Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/1833919. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Choose_Not_To_Use_Archive_Warnings, Underage Category: M/M Fandom: Transformers_-_All_Media_Types, Transformers:_Rescue_Bots Relationship: Blades/Graham_Burns Character: Blades_(Transformers), Graham_Burns Additional Tags: Family_Drama, Romance, Smut, Male_Homosexuality, Xenophilia Stats: Published: 2014-06-23 Completed: 2015-04-03 Chapters: 2/2 Words: 4184 ****** Interstellar Relations ****** by 88bullets Summary Good intentions lead to an embarrassing situation coupled by crippling self doubt after an accident sparked from cultural difference becomes the height of interest. Follow along as Blades and Graham learn more about each other and become closer than they ever thought possible. Notes Disclaimer: Series and characters are a copyrighted and trademarked property of Hasbro. No profit has been made by the following material. ***** Clarity ***** Chapter Summary Graham's world has been tossed upside down. He works to come to terms with what transpired througout the day, can he hold himself together or will the pressure of the strange events get the better of him? Awoken first by the ache lingering somewhere in the back his head Graham sat up to reorient himself. He rose his hand to to his face to readjust his glasses by habit and shifted uncomfortably. “Blades,” he said softly, “w-what are you doing?” His body jerked in surprise when he realized he was in the palm of the hand of his sister’s teammate. Though he wasn’t just in the palm of his hand, he was really aroused, and if that weren’t already humiliatingly embarrassing and utterly mortifying in and of itself, Blades had the tip of his finger between his legs working his digit against his groin. “You have a bump on your leg … I was trying to massage it away, is it n-not helping?” Blades in all his infinite years of wisdom hadn’t the faintest about human anatomy aside the incredibly raw basics. “Oh God, no! No!” He cried out recoiling from the touch. Drawing his legs together while he desperately tried to even his breath and tone. He really didn’t want to be the one to explain this to the bots, but this was not okay and had to be stopped. ‘This is wrong,’ he thought at first, ‘we’re not even the same species.’ Another thought bumped along, ‘felt nice, no, head…out..of.the gutter.’ He couldn’t believe he’d even thought of such a thing. Inhaling sharply to look Blades optic to eye only to muster a frightened and confused expression that barely met his insignia. His glasses sat helter skelter, an arm hung precariously off his ear. The helmet he’d been wearing was nowhere in sight. Blades was unsure what it was he had done wrong, “I’m sorry,” but anything that got a God and no in the same breath twice was generally never good. Now he looked upset, ‘M-maybe I hurt him’? Gently he nudged his side in an attempt to make immense. Slowly Graham’s eyes looked to the side at the bot who really hadn’t the slightest what his deal was. He was just an alien trying to help the best way he knew, unfortunately all it did was leave him utterly confused which only compounded on top of his head ache. ‘I must have hit my head when I slipped off the latter.’ That was the last thing he was doing, he hoped. Unless he had hit his head so hard that he didn’t even remember. That happened once, ‘just think of something else. Anything else, it’ll go down.’ All he needed now was is sister to walk in like a hole in the head. Though by some grace of God she hadn’t and nor had anyone else yet. “You… should really get that checked out. I think it’s getting worse. Why won’t you let me help you? I’ll be more gentle.” He said as he went to pry the young man's legs apart. “N-no..No Blades you w-won’t.” With every ounce of strength he had he worked to keep his hand away. Though Blades could easily overpower him despite this. “You don’t understand.” He started to express albeit haphazardly, beyond those three words Graham didn’t know what to say. ‘Blades you’re turning me on and have been getting me off by touching me? Yeah that’s definitely not something to lead with-Would he even know what I mean? Do they even have-?’ “Auh, B-b- blades, ple-ase.” ‘Is this even? How can I even like this? I need him to stop. This is wrong. God this is so wrong.’ He squirmed desperately, ‘Blades isn’t the insistent type,’ usually one only needed to ask once, “please..stop.” While he tried to get him too, his voice failed to carry any weight, any sound at all, Blades couldn’t even hear him. “See, I told you I could be gentler. You don’t have to worry I won’t hurt you. Just let me help you.” Feeling as if he had gone four sheets to the wind Graham questioned to himself. ‘Am I really that pathetic?’ The problem was how incredibly outspoken he was. Having never been touched like this before in his life he was finding the resolve to distance himself from his body nearly impossible. It was amazing and horrifying all at once and while his mind said no, his body said yes. What really struck him the most was how Blades’ intent was not out of malice, but concern. ‘N..not like this, say something, anything… speak,’ he opened his mouth to talk, but all that came out was a strangled breath of air. Though in an almost inaudible squeak he managed to get one word out loud enough to be heard… “Stop.” “I’m still hurting you aren’t I,” wanting only to help, but feeling as though he’d failed for only making things worse. He worried about how upset Boulder would be for not providing better care. “No, … you’re … not,” he said between breaths, “you don’t understand.” ‘Please move your, finger please move your finger, please just can I be anywhere else right now? This is all just a very, very, very bad dream.’ Doing everything he could to collect himself. That’s all he could equate it to, this had to be a bad dream and at any minute he’d wake up. Nothing like this ever happened to him. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that he would not wake up with his sheets kicked off to the base. That he would not be greeted with a familiar ceiling. That he was getting off to an alien who’s intent wasn’t even to get him off and he couldn’t have felt dirtier. Blades stared at Graham in dismay, “Then what am I doing wrong?” He didn’t for the life of him understand humans. “Please tell me, I want to help you not hurt you more.” “L-listen,” drawing his legs up again begging whatever deity would hear him to grace him the ability to explain himself clearly. He shook his head as if to remove the clutter of thoughts nearly sending his glasses off, “we don’t touch others there, unless, no well, it’s you really love someone, I…” he paused scrambling for words in his mind, “or well if something's really wrong.” ‘I don’t know, why is this so difficult to explain? Blades doesn’t want to hurt me.’ Blades arched his optic ridge nodding, he understood the concept of no go zones, but why still alluded him. “Well I don’t see how either … of those don’t apply.” Graham knit his brows together ‘either, either would imply more than one-what’? He hesitated to ask, but ventured to anyway. “W-what do you mean?” “Well, I do love you,” Blades paused throwing in his clarification, “platonically speaking of course. And something is wrong, at least I thought so, now I’m more than positive. You’re babbling a lot. You’re almost completely incoherent.” Graham just couldn’t believe his luck, of all the things for Blades to come back with, “t-that’s not what I meant! No,” flush with embarrassment and mortified with the turn of current events was taking it’s toll on him making it easier to regain some control of himself. “I wish I knew how to explain the prelude to intercourse to you Blades.” ‘That came out awkwardly.’ It came out clinically. Though what part of this wasn’t awkward? ‘Explain it like a textbook that always the best way to take the sex out of sexy… Think like your teacher in fourth grade.’ Though he didn’t need to say another word. In what was probably one of the few times Graham would see Blades blush. The once porcelain white faceplate’s tinted a soft blue that eventually took over the dominant color of his cheeks. “Y-y-y-ou mean I-interfacing? G-g-Graham I’m- I-I didn’t,” he looked on now equally hopeless. Practically ready to bolt for the door himself. He considered what an incredibly good sport about this Graham had been and realized what all the fuss had been about. Had the roles were reversed he might have chosen to perform a dive right out on his head onto the ground damn everything and everyone if he fell and broke his neck. This was embarrassing, ‘no wonder,’ that’s all he could think. Embarrassing was an understatement of the century, he had just spent the better part of fifteen kliks molesting his partner’s brother. “Sorry, I didn’t-I had no idea. I. Am. So. Sorry.” In what was possibly the most warped thing that’s probably happened for interspecies relationships Graham now sat in his room utterly unraveled. He was glad the emergency line had been quiet today. Going out on a call was the last thing he wanted to do, even if it was probably a good and likely necessary distraction. He’d be right there with everyone else and as he laid on his back staring up at the ceiling he bit back the feeling that sat in the bottom of his stomach. His head was fine now, so was the rest of his body, aside for his mind which was tangled in a mess of its own. ‘What happened to my body was involuntary,’ he tried to rationalize, ‘but had that been anyone else, I mean if I’d woken up to just about any other person doing that to me- I mean I think I would have freaked out not..not enjoyed it. Maybe I hit my head harder than I thought… Yeah that’s it, maybe I got a concussion. I mean how often does a person wake up to a two story tall alien manhandling them?’ Best thing to do if he had a concussion would be to stay awake and wait for any signs to emerge. He knew that, that wouldn’t be difficult. He was more than sure he didn’t have one either. His problem right now started and ended around one name, Blades. ‘He was anything, but manhandling me,’ when he thought about it. That was the problem, he was exceptionally careful. This was leading up to a series of thoughts that made Graham feel uncomfortable. Leaving him with only one word, ‘xenophile’. Blades promised to keep this between them, but he wasn’t sure if that helped at all. It still happened, whether they chose to pretend it did or didn’t would not change that it had. Looking at the mech would only be more difficult because he liked it. He liked it a lot and that startled him the most as he laid on his back and thought about it. ‘Why couldn’t I just have a girlfriend like Kade or a normal guy my age?’ He flopped over to his side, then rolled onto his stomach, pulled his pillow over his head and laid there like a lump. He felt like one of the girls he met online once. She was really into Japanese dojinshi mecha hentai comic books and that just made him pull the pillow over his head more. “Augh… I’m so confused.” Boulder wondered why it was nearing almost seven pm, yet he had neither seen nor heard from Graham all day. Naturally this concerned him profusely. “Chase,” he called over while he headed toward to the cop-bot before he went out on his routine patrol with the Chief. “Yes Boulder?” He immediately turned to face their local engineer, respect in his optics and patience as he added to the waiting time for his partner . Boulder didn’t mix with casualties and could see Chase was in a hurry asking him point blank. “Have you seen Graham?” “No, I do not believe I have. Why? Has he not come downstairs today?” ‘That is quite strange,’ Chase thought, ‘often Graham Burns comes down to at least share his college work with Boulder by six’. “No he hasn’t, has the Chief said anything about him being sick?” That often was the case when one of the Burns did not appear for a cycle or two. They were generally confined to their personal bays upstairs and rarely ever answered their comm.lines when they were. Especially with that one particular sickness that prohibited speech. ‘I hope he’s alright.’ “I will ask the Chief for you Boulder.” Chase offered ready to turn on his heel. “Thanks Chase, I appreciate that very much.” He smiled placing his servos together and watching his teammate walk away. When Chase walked into the hanger he found the Chief waiting for him with a smile. “You’re late,” Charlie Burns teased his timely and often overly time aware partner. Though he furrowed his brows together when Chase did not respond immediately with a laugh. “What’s wrong partner?” “I’m sorry for my untimeliness. Boulder had brought to my attention that Graham has not been present today. Is he unwell?” Chase ever so quickly got to the point, the social nuance going amiss in the inquiry he had come loaded with. “Hmn, well I saw his door open earlier. He might have gotten caught up in something, though it's not like him go the whole day without saying hello to Boulder. I can go upstairs and check though. ” ‘Haven’t seen him in his usual spot on his computer come to think of it. Maybe he went out?’ Wishful thinking, his son was practically glued to his computer and studies. If it weren’t for the fact that was pulled out on the emergency calls now and again he’d say he never got out. Regardless he was proud of him. “Should only be a few minutes.” He said while he waited for the elevator to come down. “Thank you Chief.” Chase replied with a nod. It was times like these he wish he could go upstairs and check on the Burns himself. ‘He might be sick?’ Though if he were he’d likely know already. He came to see Graham sitting between his sister and younger brother watching a movie. “Graham, do you have a moment?” ‘Looks alright to me.’ Graham broke his attention away from the screen and looked at his father. ‘He knows. I wonder if I jumped out the window now if it would kill me?’ Alas nothing more than a broken leg, unless he jumped out head first, but he wasn’t really considering it. He plastered a smile over his face doing his best to play cool cucumber. Though he was sure his father could probably see right through it. Surprisingly the Chief was none the wiser. “Boulder hadn’t heard from you today son and wanted to make sure you’re alright.” Though he started noticing his son’s nervous behavior after a few minutes. Why he didn’t know, but he was sure he’d either find out soon or it would be one of those problems that resolved itself before it became a bigger problem. “Yeah, I’m alright. I bumped my head earlier, but I’m feeling alright now. I’m sorry I worried him- and you. I’ll make sure to talk to him.” “Are you sure you’re feeling alright? Blades told me you slipped off the ladder earlier and hit your head.” “No, I, I’m alright. I wasn’t feeling well earlier, but I feel fine now. Really.” He lost his smile a while back and cracked a new one to look reassuring, though if he wasn’t feeling well why would he be smiling? He was an awful liar, but truth be told his head really didn’t hurt all that much. He was overwhelmed with something else entirely. ‘So Blades did talk to him, doesn’t sound like he said anything damaging.’ “Alright,” conceding defeat for now by shutting his eyes while pinching the ridge of his nose, “you let me or one of your brothers or sister known if you’re not feeling alright. Remember: There is no such thing as a minor head injury.” He gave his son a pat and squeeze of the shoulder before heading back downstairs leaving his son to do what he felt was right. Didn’t mean he wasn’t going to leave Graham unchecked for the night, he gave Dani a heads up to keep an eye on her brother before going out on patrol. ***** Another Point of View ***** Chapter Summary Good intentions lead to an embarrassing situation coupled by crippling self doubt after an accident sparked from cultural difference becomes the height of interest. Follow along as Blades and Graham learn more about each other and become closer than they initially thought possible. Chapter Notes Disclaimer: Series and characters are a copyrighted and trademarked property of Hasbro. No profit has been made by the following material. The bunker’s ceiling light had gone out, it wasn’t the biggest deal, but Chase insisted on getting it replaced as well as the other two that seem to be flickering. As he he shuffled between channels he watched Graham out of the corner of his optic. The ladder wobbled against the wall as he went up. ‘He’s going to fall if he’s not careful.’ Blades made his way over to offer a hand and as he made he was he watched as the young man came sailing backwards. He dived forward and put his servos out to catch him. His legs slipping between his digits as he cracked his head against the palm of his servo. Graham’s body slumped into palm in a limp, his helmet which he often wore had come off in the process, but had probably saved him from hitting his head worse. The familiar black rimmed frames the young man often wore lay somewhere on his chest having flown off his face, but not going very far in the process. With the utmost care Blades focused his optics scanning him from top to bottom. ‘Thank goodness… still cycling air.’ He quickly moved the glasses to the side to be dealt with later resting his sensitive digit over his chest to check his pulse, breathing was good and all, but the fuel pump as he considered it mattered too. It shouldn’t be out of sync. ‘Stasis lock.. What do they call it, it has a name… Well he’s alright, that’s all that matters sort of.’ Something about his seems out of place. He gently set his glasses back on his face as best as he could using the specialized tool equipped in his last digit to pinch the glasses. Several moments of struggling with the tiny optical correcting gear was rewarded with near success. He managed to slip them on over his head, but missed his audial cover. ‘It’s close enough, he can… fix it later.’ ‘Why does he still look so unhappy? His pants look kind of funny. Hmn, he hand landed oddly maybe he landed on his skid plates wrong?’ Carefully Blades went about trying to check, but how to go about removing human clothing alluded him. It was thin enough for him to run his digit against and check for bumps. Though he wasn’t exactly sure what to be feeling for either. ‘Nothing here, or here, or- what in Primus is that? Figures everyone has to be out when I need help. Humans respond well to touch maybe if I brush my digit against his crotch plate it’ll help.’ A groan or was it a moan, Blades pondered somewhere in the back of his processor as he dragged his digit between the young man's legs. ‘Feels like it’s getting worse, maybe that means it’s helping though?’ When Graham finally flicked open his eyes this reassured him. “You have a bump on your leg… I was trying to massage it away, is it n-not helping?” He knew the term skid plate wasn’t applicable, but figured leg was a good enough approximation to the bump he was referring too. However in all of his infinite years of wisdom he hadn’t the faintest about human anatomy aside from the basics. He was met with resistance, and protest from the man as he recoiled from his servo drawing his legs together. It seemed very strange how quick he was to push away help. “I’m sorry,” anything that got a God and no in the same breath twice was generally never good. Now Graham looked upset, ‘M-maybe I hurt him’? Gently he nudged his side in an attempt to make immense. ‘Tough love,’ He chalked the current reaction to being prideful and not wanting his help this called for a different approach. ‘That’s probably what he needs.’ Blades assured himself. ‘He’s probably just confused and doesn’t realize I’m trying to help.’ “You… should really get that checked out. I think it’s getting worse. Why won’t you let me help you? I’ll be more gentle.” He said as he went to pry the young man's legs apart. Despite all protests and the hands of the man working as hard as they could to keep him from touching he lightly brushed them aside and smiled. ‘I guess that’s what it took.’ Though as he continued he began to groan, though he thought he was being helpful. “See, I told you I could be gentler. You don’t have to worry I won’t hurt you. Just let me help you.” Through a muffled stop killed his movements. “I’m still hurting you aren’t I,” wanting only to help, but feeling as though he’d failed for only making things worse. He worried about how upset Boulder would be for not providing better care. As Graham tried to explain, but failed to elucidate what it was he had done so wrong he looked down at him sympathetically. His eyes searching the face of a truly conflicted being, an expression he’d seen a few times in his life, though few being the operative word. Blades stared at Graham in dismay, “Then what am I doing wrong?” He didn’t for the life of him understand humans. “Please tell me, I want to help you not hurt you more.” Then came the explanation, but it still did little to educate him on the social misconduct at hand. Blades arched his optic ridge nodding, he understood the concept of no go zones, but why still alluded him. “Well I don’t see how either … of those don’t apply.” ‘I care about him a lot, and this was an emergency …’ So now it was his turn to talk. “Well, I do love you,” Blades paused throwing in his clarification, “platonically speaking of course. And something is wrong, at least I thought so, now I’m more than positive. You’re babbling a lot. You’re almost completely incoherent.” Of course right after saying that Graham naturally had to go and floor him with the next few words that came tumbling out of his mouth rather dryly. ‘Inter… course.’ It took no less than an astrosecond for him to get what it was that Graham meant. “Y-y-y-ou mean I- interfacing? G-g-Graham I’m-I-I didn’t,” he looked on now equally hopeless. Practically ready to bolt for the door himself. He considered what an incredibly good sport about this Graham had been and realized what all the fuss had been about. Had the roles were reversed he might have chosen to perform a dive right out on his head onto the ground damn everything and everyone if he fell and broke his neck. This was embarrassing, ‘no wonder,’ that’s all he could think. Embarrassing was an understatement of the century, he had just spent the better part of fifteen kliks molesting his partner’s brother. “Sorry, I didn’t-I had no idea. I. Am. So. Sorry.” Though as awkward as the whole thing had been Blades didn’t feel as dismayed by this. Graham had made his exit for the upstairs. A little distance between them was a good idea and the timing couldn’t have been better. The Chief had just rounded the last flight of stairs and as the observant person that he was, he noticed the light fixture that was left hanging open and the helmet that was on the floor alongside the ladder. “Blades did something happen in here?” Chief Burns pointed to the ladder after picking up the helmet that laid on the floor. ‘Don’t panic, just tell him what happened, minus the whole segment where you molested his son. Yeah don’t talk about that part.’ “You see, Graham was fixing those lights up there, but kind of had a little accident.” He threw his servos up quickly to clarify, “little, it’s okay, he’s fine, I think. Err, well he did sort of hit his head, but he had his helmet on.” ‘Slag abort mission, this isn’t reassuring at all.’ “I’ll go ask him myself, thanks Blades. I’m just glad you were there to help him. I don’t know what got into that boy. Someone should have been helping him by holding that ladder.” He trailed off while he waited for Chase to show up for patrol ending up in a holding pattern while his partner unbeknownst to him was getting inquired about the same son he was presently concerned for. The chief contemplated the idea that his son may have indeed hit his head, helmet or not though the conversation short as it was brief he felt comfortable leaving Graham be. He still tipped Dani and Cody off before leaving for patrol. Blades watched from the helipad seeing Chase drive off with his partner ten minutes later. A sense of relief washing over him for some odd reason. ‘Obviously Graham didn’t say anything, so I guess we’re good. I hope so.’ He’d normally vent his thoughts out aloud on the roof top, but by the off chance anyone was listening or just outside the door he quietly contemplated what’s transpired internally. ‘Intercourse. What did I get myself into?’ Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!