“Hysteria, do you copy?” Optimus Primal spoke into the comm link.  Yet again, he only received static in response.  He sighed, defeated.  “Slag.  This incoming storm seems to be causing interference.”

Clouds had darkened the sky.  It was anticipated to be a bad one, and he didn’t want one of his own stranded out in it.  That Hysteria….  She was known to be solitary, but she was unlike Tigatron and Airazor, who both tended to stay away from base and live off the land.  Though Primal believed she was capable of holding her own, there was always the concern that she would end up in Predacon clutches again.

“Fine,” proclaimed Dinobot, looking stoically into the distance.  “I suppose I will go fetch her.”

Primal merely looked at Dinobot.  The former Predacon had been acting peculiar lately, more so than usual.  He was leaning towards the notion that perhaps Dinobot’s relationship with their new cohort had taken a more… intimate turn.  Dinobot’s shift in behavior began around the time her stasis pod was discovered and only became more prominent after she joined the Maximals.  While it was no secret that Dinobot cared deeply for Hysteria, especially after everything that had happened, the former Predacon continued to vehemently deny there was anything beyond warrior’s camaraderie between them.  It didn’t help that Hysteria was a known jokester, and when she was asked about her bond with Dinobot, she never gave a serious answer.

The two worked well together, which is why Primal tended to team them up, which in hindsight may have helped foster their already budding romance.  While he hoped the two weren’t shirking their duties to make the beast mode with two backs, Primal was glad that Dinobot finally found someone on the team to be amiable towards.  Despite popular belief, he wasn’t against romance amongst the crew.  War was bad enough.  He firmly believed that having something worth fighting for at least made it worth it.  If they didn’t want their business known, he’d turn a blind optic to whatever was going on between them.

As Dinobot headed to the elevator, Cheetor joined him.  “I’ll go with!”

“No.”

Cheetor tensed up at Dinobot’s terse response, causing the raptor mech to clear his throat.  

“It would be… unwise to send the whole crew out in the midst of a tempest,” Dinobot clarified.  “I believe I am most familiar with where Hysteria seeks sanctuary.  It will take mere cycles for me to retrieve her.”

The cat bot glanced over at Optimus, who shrugged.  He had a feeling it wouldn’t be ‘mere cycles’ before the two were back.  If they wanted some alone time, they could have it.

“Yeah, and what makes you so familiar, lizard lips?” Rattrap smugly asked.  “Got somethin’ to share with the class?”

Dinobot glanced over his shoulder at the rat and smirked.  “It is not my place to divulge in the lady’s secrets, vermin.  Ask her yourself, if you must.”

“All right,” Primal said, having heard enough.  “Just be on your guard, Dinobot.  I’d like to have the two of you back in one piece.”

Snickering from Rattrap had Optimus rethinking that last statement.  “Er… so to speak…”

A mere grunt in response came from Dinobot before he transformed and descended out of the Axalon.

“Sooo…” Rattrap said when the raptor was out of earshot. “You think they’re—”

“Oh, absolutely,” laughed Rhinox before the other could even finish his thought.

Primal frowned.  “That’s enough, you two,” he said, though he agreed with the others.  Dinobot all but confirmed they were absolutely fragging, but he would rather not think about it.  As long as they weren’t doing it on base where he would hear or see it, he was content.

While Rattrap scoffed and shook his head, Cheetor tilted his.

“Think they’re what?” the cat asked.

This naivety caused Rattrap to snicker more.  “Tell ya when you’re older, kid.”

“Oh, c’mon!”

Outside of the Axalon, the mid-afternoon sky had grown dark.  The air had cooled considerably.  After a brief look up at the grey clouds, Dinobot exhaled before heading off in the direction of the mountain in the distance.  Like he had said earlier, he knew exactly where Hysteria could be found.  While on patrol days ago, she discovered a cave system nearby that led into the mountainside.  She’d mentioned this discovery off-hand just the night before, claiming that it would be the perfect place if someone wanted to have a private rendezvous.

It would not be ‘mere cycles’ before he returned, he decided as he felt the droplets of rain that fell on his scales increase in volume.  Traveling in this storm would be asinine, especially if it involved abandoning a perfectly sound shelter.  No, the wisest course of action would be to stay put and ride the storm out… and he had a feeling the lady would have no qualms with that plan.  His body surged with energy, spark working overtime at the mere thought of her.

