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Skywarp knew that Prowl was very task oriented, and very efficient at solving problems, and he knew this from first hand experience. Personally, at this point in the peace talks, sure, but also if you considered the war a task and the Decepticon’s a problem. They certainly hadn’t actually managed galactic or domestic domination.
Right now Skywarp was not-spying on Prowl. He’d just been minding his business then he had to vop out of their base to avoid Starscream who was unreasonably upset right now. Skywarp definitely had nothing to do with that paint balloon Starscream caught with his face. Not that Starscream cared who did it, just who he saw first.
That wasn’t important anymore though, Skywarp watched in fascination as the usually stiff and unbendable Prowl, sat under a tree in a little clearing in the forest near their negotiation site. He was playing with a small green…something. A reptile? Skywarp quietly walked forward to get a better look. Prowl was cooing at the thing and feeding it something while he gently stroked its little head.
Finally close enough to see a little better, Skwarp discovered the little reptile was actually a Flyte, and somehow Prowl was managing to feed it dried skitter. Never mind the Flyte, where’d he get the skitter?? It would have been weird enough if he’d just been sitting there meditating or taking a nap or something. It was the weirdest watching him be kinda cute, sitting there playing with his little pet.
Of course, this is when Skywarp forgot himself and felt a branch snap under his thruster about the same time Prowl heard it. Skywarp winced as he watched Prowl immediately straighten up and look directly at him in his not-hiding spot.
The next breem of staring was not the most fun Skywarp had had lately, and he’d like it to stop now, so he decided he’d be better off doing something than nothing. Prowl couldn’t shoot him anymore anyway, he wasn’t even doing anything wrong. Just minding how own business and seeing something totally unexpected.
“Sooooo, is that your pet? Cute little thing, where’d you get the skitter though?? I’ve been wanting to put one of those in Astrotrain’s quarters for ages, but we don’t have any here and I didn’t think anyone had been bringing any in from Cybertron?”
Yeah, that’d do as a start, as long as Prowl didn’t interpret Skywarp’s genuine curiosity as a threat. Which, given that he was blinking now and his expression softening just a fraction, maybe he hadn’t.
“Yes, this is my flyte, Green. They aren’t bringing Skitter through, Earth has a much firmer stance on Bioinvasion than Cybertron does. However, I had a large subspace crate filled with Skitter for her from before our arrival here.”
“Oh! That’s cool, hey can I come look at her? I haven’t seen a flyte in forever.”
Prowl seemed to think about it, shared a look with Green, and at her little head bob turned back to Skywarp.
“I don’t see why not, as long as you are careful, you can come sit over here with us. Just be gentle and let her sniff your hand first if you want to pet her.” Prowl siad.
Skywarp’s wings perked up, and he went over to take a seat and join Prowl on the ground. Gently he held out a hand for Green to sniff, and when she seemed satisfied, she booped his fingers with her little snoot. Skywarp was enamoured. Forget TC and Screamer with their dog and cat(s), Green was definitely the cutest thing ever, actually.
“Prowl, I never would have pinned you for it, but I think you might have the best taste in pets ever. Don’t tell TC I said that though.”
Prowl smiled a little and Skywarp’s spark did a funny little flip in its casing. What was that all about?
“Yes, I’ve been told I don’t seem the type to like pets, but when I first saw her, I just knew she had to come home with me. It was an impulsive decision, but probably one of the best I’ve ever made.”
Laughing happily, Skywarp gently petted Green’s back and wings, and gave her a good scratch on the wing joint when she pushed up into his exploring fingers. Who’d have thought Prowl had a soft side? Who’d have thought that Skywarp would enjoy it so much.
“I can dig that. I’ve never really had a pet, I’d probably forget to feed it or something. Hey, what are you doing waaaay out here anyway? We’re not that close to either base.” Skywarp asked. When he’d set his warp coordinates, he’d wanted to be pretty far away so that Starscream might have time to cool his thrusters before finding him.
