Chapter Text
Upon the waves of the Kalisian sea, spears the silicon carbide city of Kalis. It’s oil spill hues of bright greens, purples and black match the energon rich waters in the rising of the luna 3 and the star Titus. This city is awash with cool colours, richer than any other hub on all of Cybertron. Kalis, kaleidoscope shores, silicon shores, the twinkling city. Named all these things for the prism of colours it reflected upon the waters.
They believe the strongest fliers come from here. The Vosian's hold all the beauty, Kaonians raw quick power. But here each pyre of carbide is adorned with a spiral of homes. Launch pads and small outcroppings of crystal gardens, sit pretty between wall less homes. Nests, with shaggy roves and thin delicate wire decoration.
Kalis is where most come for splendor. Popular with holidaymakers. For exporting the colours used to paint plates. Where rich bottles of Enjax are made in the powercore rich pools of unrefined energon go to be nursed in rich Iacon dining rooms, and shared at conjux endura ceremonies. It's said to be a full-bodied and fruity drink, but no one from Kalis could really tell you.
Mechs also come to Kalis to fly. The moutainless open sea embraces the winds from the eastern rust desert makes every leap into the air a challenge. But the warm waters below are clear and cool and can catch those who fall.
The morning is crisply warm. A gentle breeze has only settled in the air, and brushes against cheeks to say good morning softly.
a home, a balcony more so than the four walls of a house, with simple furnishings grows from the crystal like a mushroom, facing the south as the sun rises to the east.
Below new mechs race up the spiraling walk way that joins each home to the next. Their foot falls quick and eager. They become louder until two breathless young mechs enter the home.
"Air raid!" One of them shrieks. "Class?"
A fond and sly laugh. "Isn't for another 30 minutes. Can I finish my morning energon first?"
One of the mechs tall and square jawed grins.
"No way teach! The air is cool now!"
Another laugh and one last sip of energeen, before the cup is set aside.
"Alright, but no further than this spire and you have to be back for class." Matching looks of glee light up their faces. "We're doing drop stops and start ups today." Air raid replies wickedly. A look of worry flits across the smaller of the two with a gap in their denta. Air raid waves them off. "I'll meet you at launch platform 30." And off they go.
The wake up is violent. The world around him moreso a violation on his optics. Air raid gasps for breath for a moment as his crisp and beautiful home in Kalis is replaced by the pyrite clean cut edges of gray old Iacon labs. The sunburnt pink and teal of the sea are so far away, and all that's left is hard and heavy yearning in his spark. He could still taste his sweet and creamy morning fuel on his tongue sensors and the touch of fondness on his lips. Each point was a place of pain. Small and childishly longed for.
Desperate for anything to be fed into his mind rather than his short lived former home Air raid looked around the lab. There beside him in a half circle were his new teammates. They all slowly came on line, far away looks in their eyes, and grogginess in their movements. All but one. Beside him had been Skydive. Ever since they'd met they'd both looked at eachother with the same look of distant familiarity. A holding of eye contact too long where they both tried to figure out how two mechs from two different parts of the planet could know one another. Because they had never met. Air raid was sure. He hadn't left Kalis. Most likely he never would.
Now Skydive was sat up on his berth just like Air raid. Starring at him. Air raid starred back. The longer he look the more a he saw the recognition in Skydive's optics. Those optics the burnt magenta of the cliffs at moodrise. Air raid watched him, until something changed, a realisation taking hold showed in the drop of his posture. Air raid opened his mouth to ask him what he'd just been thinking, but with the twitch of his wings Skydive turned away and focused on his feet. A moment later the door to the lab opened and Perceptor walked in the start his questioning.
They drink. It's what they do now. They're closer always after each merge of their trinity. The spark, the mind, the T-cog. But they navigate between the distance of mechs that only met each other a month ago, and are now forced to uncomfortably know the others deepest regrets. Class doesn't start for another half hour. He should have started it right then. Early whenever his students wanted it. Greedily taking every chance that they could take to fly joyful and free.
Quietly next to him once again Skydive stares.
