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“Tell him what you said, Megatron,” Starscream says all too sweetly, the smile with which he regards his apparent mate laced with venom. “Tell him.”
“I can take it,” Megatron grits out. “I could take it. If it weren't for your incompetence—”
“Excuse me?!” Starscream launches himself from the couch, jabbing an accusatory digit at Megatron. “How is you thinking you could take it with a minimal amount of lubricant my fault, you stubborn old rusting heap of metal!”
Rung winces at the shrill tone of Starscream’s vocals. Megatron does not flinch, looking mildly apologetic as Starscream’s accusation apparently hits the nail right on the head. He pauses from where he takes notes on a datapad, righting his goggles as he casts the bickering pair an understanding look.
“Please settle down,” Rung implores, hands folded and a warm smile blossoming on his lips. “It is important that either of you is given equal amounts of time to air your grievances.” That said, Rung turns to the bristling seeker. “Starscream, did you proceed after that?”
“Yes.” Starscream sits back down on the shared couch with Megatron. They each occupy one end of it as if coming any closer to their partner put them at risk of disease. Starscream’s wings tense and he clamps his jaw shut. Rung jots down the telltale signs of clear discomfort and a degree of guilt that Starscream’s frame conveys for him. Though he danced around his emotions ever since he set pede in this room, Rung learned from his brief discussions with Ratchet that the best approach to Starscream’s turmoil is through his body language.
Rung dares to prod. “Why?”
“He asked for it. Demanded it! It’s not my fault he’s so slagging incompetent !” Starscream’s expression twists back to ire. Megatron clenches and unclenches his fist in barely-contained rage. Rung notes this as well. Perhaps he may physically restrain himself here, but there is a notable difference between physical and mental restraint. Whether or not Megatron practices both in equal amounts, is yet to be revealed.
Rung continues. He looks over at Megatron, steepled digits pressed to his chin. “Did Starscream warn you beforehand?”
“Yes,” Megatron grits out. He shifts, and from his body language alone, Rung deciphers his guilt easily. But Rung is not here to guilt either Megatron or Starscream, instead acting as the neutral party and offering words of well-intended advice. Whether they take it or not is entirely up to them.
“Did he goad you?”
“No.”
“Belittle you?”
“Barely.”
Rung quirks an eyebrow. “Barely?” He asks. Apparently in unison with Starscream, who only mouths the word in disbelief at his…
What were they again? Rung looks over his notes.
Conjunx.
“Barely.” Megatron does not elaborate. For someone so potent with the art of poetry, Megatron certainly has a much harder time when it comes to personal matters.
Rung refrains from sighing. He turns to Starscream instead. “What do you think you said that could be interpreted as belittling?”
Starscream’s wings flare up, standing high and threatening. The gesture makes Starscream look taller, a tactic of intimidation that is completely lost on Rung. The seeker slumps when he realizes this and deigns to answer. “I said that he was probably too stupid to even consider health. That he never did in the first place, so of course he wouldn’t there. At least it wasn’t my problem this time. Why should I care that the stupid tin can is clearly so eager to hurt himself?!”
“Starscream--” Megatron begins in a growl.
Rung quickly cuts him off. “Please, Megatron. Let your partner air his grievances so we can figure out a way to work them through. Together.” He urges, emphasizing the last part.
“Yes, Megatron, communication is important, but you so clearly lack the capacity to,” Starscream snipes. He jabs at Rung with a taloned thumb. “Listen to the professional.” He could not have been more sarcastic with his delivery even if he tried.
Rung does sigh then. “Starscream, please. Communication is a two-way street. The language that you use and your tone for it might have a negative effect on Megatron,” he says, looking at the aforementioned mech. “Does it?”
Megatron bows his helm in what Rung again recognizes as shame. Megatron’s insecurities run deeper than just his past mistakes.
“Well?” Starscream snaps at him, impatiently tapping at his own arm. “Out with it. Am I too mean for you to handle, huh?”
“Starscream, if you were, I wouldn’t have had the time for you,” Megatron says, taking on a tone that is almost unmistakably fond. He sits to his full height, squaring his shoulders. “No. You are never too much for me. Nor have you ever been.”
Starscream’s wings ease from their tense stance. The seeker cycles through a myriad of expressions from scorn to confusion, his optical ridges creasing deeper the more he processes the implications of what Megatron said. Rung says nothing: this is something Starscream needs to respond to rather than him.
But when Starscream looks at Rung for help, the therapist feels inclined to speak up. “How does that make you feel, Starscream?”
“What kind of question is that?! !” Starscream’s offense is almost comical. Megatron seems to share this sentiment, the corners of his mouth twitching upward into a telling smile.