“I just wanted to enjoy some nature, and spend time with Green, give her a chance to spread her wings. It can’t be easy, being stuck inside as often as she is.”
This was all very fascinating, and suspiciously easy, Skywarp wasn’t the paranoid one, but the weirdness of the whole encounter was starting to hit. Who knew Prowl could be friendly? It was kind of a good look on him.
“Probably, I know TC has to go out all the time, he adopted a dog you know, she needs walking super often. Dunno what he’s gonna do with her when we go back to Cybertron though, Geen might survive our atmosphere, but pretty sure Buster won’t.”
“I didn’t know Thundercracker liked animals, he didn’t strike me as the type.” Prowl looked at Skywarp thoughtfully, “Then again, I didn’t think you were the type to sit still long enough to have such a mundane conversation with a virtual stranger about his pet either. Peace talks are exposing all sorts of interesting things.”
Skywarp had to laugh again, it was so loud that it startled Green, who almost fell from her perch on Prowl’s raised knee. She gave him a disgruntled look and then clambered off of Prowl to go explore the clearing a little. Clearly she was done with them for now, since she wasn’t getting petted anymore.
“It’s true! It’s true! Hey, did you know Rumble asked Bumblebee out the other day? I didn’t know the little guy had it in him. Like, the audacity, for sure, but managing to get Bee to say yes? Absolutely not. No way, the twins are not that smooth.”
“I had heard, Jazz said it looked like they had a very good time at Blaster’s party. I think they’re planning to go out again this weekend. Something about a paintball range Hot Rod had the idea to set up after seeing the humans playing it.”
“Ooooh, yeah I heard about that. I think Deadlock was helping design it, something something, a good way for mechs to play and get out their aggression without actually hurting somebody. I think half the faction spit out their rations when they heard the deadly assassin was helping design non-lethal games. For fun.”
Times were definitely changing, and Skywarp was actually liking it quite a lot. He’d forgot how how much fun there was to be had when you were living for more than just survival.
Prowl and Skywarp talked for joors, and it was starting to get dark by the time their conversation had died down to companionable silence. It hadn’t been the kind of day he’d been expecting, but Skywarp decided he liked Prowl’s company an awful lot. Surprisingly funny, straightforward, and he didn’t talk to Skywarp like he was a total idiot either.
Now they were just sitting together quietly, watching the last of the sun fade away into full night. Green had come and gone all day, getting more pets, playing and chirping at them.
One time she’d brought them a dead squirrel very proudly and Prowl had looked incredibly cute with those wide optics and mouth open after she plopped it in his lap. It was less cute when Prowl scowled at Skywarp’s guffawing, and in retaliation tossed it into his lap. But Skywarp’d been covered in grosser things, so after a moment he just tossed it away and Green skittered after its arc to presumably eat or play with it.
“I didn’t expect this today, but your company has been very welcome, Skywarp, I’m glad we got to meet like this.”
“Same, you’re way less boring than I thought you’d be, this has been real fun! I’d totally do it again, hey, actually, we totally should, wanna check out the ocean next time? Screamer says it’ll give us a rust infection, but it’s so weird! There’s so many critters in it, I can vop us over to one no problem!”
Wait. Where was this coming from? Yeah, today was unexpectedly fun, but asking to hang out again seemed a little forward… Eh, never mind, Skywarp was a lot of things, but shy wasn’t one of them. He had a really good time today, and Prowl was more interesting than he could have predicted. Skywarp wanted to know more.
Prowl looked startled, but with a laugh — and what a laugh! — he replied, “I think I would like that, and Green too, if you’re alright with me bringing her along too. I would enjoy spending more time together.”
In for a shanix, Sywarp decided. Today’s impulses had been good, may as well push his luck a little farther.
“It’s a date then!” Skywarp said chipperly.
Prowl grinned and Skywarp felt his tanks twist, “Yes, it’s a date.”
This peace thing was turning out way better than he’d thought it would.