[If anyone was interested, this is the general direction this story was going to go, and how I was going to try to wrap things up in a sort of finale.
I'm sad I never got to explore these places, they would have been soo fun. I just don’t have the strength, energy, time, or focus to coordinate it anymore. It’s a lot of work, especially the collaborative process, which allows things to evolve into even better storytelling. It’s seriously been so fun to use this medium to paint this longform story out.
But I thought I'd at least share here as sort of a love letter to all the passion that was put into this fan project for so many years <3
!! tw: past captivity, trauma, dissociation, mindbreak, torture, psychic torture, drug addiction, alcoholism, violence, PTSD, identity issues, clones, mind alteration, suicidality, sexual assault, sexual trauma, sexual coercion, attempted murder, mercy killing
-0-0-
Wheeljack was going to crumble under the strain of everything. Slendy leaving, Incubus constantly in his head, knowing Ratchet and Ultra Magnus were still alive in his timeline. Not being able to tell what was real and what was happening in his mindscape. What's a memory or what's present. Drugs and high grade helped somewhat to lessen the mind attacks, or at least numb him to their pain. Even Incubus would get tired of Wheeljack being constantly strung out. Harder to torture and manipulate a guy who's always wasted and horny.
But more nights out at bars and clubs means more trouble. He was going to be arrested two more times for starting fights, and after the second time, boy was gonna get given the choice of either jail or rehab. Unable to tell anyone other than his closest bots what he was trying to stop hurting, the Enforcers would think he was just having a mental breakdown. He'd struggle with the detox process and Incubus would have him in his claws again.
He's Wheeljack, of course, so he would break out and be found yelling at no one in the desert or something. Rehab is almost worse to him than captivity with the ‘Cons was.
Eventually, he’d stabilize. It would’ve taken months but he’d finally start actually talking to his mandated psychologist. He wouldn’t be able to tell them everything, but he’d at least tell them things only Slendy knew. Things he only knew after the memories were uncovered by the psychic spy. His many months of captivity were day after day of isolation, experimentation, torture, and eventually, sexual assault by a few different bots in different contexts. Shockwave did it as part of his experiments. Megatron only did it to prove a point, but Starscream’s coercion was sneakier.
Wheeljack hadn’t remembered it at all until it bubbled to the surface, but he’d willingly complied with Starsream, if only because he thought he was going to die in captivity anyway and he was clinging to whatever he had to cope. And he’d never admit it, not even to the shrink, but Starscream was a damn good frag. It was before he and Bee were in a relationship, before they’d ever even kissed, but the guilt would’ve been terrible. He would’ve struggled to decide when and how to tell his partner.
After doing well enough in rehab, he’d finally be able to go home, on the condition that he kept up with weekly appointments and check-ups. With the help of his friends, he’d do his best to keep hiding the attacks from Incubus.
Meanwhile, this whole time, Starscream from his timeline had been cozying up to Knock Out in exchange for cubes. Little by little, he was able to get color back to his plating. His other purpose was to use Knock Out to get to Wheeljack. Only able to hop timelines when Incubus was occupied, Starscream spent months strategizing.
Until one day, he’d make his move. Knowing Wheeljack would be incapacitated by a psychic attack during his visit, Starscream was going to ditch Knock Out and get to Wheeljack to try dragging him back to his timeline in order to win back Megatron’s favor and out-do Incubus. Never worked out the finer details, but of course it was going to backfire and end up with Starscream tied up in the warehouse. As soon as Wheeljack came to, he was going to want to kill Starscream with his bare hands, and maybe attempt to, but his friends would’ve stopped him.
Starscream would’ve been all tease and flirt, naturally, trying his best not to look put off by the turn of events. Wheeljack would’ve still insisted that they needed to kill him. It’s out of fear of what he could do, what he could bring to this timeline. But also because of the memories that came with the Seeker. Wheeljack would break one night and confess to Bumblebee the coercive affair he was dragged into while in captivity and probably have a minor relapse derail his progress.
When he’s still recovering, he’d sit and have a long talk with Starscream about the whole situation. Get into why Star wanted so badly to get Megatron’s approval.