"Kalis." He says. He says it in such a way that it shocks Air Raid from the bottom of his glass. Skydive says it like Kah-ha-lees. the way a native would say it, the extra syllable seems strange in his Altihex accent but not unwelcome. Air raid stares. He is all business angles. Layered plates and slim fitted forms of a mech made to appear intelligent and authorative. But Skydive is timid in his advances, his eyes dart between Air Raid's stare and the table. A charmed smile tugs at Air Raid's lips.
"Kalis." Air Raid replies. Kah-ha-lees. Skydive smiles, small and private, ducks his head and looks at the drink in his hand. An energon spritz with a cube of cobalt in it. Refreshing, but smooth. "You've never been there." Air Raid says it as fact, because that's what it is. Skydive introduced himself as a refugee from Althehex, where no one left unless the state let you or the Autobots took you. He nods, a little far away look on his face. "So how…" how do you know its name, how do you recognise it, how.
"I don't know." Skydive admitted.
"Are you talking about Kalis?" Slingshot beside him poked his head in. He said Kalis like it was callus, kah-las. But even as he said it his mouth hesitated, thought to change it. But he only continued. "Makes sense, pretty boy like you being forged there. " He jeered. Air raid laughed.
It wasn't until they left that Air raid got a chance to speak with him again. Skydive caught up to him, and they walked side by side behind the others. Fireflight dancing around Silverbolt, fascinated by the larger mech, and Slingshot sloping alongside sliding comments at every chance. Even loitering behind he could see the cheerful swing in Silverbolt's wings, hear the smiles that touched his voice. They were becoming a tight little unit. It was so fast he couldn't really put his finger on where it had started but it was good, a good fast pace, he liked it more than he cared to admit.
"It's really beautiful." Skydive speaks and his voice is timid and small. Air raid turns his optics to him, stares for a minute at the pretty pointed lines of his face. He's handsome in a lean, streamline sort of way. Silverbolt said no one in the team. A biased thing after he'd lost Skyfire but he only sought to protect. Protect Air raid, his own heart and their growing fondness for this willowy brilliant jet.
"What is?" Air raid asks with a smile.
"Kalis." Ka-ah-lees. The thrill it sends through Air raid makes him smile.
"It is." But then his face drops. Shattered rocks, shattered homes, dark skies, dark eyes. "It was."
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have brought it up if it's painful." Skydive immediately back tracks and begins to pick up the pace. Instinctively Air raid reaches out for him, and maybe it’s the enjax or maybe its the constant attempts to ram their souls together but he hooks their arms and locks their fingers. Skydive's optics burn bright as the sunrise.
"Ask me anything you want." He beams, so charmed by Skydive's gentle soul. Skydive seems taken aback for all of two whole seconds, his mouth stumbling briefly over a million questions. Then it falls on;
"Have we met before?"
Air raid considers this. He wants to say yes. Both neither of them saw anything outside of Kalis and Altiex. Altihex was shut from the rest of the planet for a short time before the war, so they couldn't have been in contact. And Air raid would like to think he'd remember a waist like that. so he settles for:
"I don't think so."
Skydive laughs soft and sweet.
"That's what I was going to say." He shakes his head, laughs again at himself. "Maybe I saw you in a dream."
Normally Air raid knew exactly how to respond to this. Of course you did baby I am dreamy after all. But it makes sense. Yes, that's close to the truth. Air raid can feel it, like he can feel that Skydive isn't lying when he says he's never been anywhere but Altihex and Iacon. It's also in the way he can tell that Skydive is lying when he says in a dream, like he already knows that's not quite it. He doesn't answer for so long Skydive looks at him sheepishly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean- Like I'm not-umm-"
"Maybe a dream." Air raid admits. Skydive stares. And stares. Stares like why would you even take me seriously, and then you are wow oh my primus okay.
"I have some theories, but they're kind of-" He waves his free hand in the air. "Bullshit."
Air raid snorts a laugh. The profanity from Skydive. Smart, sensible, sweet, city bot Skydive is the best thing Air raid has heard scince he learnt how to make exhaust farts as a new build.
"Dive-y I love bullshit. Tell me all." Skydive's smile is so bright and so good Air raid wants nothing more than to rest his head on his shoulder and watch him work. But then they reach the hangar doors, feel the cool night air press against their plates.