“One I would like an answer to, myself,” Megatron says, daring to move closer to the irritable seeker sat so far from him. Starscream regards him with caution but does not tell him to back off. “Am I too much for you, Starscream?”
Starscream appears to consider it. He taps a talon against his chin and furrows his optical-ridges in thought, refusing to look at either Rung or Megatron when he answers. “Yes,” he says. It is so soft that Rung has to up the sensitivity on his audial receptors to catch it. “Yes, Megatron, sometimes you are too much for me. Satisfied?” Starscream looks at Rung and huffs out a question, crossing his arms.
“Thank you for your honesty.” Rung’s smile is only partially to placate Starscream. “Megatron--”
“Quiet, Rang, I wasn’t finished,” Starscream cuts in before Rung has the chance to ask Megatron how it makes him feel. He concedes, nodding for Starscream to carry on.
Starscream draws an exvent and turns to look at Megatron, who has since shuffled several feet closer to the seeker. “I don’t... dislike that,” he mutters. “There. Finished. Now you can talk.”
From the way Megatron visibly perks up, Rung has grounds to think that as minimal of a confession that seems, when uttered by Starscream, it is a declaration of his love. Megatron quickly schools his expression but the strain that accentuated the worn creases in his facial armor is gone.
“Thank you,” Rung says. “That is a good start. Small steps.”
Megatron makes a gesture at him that he recognizes too late as being one of warning. Too late, because his vision is blocked by a wing when Starscream decides to get all up in his face and the accusatory index finger presses against Rung’s chest plating this time around. He doesn’t hesitate to meet Starscream’s gaze and neither does he flinch at the sheer intensity of Starscream’s ruby optics.
“Please, if something is the matter…” Rung tries to gesture for Starscream to sit back down.
Starscream does not. He narrows his optics at Rung. “I poured my spark out. Small steps?! This was a mistake. You are a waste of my shanix and time!”
“Whose shanix, Starscream?” Megatron says pointedly. Starscream spins on his heel faster than Rung had ever thought possible and he approaches Megatron with broad strides.
“This was your idea,” Starscream hisses at Megatron, who remains both seated and unimpressed in the face of Starscream’s wrath. “I did not come here to be belittled and have to explain my actions when it was your fault in the first place! This farce isn’t helping!”
“Oh, on the contrary, I think it is helping to illustrate your faults plenty,” Megatron deadpans.
“ My faults?!” Starscream’s voice raises to an unnaturally high pitch and he looks mere kliks away from shooting Megatron in the face. “Your fault is going to be failing to apologize properly. You should grovel at my pedes for your mistakes! Plural! ”
Megatron doesn’t wince. Rung has to give him some credits for that. He tries to intervene, “Please, Starscream, settle down. Perhaps you could explain these mistakes you think Megatron should… apologize for?”
Somehow, being invited to vent about Megatron’s apparent wrongdoings works to placate Starscream’s temper. “Take a seat. We will listen to you.”
Starscream does. He fixes his posture and smiles nastily. “He snores, Ring.”
“Rung,” Megatron corrects for him. Gratitude surges through Rung’s circuits.
Starscream dismissively waves a servo at him. “Whatever,” he says. “Megatron snores. Loudly. Sometimes he drools. Or groans. He can’t keep to his own side of the berth either. He just has to insist on crushing me with his clumsy frame.”
“Cuddling. Have you absolutely no concept of basic affection?” Megatron grumbles, earning him a glare.
“My point is, I put up with a lot,” Starscream continues. “So if we make these sessions about correcting Megatron’s behavioral problems, I’m sure I’ll be happy to keep paying you.”
Rung looks at Megatron. Megatron looks at Starscream, looks at the way the seeker stretches out and shifts closer to where Megatron sits, his wings fluttering in an attempt to-- well, Rung can only guess he’s distracting Megatron, as that is clearly the effect has on him.
Unfortunately for Starscream, Megatron quickly realizes his play and seizes his wing in a servo. He drags Starscream over to his side, skillfully dodging the appendages as they furiously flap at him. He stands up with Starscream’s wings in his grasp and when he shuffles to the doors, Starscream shrieking and trying to swipe at him, Rung is relieved to see that their time has expired.
“Perhaps until next time,” Megatron says, barely audible over the curses Starscream is spitting at him.
Rung conjures up a smile, genuine despite it all. “This has been… enlightening. I hope you consider the offer. My doors are always open for those who need me.”
Megatron gives a curt nod. “ Enlightening is one way to put it, ” He mutters, and the pair make their exit, every bit as grandiose as their reputation suggests.