Get the story straight on Ultra Magnus. He’s alive, but how, why? Wheeljack thought he was a prisoner in the same way he’d been, but the truth is much more bleak. Magnus was revived and his destroyed arm replaced with one of Optimus Prime’s, so that he could wield the Star Saber. Ultra Magnus would’ve been manipulated, his mind altered, and believing Megatron’s lie that Smokescreen is still alive out there and needs to be found. And that if he were found, he’d at least be safe with him. In this way, he’d have become something like an extra goon for Megatron, a tank to aid him in his conquest.
All this talk would eventually culminate in Wheeljack convincing Starscream to help him. And that in return, he wouldn’t kill him, and he would help him kill Megatron and end everything in their timeline. That there is more life to live. That things can be better. That he doesn’t have to stay starving and rusting in a cursed timeline under his master’s claws for the rest of his life.
Starscream would agree and they’d start working out a plan. Bee would come home to the Jackhammer one night to find Wheeljack’s made a mess of the ship by scattering his weapons everywhere. And Bee would immediately know Wheeljack was making a plan to go back to his timeline. It would be a hard talk, with lots of crying and begging and promises that might not be kept. Wheeljack arranged to leave the Jackhammer to Bee.
A big part of the plan was going to be enlisting Knock Out’s bodywork and paintjob skills to help disguise Wheeljack as one of his spliced clones. Black plating, claws, red optics, the whole deal.
Starscream and Wheeljack would return to their timeline, geared up, and take down the Decepticons. Originally Slendy was to be part of this plan, as he was the only one who could match Incubus in a battle. Ultra Magnus was going to be convinced that he was doing the right thing, fueled by his desire to find Smokescreen and keep him safe. But Wheeljack would’ve shattered that lie, told him the truth. That Smokescreen had been captured and put on the same experimentation he was, but that he didn’t even survive the first dose of tainted Synth-En. He died a painful, agonizing overdose. Magnus would’ve exploded in disbelief, in rage. But once convinced, he would’ve turned and aided them in their battle.
With his help, Wheeljack would be the one to kill Incubus and Starscream would have his moment seeing the light fade from his master’s optics.
They were to try exterminating as many clones as possible, but there would’ve been one Wheeljack spared: the nonspeaking spliced clone he shared brain modules with known as Bug. Bug would prove helpful in battle, with Wheeljack’s fighting skills as well as the feral power of Insecticons (and he can fly!).
Wheeljack would’ve made it to the lab where Ratchet was being held and forced to work, with the intent to free him and take him with them to the other timeline. But by the time they got there, Ratchet would’ve been barely clinging to life. Too weak to stand and walk, starved, hurting, mutilated. Wheeljack would’ve known that nothing could be done, but be frozen, sparkbroken. Originally with Slendy in this finale, Wheeljack would’ve turned to him, tearfully asking for help. And Slendy would have offered to do it for him. To give Ratchet a painless death. So Wheeljack was going to say goodbye, to hold his servo and push their helms together. And then turn around and walk the other way while Slendy closed in on him to end his spark. Wheeljack would’ve thanked Slendy and they would continue their task.
In the process of destroying the lab and any unborn clones, they find a room with a lone Wheeljack in a tank. Something about it would’ve stopped Wheeljack, spooked him to his protoform. In his fear, he would’ve smashed the tank and made sure the other Wheeljack didn’t wake up.
It was to be implied that this was possibly the actual original Wheeljack. That the Wheeljack we’ve been with since after the first abduction was not the same one the team knew, but a very cleverly constructed clone placed like a bug within the team. Memories so well implanted to make him believe he was the original, but still spotty enough to make him question his mind and experiences enough to cause trouble and break things down from the inside. The Wheeljack who fell in love with a multiversal Bumblebee was not the original Wheeljack at all.
With the battle won, Magnus would’ve wanted to die, as he felt he had nothing else to live for. But Wheeljack would’ve gotten him through the portal to his new home. Magnus of course would’ve immediately fucked off to the wilderness somewhere and hacked off Prime’s dead arm. Even when Wheeljack found him, he wouldn’t have been able to convince him to come back to the settlement and get medical attention or at the very least, fuel and rest.
