TITLE: Mutual Understanding
SERIES: Imperfection Deviation – Off Balance
VERSE: movie
CHARACTERS: Tony Stark (Iron Man), Scavenger, Sideswipe/Scavenger (off screen implied)
AUTHOR: Macx
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: None of the characters belong to me, sadly. They are owned by people with a lot more money :)
FEEDBACK: Loved
SUMMARY: Tony is being Tony, checking on what the heck is going on with his former email pal and an Autobot called Sideswipe



You could say a lot about one Anthony Edward Stark, eccentric industrialist billionaire, CEO of Stark Industries, one of three human Primes, but he wasn’t stupid – nor was he slow on the uptake. He was self-absorbed sometimes, he liked to pretend he was a superficial bastard, and he was responsible for all of Pepper’s gray hairs – so she claimed.

While he knew his long-time guardian – babysitter, if Tony was asked about it – Rodimus Prime inside out and felt comfortable in that knowledge, he wasn’t oblivious to others. Like Scavenger. He had exchanged emails with him for ages, had met Cyberbuilder3 in forums, had spent hours slaving over designs with the Constructicon after the mech had revealed himself – he knew him. Maybe not as well as his former combiner team mates, but he knew.

So when Scavenger started to behave differently, Tony noticed.

“You getting laid?” he asked out of the blue one day, after weeks of observation.

Scavenger’s optics flared with surprise, then he gave an electronic whirr. “Come again?”

“Are you getting some?” Tony clarified, smirking.

He had been hip deep in a new experimental device and looked the part. Grease-stained, goggles perched on his head, fire-proof gloves holding a welder. His jeans were smeared with oil and he was wearing heavy work boots. Anyone who had never seen Tony out of his suits would never recognize him.

“I know that you know that we don’t have sexual intercourse,” Scavenger answered.

“No, you share. Same difference.”

“I don’t think so.”

“It’s an exchange of energy. We humans tend to do it with liquids involved, but it’s the same exchange. And you should see the energy involved.” Tony grinned.

“We still don’t have sex. We don’t procreate by seeking a suitable mate and sharing genetic material.”

“You make it sound so dirty.” Tony pulled off his gloves. “So you don’t do it for the kids, but you do it.”

“We share, yes.”

“You get laid,” Stark insisted. “You especially got laid in the past few weeks. You’re… different.” He gave Scavenger a suggestive smile.

“How would you be able to tell?”

“Let’s call it a Prime thing.”

“I call it a Tony thing. You’re snooping.”

“It’s not hard to realize that you and Sideswipe are doing the nasty. The guy drops by more often than unwanted relatives throughout the holidays!”

Scavenger gazed long and hard at his human friend, then shrugged. “It’s no secret. Why would you want to know?”

“I’m curious.”

“I think you have a saying about that particular condition.”

Stark shrugged. “Why Sideswipe?”

“Why not?”

It got the Constructicon an eye-roll. “There are better-suited mechs. Like your old team mates.”

“How do you judge if someone is ‘better suited’?”

“Good questions. It’s just that I never figured you two would be… sharing.”

“It’s for mutual benefit.”

“I bet.” Tony smirked again.

“Why again is this interesting to you?”

Stark pulled off the goggles and put them onto the already discarded gloves. “Curious, like I said. Sideswipe’s a twin. He lost his brother. Might just be a rebound thing.”

“Might be.”

“Which you don’t mind because sharing is nothing like a bond,” Tony concluded.

“Exactly.”

“It’s for mutual benefits.”

“Yes.”

“Good mutual benefits?”

Scavenger chuckled.

Tony stretched, joints cracking. “Good for you.” He raised questioning brows.

Scavenger didn’t fall for the tease.

“Oh,” Stark laughed. “Very good for you. Which is good for you.”

“Tony, drop the subject before I do it for you,” the Constructicon warned.

“Dropping the subject was never my strong point.”

“I figured.”

Tony went over to his coffee machine and filled his mug, then took a deep swallow. “Ah, bliss.”

“You’re already over-caffeinated.”

“You’ve never seen me over-caffeinated.”

“I talked to Rodimus Prime.”

“Tattle-tale,” Tony groused, but he was smiling. And he emptied the coffee.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

When Tony went to catch up on some badly needed sleep, Scavenger felt his thoughts drift.

He had told the truth. The relationship between him and Sideswipe was casual. No strings attached. Mutual pleasure. Mutual benefit. They both came out of it feeling better and that was the reason to share. He didn’t lose any further thought about it. Sharing was normal, and while he was designated a former Decepticon, Scavenger didn’t see himself as one. He was Cybertronian, a Constructicon, and Sideswipe was a willing partner – for as long as he wanted to be.

He shut down his work station and left the lab, looking for Mixmaster. His friend had a few things planned he wanted to put through a stress test. Scavenger was looking forward to it.