#tarnstar

big fan of this dynamic Also trying to figure out what i want out of my artstyle Bit more suggestive Companion piece under the cut

Tarn and Starscream are forced on a mission by Megatron together. Starscream is furious. Tarn is taking it seriously if only because Megatron ordered it so, but he is quickly losing his patience. Both of them are frustrated, and at some point turn that frustration on the other. It ends in them making out, of course, but getting there is a violent journey.

Sleepy cuddles done under threat of unimaginable pain if anyone else finds out.

Megatron abandons the Decepticon cause, defecting to the Autobots. During this defection chaos ensues, Soundwave is in stasis containment in Autobot territory, Starscream is completely unreachable as he was lost in deep space, Shockwave— I haven’t quite decided yet.

But most of the Decepticon faction, those who refuse the Autobots at least, are in stasis containment or the prison on Cybertron as they rebuild. Of those jailed, many are seekers, deemed compliant by the loss of their Winglord and therefore its almost as though they’re complicit. Snappy yet they appear to listen.

Save for two. As if Thundercracker and Skywarp would ever believe that their beloved trine leader is deactivated when they can still feel him through the bond. When they can still feel his defiance of his spark pulsing through their own. No, Starscream isn’t dead, he’s waiting. Though, Megatron would like them to get such a thought from their processors.

“He’s dead.” He says for the twentieth time that joor, unsure why he chooses to entertain these two idiots. Optimus had told him to make peace, perhaps they were capable of rehabilitating. “You’re grasping at straws.” Way to use the human sayings he’s learned.

“As if we’d ever believe that,” Skywarp snaps, wings held high— either out of rage or defiance. He steps forward as if to enunciate his anger, wings buzzing behind him. “You clearly underestimate our Star.”

What’s more surprising is Thundercracker’s express defiance. While not as loud and obnoxious as Skywarp’s there’s a glint in Thundercracker’s optic, something mischievous, something that doesn’t settle right in Megatron’s spark.

He should’ve listened to his spark on that, should’ve known that Starscream was smart enough to teach his trine to deactivate outlier dampeners. Because as soon as he leaves, the alarms ring.

While not quite sure on a plan, they do know one thing, they need a ship. The Nemesis is much too large to sneak off with and while their frames are forged for air, the cosmic radiation would be far too much for them. They manage a small fighter, big enough for one sizeable grounder and not two average sized seekers, one of which can’t keep his wings folded due to his excitement. Skywarp makes a show of insulting Megatron through the ship’s external speakers during their escape.

Now, as seekers, they had absolutely no idea how to pilot the damned thing, after all their systems were different and not many seekers bothered to play pilot, which led to quite a few petty arguments and slamming into asteroids. Thundercracker is the one that takes to piloting after a few more arguments.

It’s cycles before they even manage to get a hint of where Starscream could be but the moment they’re in range they get the best news they’ve heard yet.

.:I assumed you two morons would find your way out.:.

The sheer excitement nearly makes Skywarp warp out of the ship and he’s quick to throttle onto Thundercracker, shaking his poor trinemate who smacks at him before allowing his own excitement to settle amongst the bond.

.:We would’ve escaped one way or another.:. Skywarp comms back, .:Megatron thinks you’re dead, he’s a bigger idiot than me.:.

.:Yes well, he was never the bluntest mace in the arsenal.:.

Skywarp squints his optics, a smile tugging his expression while Thundercracker is quick to shoot down the playful back and forth with the more pressing questions. .:Where are you? You must be pretty deep if your comms are just now picking up.:.

Silence followed and for a moment they thought they had lost him again.

A/N: snippet of a work in progress. don’t know when this will be completed, but i wanted to explore the potential dynamics of this pair.

“Here,” Starscream snaps, holding himself back from throwing the datapad down on his glorious leader's desk, but just barely.

On the other side, Tarn stares down at the object quivering in Starscream's grasp. “I sense… a large amount of hostility coming from you today, Starscream.”

“You don't say.”