This is where Petrichor would’ve come in to slap some sense into Magnus, and they would’ve had a nice intense romance develop over the months :) Hot sad old man shit, you feel me?
Starscream would be allowed to stay but only under very, very close supervision and all weapons disabled. He’d still sneak around Cybertron causing minor headaches and meet Knock Out for brunch.
Bug would’ve been given sanctuary as well, as the only surviving spliced clone. Shockwave would’ve adopted him into his funny little beast clone family, cue adorable times.
Wheeljack would go to the spot where he made cairns for his fallen teammates and build a final one for Ratchet.
With his timeline officially free of threats and sealed away, everyone’s new lives would begin. He and Bee would’ve officially bonded and built a home on the edge of the settlement with an underground workshop for them to tinker in.
Wheeljack and his alternate would still run fight club once a week, Magnus would be banging Petrichor in the greenhouse, Bug would be leaving dead animals on the Jackhammer to make sure his clone brother was eating enough (lol). Eventually, maybe, Wheeljack and Bee would accidentally discover that they could in fact conceive.
thank you for sharing this with us all. what a story! the time and work you put into creating something like this is very evident. so many twists and turns, many interesting paths explored with characters that not only fit their canon representations perfectly, but expanded on them in ways that in my opinion enhance the canon appreciation of their characters.
especially with wheeljack. to me for the past, idk? 10 years? (god what is time even) you have been The Wheeljack to me. no one has ever come close to not just a very in-character portrayal, but a deeper and more nuanced one. the way you made wheeljack so introspective, so layered underneath his promiscuous party boy war veteran persona, is impeccable.
the way you studied upon trauma with him is also the best i've seen in this fandom and i've been here literally from the start. you didn't just scratch the surface, you did deep dives on this guy by diverging from canon just enough to bring out parts of his character that we might not have noticed from his scenes in the show. to see him go through so many ups and downs, surviving horrors, rebuilding his life, making friends and falling in love, surviving more, growing and changing as a person over all these years...
bravo, dear mun. thank you for dedicating so much to this fandom for so long. when i say you kept us fed, i mean it, and i'm sure many others feel the same way. you have been a landmark in this fandom for so long and i appreciate your work so much.
the way you've always been the wheeljack to keep up to date on whether he was just having shenanigans, getting laid, having a silly fight with soundwave, flirting with knock out (god do we all LIVE for you teasing us with the ship that could never be), romancing bumblebee, drowning in existential anguish, finding some relief with fight club, getting into trouble or just doing his thing and building gadgets. every bit of this has been so rich and so real.
i'm sad that this is ending and that we couldn't see how some of these story points would've played out. but again it's so thoughtful that you took the time to share what we wouldn't have seen otherwise.
i will miss your wheeljack for the rest of my life but i am so thankful theres so damn much to reread and enjoy. you brought a groundedness to the TFP RP scene that has measurable influence.
i know i haven't been active in this fandom for a while but seriously. if you like wheeljack, this is the one. trust me.
[wth I'm cryin' in the club :''''( Honestly with how dead things have been, I doubted anyone would really care. I'm just some guy who lives robots. Thank you.]
[I forgot to mention, I maaay or may not explore some of those unwritten scenes on ao3. Maybe even do some AU stuff too with other ships or scenarios. No promises, because I'm balls deep in writing longform stuff for other fandom rn too. But I still very much have the interest in exploring some stuff that may be too adult or dark for tumblr.]
[If anyone was interested, this is the general direction this story was going to go, and how I was going to try to wrap things up in a sort of finale.
I'm sad I never got to explore these places, they would have been soo fun. I just don’t have the strength, energy, time, or focus to coordinate it anymore. It’s a lot of work, especially the collaborative process, which allows things to evolve into even better storytelling. It’s seriously been so fun to use this medium to paint this longform story out.
