Work Text:
Shockwave always acts like he knows something that Starscream doesn’t. It’s the singular most annoying part of his personality, aside from all the rest of it. Which, of course, means that sharing a lab with him is quite an ordeal. Starscream had requested his own lab, demanded it in fact, but Megatron had been unmoved. Something about not trusting Starscream to work in a lab unmonitored, which Starscream had also taken offense to. Somehow Starscream’s fit at being monitored had not convinced Megatron of his trustworthiness.
At least Shockwave is a quiet lab partner. He works on his own projects in silence and very rarely ventures into Starscream’s space. Starscream has shared a lab with more annoying mechs, but Shockwave’s presence is somehow more infuriating than theirs. Maybe it’s the silence, or the lack of emotion, or maybe it’s just spite that Megatron has made Shockwave his babysitter.
So Starscream resolves to keep as close an eye on Shockwave as the other mech is keeping on him. Two can play at this game and Starscream plays to win.
“Shockwave, there’s an error in this equation. Can you look at this for me?” It’s an order phrased as a request, as Starscream deftly inserts himself into Shockwave’s personal space and holds his datapad in front of Shockwave’s optic. The bulky mech sets his own datapad down and accepts Starscream’s gingerly.
While Shockwave reads, Starscream takes the opportunity to survey Shockwave’s work area. It’s meticulously organized, each tool in a clearly delineated space. Starscream resists the urge to reach out and turn all the tools to be slightly off-kilter, but it’s a near thing.
“You dropped an exponent.” Shockwave hands him back the datapad with the relevant error highlighted and turns back to his own work.
Starscream stands there, holding his datapad and just staring for a moment. Shockwave was put here to watch him, but is dismissing him so easily? He’ll just go back to working without even a second look? Oh no. That isn’t how this is going to go. Starscream will not be ignored by anyone and certainly not by Shockwave. So he’ll just have to get his attention.
If Shockwave notices over the next few days that Starscream is paying him more attention, he doesn’t say anything. He answers the questions that Starscream pesters him with, steps aside when Starscream does his best to crowd him. He doesn’t respond to Starscream’s attempts to start normal conversations. If the question or statement isn’t directly pertinent to work, Shockwave ignores it.
It’s absolutely infuriating, and Starscream can’t fathom what else he can possibly do.
It’s not that Shockwave isn’t good at his work, and Starscream should give in and just accept him as a not-totally-terrible silent lab partner/babysitter. But now it’s a challenge, so it’s time to go all out.
Shockwave doesn’t respond, not even to Starscream’s most provocative wing flirting or verbal provocations. In fact, the only thing that seems to get his attention is when Starscream either crowds him so much that he can’t work or when Starscream disturbs his neatly organized tools.
It takes almost a month for Shockwave to snap. One too many times of Starscream crowding him, one too many tools moved. Starscream finds himself shoved up against his own lab table by Shockwave’s heavier bulk.
“Your behavior is illogical and unproductive.” Shockwave’s optic is narrowed to a thin slit of frustration. Starscream’s engines hum in satisfaction.
“Oh? My apologies,” Starscream flutters his wings and does his best to look demure.
Shockwave stares at him for a long moment .Starscream wishes he had some idea of what Shockwave could possibly be thinking, but without a face, Shockwave is completely unreadable. Whatever Shockwave is thinking, he releases Starscream and returns to work.
And he doesn’t object when Starscream gently brushes him with a wing in passing.