Truly, in spite of his best efforts, he had succumbed to the Maximal curse of growing soft.  In all his eons, never before had he found himself at the mercy of anyone in the way he surrendered to her.  The femme was not a warrior by creation, and yet, she alone possessed the strength to render him defenseless in those precious few cycles of solitude.  She alone held the power that transformed him into a mech he did not recognize.  The savage, snarling war machine all knew and loathed as Dinobot faded from existence during the brief moments when he was in her embrace.  In the fighter’s place stood a lover, a hopeless romantic with all the honor of the warrior yet none of the brutality that often accompanied it.  A chivalrous knight who found no greater pleasure than to serve his fair maiden with hopeless devotion.

As the storm closed in overhead, Dinobot slowed his stride and approached the edge of a river.  The waterfall before him had to be the one she described to him the evening prior.  While he grimaced at the thought of stepping through that wall of water, the bottom dropped out and rain began to pour in sheets around him, ridding him of his dilemma over getting unpleasantly soaked.  He growled before ducking through the cascading water, entering the mouth of the cave it concealed.

With a huff, the raptor shook himself dry.  He then scanned the area, padding further into the cave with caution when he saw no signs of life.  Though there was but one thing on his mind, he wouldn’t allow that to cloud his judgement and leave him vulnerable to ambush.  As he ventured deeper, there was no light save for the familiar pair of glowing, animalistic optics he eventually caught staring back at him.

“Hysteria…” Dinobot growled. 

“Dinobot,” she responded.  “Finally come to join me?”

“I suppose you can say that.”

The fluff of her fur tickled as she rubbed her face against his leg.  Her touch always caused strange reactions in his organic form.  His tail that hung low swayed against the rocky earth beneath while the lids of his eyes slowly shut, and he was never as gentle as when he scratched the top of her head with his beast mode’s deadly claws.  After a content purr, he felt her pull away.

“C’mon.  Follow me.”

The hyena turned from him, guiding him into the depths of the cave.  As the rumbling of thunder echoed through the walls of the cave, the faint sound of moving water ahead increased in volume.  The darkness began to thin and they soon neared a large stalagmite.  Though the light that poured into this area was dim from the storm, it was enough for him to see they were truly alone.

“How do you like it?” she asked, stopping near a small body of water inside the cave.  “Cozy, huh?”

“If you insist,” he responded.  His teasing tone betrayed his indifferent reply.  “Though I will say, it is far more pleasant than being corralled in that ship.”

“And the best part is that the energon levels are low enough in here we don’t have to worry about staying in beast mode!  Hysteria, maximize…”

With this, she transformed to prove her claim to him.  His optics couldn’t help but wander down her sleek curves.  Seeing her in this form encouraged him to join her.  He shifted out of his organic disguise.  That familiar throb in his spark grew prominent as he towered over her small frame.

“Primal was getting worried,” mumbled Dinobot as she stepped closer to him. 

“Primal, hm?” Hysteria giggled, placing a hand on his chest.  “How about you?  Were you worried?”

Dinobot gave a grunt of amusement before speaking.

“Not particularly,” he whispered as his arms coiled around her waist.  “I have no reason to worry about you.”

“No?” she asked, tilting her helm to the side.  She wore that playful look of hers that always fueled his descent into madness.  “Why is that?”

“Because, fair Hysteria,” he began, his voice lowering to a soft rumble.  One claw graced beneath her chin to tilt it up.  “There is little more dangerous than a femme as beautiful as you.  Even the most ferocious of predators are naught but prey to your wiles.”

“I think they learned I’m more trouble than I’m worth.”

“You are precisely the right amount of trouble, for what it’s worth.”

The flare of her optics glowing brighter was not lost on him.  In these moments, his pursuit of glory was not abandoned, only shifted.  The triumph of knowing these silly emotions were mutual rivaled all his accomplishments in battle.  His servos eased down her spinal strut, drawing her in.  She didn’t mind his touch one bit and rested her helm against his broad chest while the storm outside grew louder.   His touch then roamed along her sides as he guided her back against the wall of the cave.  With her pinned beneath him, he pressed himself against her, craning his neck to meet her gaze as those claws of his raked through the fur that lined her armor.

“Oh,” she giggled.  “Eager today, aren’t we?”

“Always for you, my love,” he breathed.  He leaned down slightly, tightening his embrace so he could lift her enough to properly kiss her. Between the distant thunder and the serene trickle of water, it seemed as though time itself slowed.  The unfamiliar planet surrounding them was forgotten. Hysteria reached between their bodies; her servos brushed across the scaled hide covering the front of his armor, finding the sweet spot on either side where the organic material met metal.  A low growl followed as she teased the manual latches of his chest plate.

“Proceed,” Dinobot softly said.  Both knew it was more of a plea than a command. 

She hummed as her digits danced along his sides, teasing him a bit more.