But I thought I'd at least share here as sort of a love letter to all the passion that was put into this fan project for so many years <3
!! tw: past captivity, trauma, dissociation, mindbreak, torture, psychic torture, drug addiction, alcoholism, violence, PTSD, identity issues, clones, mind alteration, suicidality, sexual assault, sexual trauma, sexual coercion, attempted murder, mercy killing
-0-0-
Wheeljack was going to crumble under the strain of everything. Slendy leaving, Incubus constantly in his head, knowing Ratchet and Ultra Magnus were still alive in his timeline. Not being able to tell what was real and what was happening in his mindscape. What's a memory or what's present. Drugs and high grade helped somewhat to lessen the mind attacks, or at least numb him to their pain. Even Incubus would get tired of Wheeljack being constantly strung out. Harder to torture and manipulate a guy who's always wasted and horny.
But more nights out at bars and clubs means more trouble. He was going to be arrested two more times for starting fights, and after the second time, boy was gonna get given the choice of either jail or rehab. Unable to tell anyone other than his closest bots what he was trying to stop hurting, the Enforcers would think he was just having a mental breakdown. He'd struggle with the detox process and Incubus would have him in his claws again.
He's Wheeljack, of course, so he would break out and be found yelling at no one in the desert or something. Rehab is almost worse to him than captivity with the ‘Cons was.
Eventually, he’d stabilize. It would’ve taken months but he’d finally start actually talking to his mandated psychologist. He wouldn’t be able to tell them everything, but he’d at least tell them things only Slendy knew. Things he only knew after the memories were uncovered by the psychic spy. His many months of captivity were day after day of isolation, experimentation, torture, and eventually, sexual assault by a few different bots in different contexts. Shockwave did it as part of his experiments. Megatron only did it to prove a point, but Starscream’s coercion was sneakier.
Wheeljack hadn’t remembered it at all until it bubbled to the surface, but he’d willingly complied with Starsream, if only because he thought he was going to die in captivity anyway and he was clinging to whatever he had to cope. And he’d never admit it, not even to the shrink, but Starscream was a damn good frag. It was before he and Bee were in a relationship, before they’d ever even kissed, but the guilt would’ve been terrible. He would’ve struggled to decide when and how to tell his partner.
After doing well enough in rehab, he’d finally be able to go home, on the condition that he kept up with weekly appointments and check-ups. With the help of his friends, he’d do his best to keep hiding the attacks from Incubus.
Meanwhile, this whole time, Starscream from his timeline had been cozying up to Knock Out in exchange for cubes. Little by little, he was able to get color back to his plating. His other purpose was to use Knock Out to get to Wheeljack. Only able to hop timelines when Incubus was occupied, Starscream spent months strategizing.
Until one day, he’d make his move. Knowing Wheeljack would be incapacitated by a psychic attack during his visit, Starscream was going to ditch Knock Out and get to Wheeljack to try dragging him back to his timeline in order to win back Megatron’s favor and out-do Incubus. Never worked out the finer details, but of course it was going to backfire and end up with Starscream tied up in the warehouse. As soon as Wheeljack came to, he was going to want to kill Starscream with his bare hands, and maybe attempt to, but his friends would’ve stopped him.
Starscream would’ve been all tease and flirt, naturally, trying his best not to look put off by the turn of events. Wheeljack would’ve still insisted that they needed to kill him. It’s out of fear of what he could do, what he could bring to this timeline. But also because of the memories that came with the Seeker. Wheeljack would break one night and confess to Bumblebee the coercive affair he was dragged into while in captivity and probably have a minor relapse derail his progress.
When he’s still recovering, he’d sit and have a long talk with Starscream about the whole situation. Get into why Star wanted so badly to get Megatron’s approval.
Get the story straight on Ultra Magnus. He’s alive, but how, why? Wheeljack thought he was a prisoner in the same way he’d been, but the truth is much more bleak. Magnus was revived and his destroyed arm replaced with one of Optimus Prime’s, so that he could wield the Star Saber. Ultra Magnus would’ve been manipulated, his mind altered, and believing Megatron’s lie that Smokescreen is still alive out there and needs to be found. And that if he were found, he’d at least be safe with him. In this way, he’d have become something like an extra goon for Megatron, a tank to aid him in his conquest.
