Chapter Text
Jazz slid onto the bench and handed one of the cubes he had been juggling to each of the three mechs already seated there.
"So?" he asked anxiously. "What'd ya get?"
Two of them looked at the third for approval, then back at him.
"Delta was definitely the one to feed the rumour mill." the orange mech spoke first. "Went bragging to his own team who then spread the word."
"General consensus is he's a smooth talker who gets what he's after, one way or another." the silver one added. "Nothing improper, no history of tangles, just tends to look for the hard to get type and doesn't give up easy."
"Kinda like someone else we know." the orange one smirked.
Jazz returned the expression briefly then focused on the silver one.
"So what now? Is he a do it an' drop'em type, or will he play it out?"
Silver shrugged.
"He varies. No real long term commitment, though. And this one? Word is, it was a bet."
Jazz nodded and fell silent until they had both finished their drinks and moved away, leaving him with only one companion.
"What I don't understand is why you're so concerned about this." the remaining mech mused. "You've had plenty of opportunity to seduce him if you wanted to, regardless of Curveball's teasing. I understood you had decided not to."
"I did." Jazz nodded firmly, careful to show no ambivalence whatsoever. "But I have to share a room with the mech, and he ain't takin' the close scrutiny all that well. He's somewhat short on experience, an' I'm pretty sure this meant a fair bit more to him than to Delta."
"Ah. He doesn't realise Delta may not be so committed?"
"I hope he does." Jazz sighed, then finished the last of the oil in his cube. "Well, thanks for finding the informants, Raj. I 'preciate it."
Mirage sighed.
"Have you ever considered it might be easier for you if you varied your role when you were on ship?"
"Hey, I'm just Jazz, no-one special." he grinned back. "I leave all that role-playin' stuff to you experts."
Mirage shook his head in mild exasperation and held out his cube.
"In that case, since you're so clearly in my debt, another of the same would be very nice."