"Retire while you can guys, there's a midday briefing tomorrow for all shifts." Silverbolt says keying in the codes. He turns and his eyes fall on Air raid and Skydive, arm in arm. His optics linger over the spot until Air raid lets go. Then a peculiar, and as usual, unreadable look crosses his poised features before composure takes hold. "See you next cycle." He smiles, patting Fireflight on the head and Slingshot on the shoulder. Fireflight follows, then Slingshot with a half assed salute. Then Skydive and Air raid. Though they linger at their doors, share a glance before Skydive says,
"Goodnight."
"Night." Air raid smiles and watches his door close behind him.
Warm air, rushing water against rocks. Optics closed Air raid raises his head from the basen on water and inhales the sea breeze through his vents. Slowly he opens his optics to look in the mirror.
He starts. Drops his towel and knocks the polish off his table top. It rolls to the floor but Air raid is staring at his reflection. No, not his reflection. Because on the silver polished surface of his vanity where he should see his faceplates reflected back at him, he instead sees a different face. A long face, burnt red optics, pointed nose, pointed lips, brows that could eat his brows alive and not to mention faceplates the colour of orange copper. And the face stares back. Confused, intrigued. Air raid opens his mouth to say something, to himself? to the mech in the mirror? But snaps it shut when the other mech follows.
They mirror each other. Hands upon his own face, upon the mirror checking uts surface for tricks, turning his head to see a mask. But the mirrored mech only follows him. Then Air raid raises a hand and waves. So does the mech. The mech smiles sweet and private. Air raid had not smiled, his optics widened and before he could smile back, a tin of wax hit the floor and Air raid looked to it in shock. when he looked back, the mirror was empty of anyone but himself staring back, wide eyed and pulling at a smile.
Air raid wakes in his berth, frowning at the dark ceiling. He hadn't dreamt that morning. And that morning hadn't been the only time it had happened. That was how he knew Skydive. Often he had seen him in reflections, in pools of water, in the shimmer of another mechs plates, the edge of a glass. But he was there. Not only in a reflective surface, but there in Kalis. Air Raid was sure. So sure, because had never been to Altihex. Yet, he knew the dark days and nights. The twinkling lights below him as the trams took him over head to the offices. Knew how much colder in climate and in atmosphere it was compared to Kalis.
Not on the team, Silverbolt had said. But this had been before they were merging. Before they were all selected and officially met. When it was just them post losing their trinemate Skyfire. A science expedition to a possible planet to escape to. The words " Missing In Action." still haunt them both. Silverbolt had lost more than Air raid then, and it was still raw when he said it. But Skydive. Skydive . He couldn't even think it quietly. He reveled in his name alone. Longed like he longed for Kalis to know him, and to have Skydive know him back. That night, Air raid didn't sleep much.
They're unhooking themselves from wires and sensors. Air raid with his back to Skydive. He can't seem to not stare at him and smile. So better to avoid him. But its hard. Hard because its become so obvious in the tests between them. They were all doing so well, each test where they throw a soft ball to each other at random with their optics offline becoming faster. But at the moment they lag. Air raid dropping the bag when Skydive throws it, Skydive starting when Air raid does the same.
Silverbolt is before him suddenly and Air raid blinks at his pedes. Cranes his head back to look up and up at him. His cheekbones are so pronounced and grateful, his optics dim and unsure. Silverbolt is never unsure.
"Everything okay?" He asks.
"Hm?" Air raid asks dumbly.
"Skydive." He says. Air raid looks away picks at some tape stuck on his plates, Shrugs.
"Nothin'."
"Raider," Silverbolt says fondly. Then his expression softens, his pointed brows knit. "If you wanted to…"
"No, it's okay."
"Yes but, if you did-" He raises a hand as Air raid opens his mouth to protest. "If you did, I'd be happy for you." A small smile touches full lips. "I won't stop you."
A tight tension Air raid had been holding in his frame unwinds and he finds his shoulders and wings drooping.
"Thanks." He replies. Silverbolt nods.
"He's pretty briliant, huh?"
Air raid grins. "Yeah, pretty and brilliant."
They go out for drinks again.
