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He listened closely to the sounds of his friend cleaning himself in their washroom, waiting for the perfect moment to make his move. With a giddy smirk, he walked over to the small table by their energon dispenser. On the table, tucked against the wall, sat a small glass box with a layer of scrap metal in the bottom. Orion reached over the table to slide the box over to himself, peering inside before carefully removing the lid. He heard the sound of the washrack shutting off and dipped his servos into the box.
Sitting on top of the scrap was a little technobug with a long, thin frame lined with even longer and thinner legs. It was a freak of nature, but Orion simply adored it.
He nudged it onto his palm, its skittering legs tickling his plating and sending a shiver up his spinal strut. He quickly covered it with his servo to trap it, then padded over to D-16’s berth, giggling to himself the whole way. He slid his servos under the metal mesh sheet and slowly opened them to deposit his pet, careful not to send it running. Once his prank was set, Orion returned to the table and put the box back where it was. Then, he shook the grin off his face and waited.
D-16 stepped out of the washroom, the sound of his hydraulics hissing as he stretched out his arms and back. The lights above flickered in a subtle reminder of their quarters’ proximity to their workplace. His optics narrowed as he caught the faint sound of rustling metal mesh. He approached his berth with caution, his servo hovering over the sheet. He paused, glancing over at Orion to see him sitting at the table with a datapad.
Finally, with a deep vent, he ripped the sheet back in one swift motion. He yelped and stumbled back as a multi-legged abomination scurried across his berth to escape the perceived threat.
Orion burst out laughing as he watched D-16's dramatic reaction from his seat at the table.
"You're so easy to spook, D!" He snickered. "Come on, it's just a little bug. It's not gonna hurt you."
The technobug paused in its escape on the corner of the berth, analyzing the situation.
"’Easy to spook?’ That thing is a walking nightmare!" He pointed an accusing finger at the technobug. "It's your problem, not mine. You deal with it."
He chuckled, but walked over to the bug and gently guided it back onto his palm. “It’s not a problem. It hardly even needs energon, it’s so tiny!”
He gave D a sly look and began to slowly walk towards him, holding out his servo with the bug in it. D-16 took a step back for each step Orion took forward, his gaze locked on the creeping creature.
"Orion, I swear, if you come any closer, I'll..." His voice trailed off as he glanced around the room, searching for a place to escape or an object to serve as a barrier.
“You’ll what?” He asked, snickering as he moved closer. “Come on, D. It’s harmless! Just pet it.”
D-16 couldn't help but smile at Orion's relentlessness. He sidestepped, dragging a chair between them.
"I'll just watch you and your little... pet," he said, emphasizing the word with a hint of amusement, "from over here."
He remained persistent, slowly chasing his friend around the chair.
“Pet the bug, D!” He taunted playfully.
"Orion, you know I can't stand those things!" He exclaimed, amusement bleeding into his voice.
Despite his protests, D-16’s movements grew more playful as he evaded the outstretched servo with the technobug. The creature itself just sat there, content in Orion's gentle hold between his palm and thumb.
"But why? It's so cute!" Orion protested, holding his pet up for D-16 to see. "Look, it doesn't even bite!"
D-16 rolled his optics. "Cuteness is subjective, Pax."
Seeing that D-16 wasn't going to budge, Orion's grin faded into a friendly smile.
"Alright, alright," he said, raising his servo in mock surrender. "If you won't pet it, I guess I'll just have to keep it all to myself."
With a chuckle, he turned away from his friend and padded back over to the table. He carefully placed the technobug back into its glass box, watching as it immediately began to explore its confined space.
Relief washed over D-16 as he watched the technobug disappear into its scrap metal substrate. He leaned against the chair, a soft chuckle escaping his vocal processors.
"As much as I don’t like technobugs," he said, his tone lightening, "it is kind of entertaining watching you try to win me over."
"Oh, I'll get you to hold it one day, D," Orion said with absolute certainty, his blue optics brightening with mischievousness as he turned back to face the silver mech. "It's just a matter of time. And when you do, you'll see how amazing they really are."
“Is that a threat?”
Orion shook his helm. “Nah. It’s a promise!”