All this talk would eventually culminate in Wheeljack convincing Starscream to help him. And that in return, he wouldn’t kill him, and he would help him kill Megatron and end everything in their timeline. That there is more life to live. That things can be better. That he doesn’t have to stay starving and rusting in a cursed timeline under his master’s claws for the rest of his life.
Starscream would agree and they’d start working out a plan. Bee would come home to the Jackhammer one night to find Wheeljack’s made a mess of the ship by scattering his weapons everywhere. And Bee would immediately know Wheeljack was making a plan to go back to his timeline. It would be a hard talk, with lots of crying and begging and promises that might not be kept. Wheeljack arranged to leave the Jackhammer to Bee.
A big part of the plan was going to be enlisting Knock Out’s bodywork and paintjob skills to help disguise Wheeljack as one of his spliced clones. Black plating, claws, red optics, the whole deal.
Starscream and Wheeljack would return to their timeline, geared up, and take down the Decepticons. Originally Slendy was to be part of this plan, as he was the only one who could match Incubus in a battle. Ultra Magnus was going to be convinced that he was doing the right thing, fueled by his desire to find Smokescreen and keep him safe. But Wheeljack would’ve shattered that lie, told him the truth. That Smokescreen had been captured and put on the same experimentation he was, but that he didn’t even survive the first dose of tainted Synth-En. He died a painful, agonizing overdose. Magnus would’ve exploded in disbelief, in rage. But once convinced, he would’ve turned and aided them in their battle.
With his help, Wheeljack would be the one to kill Incubus and Starscream would have his moment seeing the light fade from his master’s optics.
They were to try exterminating as many clones as possible, but there would’ve been one Wheeljack spared: the nonspeaking spliced clone he shared brain modules with known as Bug. Bug would prove helpful in battle, with Wheeljack’s fighting skills as well as the feral power of Insecticons (and he can fly!).
Wheeljack would’ve made it to the lab where Ratchet was being held and forced to work, with the intent to free him and take him with them to the other timeline. But by the time they got there, Ratchet would’ve been barely clinging to life. Too weak to stand and walk, starved, hurting, mutilated. Wheeljack would’ve known that nothing could be done, but be frozen, sparkbroken. Originally with Slendy in this finale, Wheeljack would’ve turned to him, tearfully asking for help. And Slendy would have offered to do it for him. To give Ratchet a painless death. So Wheeljack was going to say goodbye, to hold his servo and push their helms together. And then turn around and walk the other way while Slendy closed in on him to end his spark. Wheeljack would’ve thanked Slendy and they would continue their task.
In the process of destroying the lab and any unborn clones, they find a room with a lone Wheeljack in a tank. Something about it would’ve stopped Wheeljack, spooked him to his protoform. In his fear, he would’ve smashed the tank and made sure the other Wheeljack didn’t wake up.
It was to be implied that this was possibly the actual original Wheeljack. That the Wheeljack we’ve been with since after the first abduction was not the same one the team knew, but a very cleverly constructed clone placed like a bug within the team. Memories so well implanted to make him believe he was the original, but still spotty enough to make him question his mind and experiences enough to cause trouble and break things down from the inside. The Wheeljack who fell in love with a multiversal Bumblebee was not the original Wheeljack at all.
With the battle won, Magnus would’ve wanted to die, as he felt he had nothing else to live for. But Wheeljack would’ve gotten him through the portal to his new home. Magnus of course would’ve immediately fucked off to the wilderness somewhere and hacked off Prime’s dead arm. Even when Wheeljack found him, he wouldn’t have been able to convince him to come back to the settlement and get medical attention or at the very least, fuel and rest.
This is where Petrichor would’ve come in to slap some sense into Magnus, and they would’ve had a nice intense romance develop over the months :) Hot sad old man shit, you feel me?
Starscream would be allowed to stay but only under very, very close supervision and all weapons disabled. He’d still sneak around Cybertron causing minor headaches and meet Knock Out for brunch.
Bug would’ve been given sanctuary as well, as the only surviving spliced clone. Shockwave would’ve adopted him into his funny little beast clone family, cue adorable times.
Wheeljack would go to the spot where he made cairns for his fallen teammates and build a final one for Ratchet.
