was consumed in overload.

I gasped, grasping the steel bars on either side of the cooker, unable to stop my energy field from flaring, sharply, as the kitchen reeled and a strangled sound came out of my vocalizer.

Vortex chuckled delightedly, as the finger was withdrawn. "I'm sure Swindle's a good spike," he said. "Not that I'd know about that of course. But you might wanna think about a little – variation – every now and then."

"Yes ..." I said, my voice thick and staticky, charge raging all over. I wanted nothing more than for him to touch me again, to feel his hands on my plating. But at that moment, there was a flurry of footsteps and metal rustling, and I turned to see Vortex take a step back as Swindle came bustling into the room.

Instantly, I was seized by a different kind of shock. A rush of coolant blocked out the heat, my interface relays shutting down in excruciating sudden-ness. As I straightened myself up and tried to look as though I had not nearly had an overload over the oilcakes, my valve closed tightly, leaving a small pool of lubricant uncomfortably inside the casing.

Swindle was all golden energy and excitement. "I been talking to Blast Off!" he declared, obviously so enthralled by this latest 'development' that he noticed nothing. "We're the go for tomorrow!" He beamed at Vortex, enthusiasm oozing from every seam. "Meeting the rep from Monacus at midday. I talked to Blast. He's on it!"

Vortex drew back and smiled appreciatively. "Good work!' he said, hooking an arm around Swindle's shoulders. Then, he turned back to me. "Like I said, he's a treasure, this one." And there he was - cool as anything. Just like nothing had happened.

Swindle was melting into him, all sparkly optics. And I was in hell! Caught in a maelstrom of diminishing charge, fritzing in frustration, but incredulous that this 'state' had happened at all. How could he be like that with Swindle when only seconds before he'd been saying the things he'd been saying, doing what he'd been doing?

And then, as unreleased charge still rippled uncomfortably around my circuits, I was angry. This heliformer, he was nothing but a complete and utter aft! This sexiness, the posturing, the 'big talk, the 'danger' – he used them all to get things how he wanted them. There he was, still hugging Swindle, the rotors quivering. He was full of pit! If he wasn't screwing Swindle now, it was a matter of time before he did.

Swindle would be only too willing. And, I saw more: all that had just happened had been a decoy, a way of getting between us, a means of making sure I couldn't complain to Swindle, that I didn't interfere with his designs on my lover or the grand plans for the 'outfit, whatever in hell those were.

Swin evidently noticed nothing amiss. "Say – I'm real glad you guys are getting on so well!" he said, as Vortex released him at last. "Hey Vortex, y'never know, Onslaught might have a slot for a banker some time."

Vortex grinned wickedly, his optics performing a slow and very thorough sweep of my frame. "He might at that!"

I took the casserole out and proceeded straight into the lounge with it. Quite simply, I did not trust myself to reply.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/__wilderness__/]

Ooooh.... I swear, it's wrong of me to keep hoping each chapter that Smokescreen will fall for Vortex's charm...

[ayngelcat.livejournal.com]

Heheh! Well - um - no spoilers forthcoming ...

Thank you for reading XD

I love your icon !!

[ultharkitty.livejournal.com]

♥

[ultharkitty.livejournal.com]

I love this chpater. Swindle needs a slap, Smokey needs the opposite of an aphrodisiac and Vortex needs... an orgy? I might be biased :P

[ayngelcat.livejournal.com]

Hahah! That about sums it up !!

[onyx17.livejournal.com]

Oh Vortex. *shakes head* Have you no shame? ...OK. Dumb question. XD But Smokey! Watch that libido of yours dude. D:

*LOL* Honestly, I'm really loving this story. XD Each chapter always flows so well. And again, I'm going to have to compliment the way you write first person POV! :D

Looking forward to the next chapter. :3

[ayngelcat.livejournal.com]

Thank you <3 <3 I'm glad you're enjoying it !

It's good to hear that it 'flows' as its a tricky mixture of thought processes on Smokey's part. Poor guy doesn't know whether to be furious, or consumed with lust XD

[eloquencelost.livejournal.com]

O.O My crack!Smokescreen/Swindle lives on in the internet! LOL

Wow...I am gonna have to go read this from the beginning now because Smokey/Swin is my love and then I'm gonna have to share it with wyntir_knight who also loves this pairing to pieces and we shall get together and have...I dunno s'mores or something. *snerk* And toast our love for crack!

[ayngelcat.livejournal.com]

I am so happy that you like this! because I read the Combaticon and Smokey/Swindle fics you wrote alone and with Wyntir (I think all of them) some time ago and loved them :D

I love this pairing - and triangle - too, and your work has been a real inspiration. I've acknowledged your stories often in writing and in communications with other authors and encouraged people to read. I've also pointed out that to the best of my knowledge you first wrote the Swindle/Smokey pairing (that is so, isn't it? And Hound/Mirage? WOW!!!)

Thanks again - and if you write more Combatifics I will certainly be reading <3

[eloquencelost.livejournal.com]

Okay, now you're gonna get me blushing. Or grinning like a loon. Haven't quite decided which yet. *snerk*

But yeah, the pairing is just wonderfully bent. I'm seriously loving where you're going with this fic too. While usually my inner!Tex is all 'Ew, Stumpy is my bro' whenever I try and slash him with Swindle, this one is really working for me. *snickers*

I cannot claim the honor of coming up with Hound/Mirage actually. I think tactile_contact started that one but yes, I can proudly admit Smokey/Swindlec!crack! is mine. LOL As for Wyntir and I writing more Combatific, we are actually FINALLY coming back to a fic we abandoned about a year ago due to evil writers block so who knows, maybe we'll have something up in the near future!

[ayngelcat.livejournal.com]

I'm very 'awed' to be talking about this with you, because you have been writing fanfic, including Smokey/Swindle, much longer than me :-)

I actually like Vortex and Swindle as 'bros' also, and in another AU in which I write, they are. But I became attracted to ultharkitty's AU, and the difficult dynamics within the Combaticons with their relationships. Then I was was RPing Swindle (and Smokescreen) with Vortex, and came to like the idea of Swindle and Vortex having a 'non bro' relationship, but very stormy, compounded by such factors as the gestalt formation and Swindle's ongoing 'thing' with Smokescreen. Which was very strong.

It can, perhaps, be put down to 1)your influence and then 2)ultharkitty's influence and then 3)my penchant for angst and emotional drama! I'm just happy that you are now enjoying this take on things :-)

Ah - OK - I was never sure whether it was you or tactile_contact who initiated HoundxMirage. You certainly followed through with some epic fics! But I'm sooo glad I was right about who conceived Smokey and Swindle!

And I look forward to the Combatific - awesome XD

[artemis10002000]

*sighs and shakes head* Oh Smokescreen... Just when I think you are coming to your senses, you just fall deeper. He really has no sense of self-preservation, does he?

But then, Vortex is playing them both so deliciously well. He must be having a field day with these two!