All of them, no less. But this time Air raid has Silverbolt's blessing, and knows Skydive's usual. Cobalt cube included. Air raid is no stranger to the ways of love, to flirting and quick flings. But it's diffrent with Skydive. It can't be put into words how, but there is more than attraction there, something strange and unspoken between them, stronger than with the others. So Air raid sits, next to him, close. Skydive immediately stiffens and puts on a cautious smile as he takes the drink.
"Bullshit theories." Air raid says, leaning his head on his hand and gazing unabashedly at the crystal sharp features of Skydive's soft face. "I got one."
Skydive smiles at the rim of his glass, a smile he holds even as he puts it down.
"I love bullshit theories. They're my specialty."
Air raid scoffs. "You're like the smartest person I know, first off, secondly," Air raid inches forward and makes a show of looking around. Beckons him forward with his index finger. Skydive leans in, smile still plane on his lips. "You look beautiful tonight." Air raid offers.
Usually this is where the flirting begins, the back and forth between teasing and gushing. But Skydive is silent. And to Air Raid's horror his face falls. His optics burn and burn loke so many fires and he suddenly sits back as far away from Air raid as possible.
"Um Thanks." He holds his drink. Hands nervous and shakey, but then his optics follow and they go wide and he drops his hands completely. "Uh, you know I'm kind of tired, think I'll just-" Skydive stands so abruptly he knocks their drinks over. That doesn't stop him from apologising all the way to the door, bumping into a few mechs clipping someone with his wing, apologising then disappearing from the bar.
Air raid sits dumbstruck. Never, Never in all his years on the planet Cybertron has anyone ever gotten up and left at the attention of hus advances. Frowning, he looks about the room as if to say, did anyone else just see that??? what the frag. But everyone has gone back to their drinks, shrugging off the weird skinny jet that bumped into them. Slingshot, Fireflight and Silverbolt however, are open mouthed staring at them. Even the great masker of emotions Silverbolt. Air raid looks much the same. Then Slingshot starts laughing, and reality sets in. He just got rejected.
Things don't get complicated again until they first combine
Air raid learns he can take rejection. Keeps his distance and listens to Skydive with wide eyes when he talks about his theories about their bonds, their roles, about a particularly good flying team he"d watched in the races one time, they used an illegal move technically but it had been so long since it had been banned and they performed it so spectacularly that the auditors couldn't disqualify them from the race. Of course he lets himself pout when Skydive's not looking, takes Slingshot's teasing on the chin. Usually all he has to do is bring up the little jets love life to get him to back off. His optics turn a quite nice bright orange when be does.
But the first time... The first time they combine it’s exhilarating. It's a bit messy and they only last a minute but they are vibrating with excitement all of them, they can feel it between their shared sparks. The problem is that they could only do it chaperoned and in a test environment for their superiors to watch. That is what drives Air raid nuts.
His plates itch with it, feel all the wrong shape, and his hydraulics are taut and tenses holding ready to transform, to be a pillar for a body. It's maddening. He's not alone of course, Silverbolt admits to him. Air raid can see it in the others, see the way Fireflight's leg bounces a million miles an hour, how Slingshot rips up, bends and crumples anything in his hands, how Skydive flits around the room and takes deep calming breaths.
It's almost laughable how quick he is to break his own rules. Silverbolt, tall and long and broad in all the right places. classically handsome and with a gaze that can bore right down to the planet’s core. It's no wonder Skyfire adored him so much. His powerful frame, his intense presence, his care and kindness below. He admits he feels like a coil charged up with nowhere to go. Air Raid suggested he needed a good overcharge. And then next thing they knew Air raid was bottoming on his back legs high and wide, neck stretched long as he rode Silverbolt like the wild winds of a storm. It was good, it was so good, Silverbolt didn't hold back, didn't treat him like he was made of glass. But he also didn't leave him afterward like so many. Didn't shy away from spooning him and kissing his neck. However he didn't ask for anything more, didn't make a move unless it was what Air Raid really wanted. Companionship? a relationship? Maybe he said nothing because Air Raid didn't know himself. Or maybe because he was still stuck in his last one. Still holding out for a familiar silhouette to descend from the stars. So they fragged, and cuddled, and got closer. Silverbolt, the mech of many dualities. Air raid the desperate.
Then they combined again.