“Only if you ask nicely.”

An embarrassed huff escaped him, and he averted his optics to escape her playful gaze.

“Please proceed,” he murmured, vaguely aware of how desperate his tone sounded yet unwilling to allow himself to experience true shame in it.

No sooner than he vocalized this did he hear the soft clicks of unlatching on either side of his chest.  She then reached up, servos smoothing over his shoulders until she located the other two, deftly unlatching both of them.  She then took the liberty of removing the plate and lowering it to rest against the cavern wall at her side. 

Hysteria reached for the panel that protected Dinobot’s spark, brushing over the oft-concealed Predacon sigil forever engraved onto the surface.  It was warm to the touch, the heat of the lifeforce behind it emanating from within.  He felt a soft tap before her optics flicked up at him, and he knew what she was asking of him.  With a hiss, the panels retracted, and a soft hum of energy filled the cave as he bared his very essence to her.  He watched as her servo dipped into the chamber inside his chest to trace his spark.  A shiver claimed him at her touch— feather light, yet enough to send a sensation to all his circuits.  He wondered if she was aware of how much stronger it pulsed under her caress.

Though a million thoughts flooded his processor, not a single one was uttered.  He knew if he attempted to speak, he’d only form garbled static.  Despite having done this with her many times over the course of their relationship at this point, intimacy like this was still foreign to him.  He had never been one to bear his spark to any, neither metaphorically nor literally, and he was certain he’d never grow accustomed to the thrill of allowing her to hold his very life in the palm of her servo.

Not too long ago, he’d scoff at the idea of such a moment of vulnerability.  No proud warrior would willingly put himself in a position where his spark could be extinguished on a whim.  It was a fragile thing, and even she could crush it in those delicate servos of hers should the mood strike.  Such was a testament of his trust in her.  Oh, how the mighty have fallen in love.

When Dinobot’s optics caught Hysteria’s again, he kept her gaze as he dragged a claw up the curve of her waist.  It hooked the latch of her own plate and flicked it open.  The motion was repeated on the other side.  Claws then found the seam of her armor to pry the plate free.  It felt into her waiting servos and she dropped it to the side without breaking contact with him.  A similar hiss was heard as she retracted the panels of her own spark chamber without being prompted.  His focus was the first to waver, as he glanced down to catch a glimpse at her own spark.

The first time he saw it, he was impressed by how it shone.  So bright, so full of light and life.  He swore the warmth radiating from it would melt his circuitry. It served as a reminder that she had not lived as long as he.  Her spark had not yet had the opportunity to be dulled by vorns of conflict.  Dinobot could admit that he felt something akin to sorrow at the fact that she found herself forced to participate in this seemingly never-ending conflict with the Predacons.  Though honored to fight by her side, he couldn’t help but believe that in another life, perhaps even a warrior like himself would have liked to live with her during a period of peace.

The feel of her arms around his neck once more guided him back to the present.  His arms found their rightful place back around her waist, drawing her in to him again.  Once in proximity with one another, the heat between their sparks grew until the two connected with one another.  He buried his face in her neck as their sparks united.  The pleasurable buzz that coursed through him had him pulling her closer to chase that sensation.  When he heard her soft, staticky moan, he felt as though he’d been electrified by the lightning that crackled outside the cave.  He grunted her name as he squeezed her tighter, his circuits beginning to seize from the imminent overload.  In the back of his processor, he couldn’t help but foolishly believe that the shock of interfacing with her was so intense that they both would fry… and only grew more intense when her mouth found his again.

Dinobot’s optics temporarily shorted out as he let the sensations wash over him.  His hands moved to cup her face as she kissed him more deeply.  His memory went blank when he gave in to the kiss, pushing forward against her, pinning her against the rocky wall with every ounce of strength left in him.  His senses were overwhelmed.  The swelling feeling in his chest sent jolts of electricity down his spinal strut and straight to his core.

In that instant, Dinobot was one with Hysteria.  Their sparks had merged; their connection had exceeded the physical plane.  All around them faded into insignificance as their energies intermingled.  There was no storm, no war, no Maximals nor Predacons… Just their bond.  He felt their spark surge, and he snarled against her mouth with a rough kiss as it shot through their systems, filling them with a critical with a rush of energy that sent them both into a white-out overload.