With his timeline officially free of threats and sealed away, everyone’s new lives would begin. He and Bee would’ve officially bonded and built a home on the edge of the settlement with an underground workshop for them to tinker in.
Wheeljack and his alternate would still run fight club once a week, Magnus would be banging Petrichor in the greenhouse, Bug would be leaving dead animals on the Jackhammer to make sure his clone brother was eating enough (lol). Eventually, maybe, Wheeljack and Bee would accidentally discover that they could in fact conceive.
((Why is Ulysses cursed in your fantasy au? I'd love to know more))
[I haven't worked out all the details but by the end of the war, he and Wesley (fantasy AU Wheeljack @a-good-distraction) found themselves in a precarious situation. The curse blast was meant for Wes but Uly got hit instead. It started to spread up his right arm, transforming him rapidly into a monster as the night went on, but Raphael (fantasy au Ratchet; NPC/not been used) quickly amputated it. Uly is still cursed but it spreads much more slowly now, so over the years since the war's end he's been transforming little by little. Getting bigger, even taller, stronger, growing claws, teeth, and new abilities and senses.
So at first glance he just looks like a big strong dude but there's something just slightly off about him, the way his eyes shine in the dark, his movements, etc. It's for this reason, and for being a well-known commander in the war, that he's been constantly on the go. Always hiding under his hood, going from town to town, region to region, hunting/stealing livestock and just trying to lay low as the monster has been taking him over. He hasn't had a home in years, until he was forced to hide out with Petrichor (played on @asideofhighgloss) when he accidentally caused a monster scare in this village.]
He was able to help Petrichor make preparations before the weather got bad. But now, they’re officially snowed in. The more delicate plants have been brought inside and they should have plenty of grain and meat to last them. Should.
What Ulysses is more concerned about is warmth. He will be fine; his blood is hardly human anymore, burning through him like lava.
But the botanist? Just an old man.
They have a few fail-safes in case other methods of heating are lost to them. And there’s the enchanted tub. A luxury the peasants of this village can only dream of as they huddle together in their little homes, praying for spring to come early.
But the Botanist’s bed isn’t enchanted, is it?
“Uly, this is the third year in a row,” Ramsay said, packing up the gift-wrap supplies with the phone awkwardly held in the crook of his neck. He knew better, that his neck would hurt later, but he couldn't find those damn earbuds and he hated speakerphone.
“I know. They need me here.” Ulysses' voice was so serious, even when talking to his best friend.
“You,” Ramsay punctuated, “are a workaholic.”
That earned a tired chuckle from Ulysses at least. “I'll make it up to you next year. I promise.”
“Hmph. What am I supposed to do now? Drink egg nog alone again?”
“Invite the car mechanic over.”
It was such an unexpected suggestion that Ramsay nearly dropped the phone as he transferred the box to the shelf.
“I don't think so,” was his gruff response.
“What's your excuse?” Oh, and Ulysses had a tone to his voice, one that gave away his smirk.
Excuse? “Christmas is... Christmas.” Ramsay flicked the garage lights off and headed back inside with a shiver.
“Mmhm...” Ulysses was clearly feeling a little ballsy. Maybe he'd already had a drink.
“Do not start with me,” Ramsay reprimanded, with his finger pointed at no one. He stepped out of his shoes and into a pair of old moccasins before heading to the kitchen.
“You might as well do it. Either that or you're alone again.”
“He is... probably going to be with his family.”
“You told me he was out there alone.”
Shit. Ramsay stared at the cupboard, completely forgetting what he was doing in the kitchen.
Sensing the thoughts in the silence, Ulysses spoke again, but not before letting out a hacking cough.
“When's—the last time you had him over?”
Ramsay shut the cupboard and turned to the stove, trying to busy his free hand by putting a pot away. That and the cough immediately reminded him of heating up chicken soup for Wheeler when the man came down with something.
“Are you sick?” he asked.
“Don't dodge the question, Ramsay.”
The doctor gave a sigh of surrender. “A month or so. Things got busy... We still text. I figured...”
What did he figure? “I figured Christmas is too...”
To his surprise, Ulysses finished the sentence, “Romantic?”
Ramsay blinked. And sighed again, softer. “Yes.”
