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Inside the walls of the Autobot base, Starscream resided in his private sector, training with the star saber. He attempted to concentrate with narrowed optics and a firm grasp on the hilt of the powerful weapon. The sword glowed as he swung it, using his frame to balance himself correctly. With the proper stance, he nearly felt at one with the blade.
“Steady….”
Another strong movement.
‘Focus…”
And then, quite suddenly, the image of a certain woman emerged from the depths of his processor. The woman smiled, her green eyes flickering and her glasses twinkling in the sunlight. Starscream squeaked a little before frowning and releasing himself from his fighting stance. He huffed, watching as the mini-cons transformed to the floor. They beeped at him, curiously tilting their tiny helms at him.
“That’s enough training for today.”
Puzzled, they beeped again. Starscream smiled, endeared by their concern.
“I’m fine! No need to worry. Why not take a relaxing energy bath? You’ve earned it!”
With that, the mech made his leave, pretending not to hear their beeps behind him.
Starscream marched out of his quarters and into the main room of the base. Monitors buzzed and computers whined. In the distance, his gaze fluttered to Celeste. She worked at a nearby desk, conversing with Red Alert and the mini-cons. Before she could notice him, however, Starscream then overheard the human children walking near him.
“Hey, so, uh, Alexis, did you ask anyone to be your valentine yet?”
“You wish! Besides, even if I did, it’s none of your business!”
“Come on, Rad, you know how she plays hard to get!”
“What’s that supposed to mean, Carlos?”
Starscream paused, reflecting on their words. He blinked a few times, his wings giving a little twitch.
“Valentine?”
Apparently, he was too loud. Alexis stopped in her tracks and turned towards him.
“Oh, you don’t know what that is, do you?”
Next to her, Rad spoke, intrigued by the jet’s confusion.
“Well, basically, Valentine's Day is a day about love and showing appreciation for someone you care about.”
Starscream was unable to keep himself from feeling the slightest bit awkward, his spark pulsing at the thought of someone dear to him nearby.
“L…Love?”
Carlos folded his arms behind his head.
“Yeah, man, it’s too mushy for me.”
Still, the winged mech turned his helm slightly, catching the glimpses of red in Celeste’s hair.
“And...what is…asking someone to be your Valentine?”
Alexis smiled at him.
“When you ask someone to be your Valentine, you’re asking them to be your special partner during the holiday!”
Rad nodded.
“And don’t forget about the gift-giving!”
Starscream gawked, lowering himself to their level.
“What? Gifts?”
Evidently, there were more human customs than he initially realized.
Carlos laughed.
“Come on, man, do you seriously not know?”
Starscream gritted his denta, trying to act aloof but failing miserably. Noticing his shift in expressions, Alexis cocked her head at him.
“Is there…someone you want to ask to be your Valentine, Starscream?”
He huffed, now standing from the three.
“No! Of course not. I have much better things to do than gift-giving on Valentine’s Day.”
From the corner of his optics, his gaze wavered to Celeste. She talked with Red Alert, flipping through the stack of papers on her desk. For a moment, he wondered how she would react to a gift of his own.
But what would she enjoy?
He glanced back at the children.
“But…when is Valentine’s Day?”
Days passed. After a week of tireless preparation, eyeing Celeste, and communicating with Alexis, Valentine’s Day finally arrived.
Starscream and Celeste traveled through a warp gate to their desired destination. It was a meadow, filled with swaying flowers, dazzling sunlight, and gentle breezes. Starscream chose the environment on purpose, recalling how Alexis stated that Celeste adored flora and fauna.
The woman sprinted in front of Starscream, the hem of her dress flowing as she twirled within the field of colorful flowers.
“Starscream! Do you remember this place? It’s the meadow where we first met! Gosh, I remember it like it was yesterday! You wanted Short Circuit so badly, and I was…”
He remained motionless, waiting for her to relax. When she turned back to him, he lowered himself and stretched a palm out to her. Inside, there was a bouquet of red roses.
Celeste went quiet at the sight.
“Huh?”
Swallowing his nerves, Starscream spoke.
“Celeste…I…am not familiar with human customs or holidays, but I want to give this to you.”
Her silence worried him briefly, but he carried on, his words merging with the beat of his spark.
“Will you…be My Valentine?”
At first, there was nothing. Celeste’s eyes, vibrant and luminous, gazed deeply into his own. And then, much to his dismay, she began to cry. Panicked, Starscream released a sound of surprise before pulling his servo away a little.
“Oh, no! Please! Don't cry! Did I do something wrong?”
And then, abruptly, Celeste leaned forward and pressed a kiss to one of his digits. Starscream squeaked as she held onto the bouquet. A smile bloomed across her face like the flowers she adored so much.
“Always, Starscream. I’ll always be yours.”
The mech blushed, hard and fast, completely at loss for words.
Carefully, Celeste set the bouquet below her and rummaged through the bags she brought with her into the meadow.
“I actually…wanted to ask you the same thing!”
From her bag, she retrieved a most peculiar item. With narrowed optics, Starscream recognized tiny images of himself in varying poses and expressions. There were pictures of him flying, sword training, and even laughing. He tilted his helm, remembering that all the pictures were taken with his permission. On top of the small board, there was also his name in the form of perfect calligraphy, another hobby of hers.
A reward? A gift? For him?
“What is it?”
Celeste chuckled.
“A photo collage! Filled with pictures of you!” Her voice softened as she held the present out for him. “I know it isn’t much, but I…really appreciate you, Starscream.”
His blush burned deeper and brighter than before, his spark humming and thrumming within his chest. But after a pause, he gathered himself, feeling more at ease than he ever felt in his life.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Starscream.”
He smiled, gently cradling the board in his servo.
“Yes. Happy Valentine’s Day, Celeste.”
After setting both of their gifts beside them, Starscream held Celeste close in his giant palm. When he lifted her to his faceplate, her lips brushed against his cheek, setting it ablaze once again.