After the pulses of climax had faded, their sparks began to separate, breaking the link between them as they weakened to their natural state.  Dinobot pushed himself off of Hysteria with one shaky servo against the rock.  The other held onto her waist to ensure she would not fall without his support should this act have left her as weak as it did him.  His intakes kicked on when the panels of his spark chamber shut, chest heaving while they whirred as he stared down at her.  If he did not hear her own internal fans, he may have assumed she had slipped into recharge or stasis lock.  The scowl that at times seemed eternally etched onto his face was nowhere in sight, replaced with a soft, satisfied smirk.  He leaned down once more, pressing a chaste kiss upon her cheek before straightening up.  The tenderness from him had her optics flickering on and she returned his fond look.  He picked her chest plate off the ground and took the liberty of reattaching it for her, earning him a grateful smile before he turned away to find his own.

"The storm does not seem like it will be ceasing any time soon," Dinobot noted as he fastened his chest plate back into place.   “Wandering out in it is a fool’s errand.”

"Well, might as well get comfortable," Hysteria said. 

No sooner than these words left her mouth did she transform back into beast mode.  She lowered herself to the ground, with all four of her legs folded beneath her before letting her head rest on the ground as well.  Dinobot couldn’t help but shake his helm.  While he was not one for referring to things as “cute,” it was amusing to see that peculiar beast mode of hers resemble a loaf.  If he did not know of her true ferocity, he may be tricked into believing she was nothing more than a house pet.

After a moment, one of her eyes cracked open to look at him.

“You’re welcome to join me, you know.”

When this began, Dinobot may have been reluctant to do something so foolish as cuddle with anyone.  However, love has a habit of making a sentimental fool out of the shrewdest of mechs.  He transformed without protest, then walked over to where she lay.  The raptor curled around the hyena, and used his tail to push her body closer to his.  She cozied up against him, and he let out a low, pleased rumble in return and nestled his snout into the fur of her neck.

“I told Primal I’d have you back in mere cycles,” he mumbled as he rested his head against her. 

A soft huff of a laugh was her initial response before she asked, “Do you think he was expecting us back?”

“He did not appear convinced, no,” Dinobot confessed.  “I suspect what we do in secret is no true secret, my lady.”

Her lover’s words caused Hysteria to cackle and roll back against him.  “Let me guess… Rattrap said something?”

His nostrils flared from the amused exhale he produced. 

“I’m certain he envies my fortune…”   With the way his face lay on her, he could feel the grin that spread after he spoke this.  “I, too, would be envious if you were not mine.”

“Oh, c’mon.  You and I both know you wouldn’t settle for being envious,” she said.  “You’d challenge any other suitor in hand-to-hand mortal combat.”

“I wouldn’t merely challenge them, my love.  I would challenge them and win,” he replied.  “By any means necessary, I’d ensure I came out victorious.”

Hysteria giggled softly at that, and Dinobot took it as permission to press his nose to the fur of her throat— a small gesture, but a romantic one nonetheless.  It earned him a swipe of her tongue across his cheek.

“I love you,” she said, resting her head against his.  “You know that, right?”

“There is nothing in this universe of which I am more certain,” he said.  “Save for how much I love you in return.”

The two held that position for what felt like the remainder of the afternoon, basking in the glow of their shared affection until the storm outside began to quiet.  The sounds of the wind and the thunder were no more.  A pensive sigh escaped him.

“I suppose we should return,” he grumbled, though he made no effort to move.  “Before another is sent in search of us and your… cozy little hiding place is discovered.”

“Yeah,” she said with a sigh.  “Or before you do.”

Dinobot lifted his head, pausing to rub his cheek against hers before uncurling and rising to his feet.  He looked down at Hysteria, who sat up on her haunches and stretched her limbs.

“Ready?” she asked.

“No,” he replied.  “Though I’m aware I have little choice in the matter.”

“Aww…  Don’t pout, Dinoboo.”

She rubbed her cheek against his leg, earning an irritated, but lighthearted growl from him. 

“I am not pouting.”

“Well, don’t brood then.”

“I’m not—” he began, but then sighed, knowing her accusation was true.  “Very well.  Let us go.”

Together, the two wandered out of the cave, then trudged through the wet terrain back to base.  The sun had long since set by the time the two made it to the Axalon.  After transforming at the entrance, the two boarded the ship as quietly as possible, but the second they arrived inside, they were greeted with a snicker.

“‘Mere cycles,’ eh?” said Rattrap.  “You two get lost, or just lost in each other’s optics?”

Dinobot growled before storming off, leaving an amused Hysteria alone with their snarky crew mate.  He threw an arm over her shoulder.

“So, you twos, uh…”  He sniffed.  “Y'know...?  He told me to ask you.”

Hysteria cackled, shaking her helm as she brushed Rattrap's servo off her shoulder. 

“Sure he did,” she said.  "Why don't you just scurry along while he's in a good mood?”

“Sheesh, you’re just as bad as him.”