The silence between them seemed about to pop the universe when Ulysses said he had to go.
“Give him a call. He'll at least keep you entertained, since you clearly won't be watching football.”
Ramsay snorted. “Goodnight, Uly.”
-----
Wheeler came over for the entire Christmas weekend, with only a backpack and his motorcycle.
When Ramsay turned the heated mattress, the younger man reacted like he was on a UFO and then fell asleep faster than he ever had in his life.
They spent Christmas morning in bed, warm and flush against each other.
It was around this time that Wheeler realized Ramsay had been purposely edging him.
"So what should I do?” he asked after they'd gone a few rounds. “Build up a dick tolerance?"
"Wheeler," Ramsay hissed. His face was so red. Leave it to Wheeler to be stupidly blunt about something normal people would feel embarrassed about. He pulled on the man's hair a little before he could start yapping again.
“We'll work on it.”
“Alright,” Wheeler shrugged. “Wanna open presents?”
“Presents?”
“Rams, it's Christmas.”
“I'm aware...”
Sure enough, there were a few poorly wrapped gifts under the tree with Ramsay's name on them. When did this sneaky little devil sneak off to put them there? It must have been in the middle of the night.
Ramsay had gotten Wheeler something too, of course, but he hadn't really expected anything in return from his... bed partner.
But it was their first Christmas together, after all.
“I'll get the coffee,” Wheeler offered, walking into the kitchen with nothing but his boxers on.
“I will... get the fireplace, then,” Ramsay said uncertainly, watching him disappear around the corner with that messy hair of his.
The old doctor shook his head to try to ward off the silly smile trying to take over his expression as he got to work.
Ulysses has not lit candles under the moon since before the war. And after, there has been nothing but running and hiding. Of pulling out his human teeth as his new, sharper ones push for space.
He watches from one of the smaller windows, between the curtain. The people of this village all walk holding candles, voices soft with prayer.
He had prayed, at some point. For his arm back. For the curse to be lifted. For him to return to humanity.
But his teeth and nails never stopped sharpening.
His hunger never went away.
[He's a bot who runs the settlement's greenhouse on New Cybertron. He's great fun. I would search Petrichor on @highglossfinish @asideofhighgloss and @averyspecialappearance
Lots of entertainment there :D]
Ulysses ignores it the first several times. He’s just pent up, he tells himself. It’s been years, after all. He may be a monster now but some part of him is still human. Still has a need deep in his DNA for touch and taste. There is no other reason for him to get so hard watching those hands covered in dirt.
When Petrichor leaves for errands, Ulysses takes his frustration out on a poor squirrel that wandered into the greenhouse, drenching his fangs in its blood.
But it’s not enough.
Tucked away in the darkest corner he can find, with his ears and eyes alert to any and all threats, he takes himself in his hand.
He’s barely got the spit to do it. Dehydrated again. Petrichor will likely shove a canteen at him later... Fuck. He grips himself as his cock jumps from the thought.
Focus. It’s just relief. It’s... human.
Or is this the beast?
When he finally spills into his hand, huffing from the effort it takes to keep quiet, he gives up on questioning it.
Ulysses adopts the corner of Petrichor's living room as his own space. He sleeps lightly, with his back propped against the wall, leaning his arm against his knee. It's the safest; if anyone comes barging in, he can rise with a weapon. Or just his claws. With one arm, he's still deadly enough.
When the rainy weather clears, the urge to flee rises in him again. If only he could slip away.
Every time, he catches Petrichor's scent in passing. Or even while the old human is out, he runs his palm over an old herbology book. When he comes home with fresh meat from the butcher to feed the beast, something else stirs within him.
When it's safe, he joins him in the greenhouse. It's easy enough to hide if customers come by to bother Petrichor, and when they're alone, he can watch as the man tends to his plants.
He still hates their odors, but something about seeing Petrichor's hands get dirty is interesting enough to keep his gaze.
When he gets caught staring, he pretends to be keeping an ear out for trouble.
All I wanted from TFP's final season was for Seaspray to come back so Wheeljack could see him and immediately crumble like a fragging Nature Valley bar
