The noise was getting louder.

Orion sat up slowly, twisting to look over at the shut door of the bedroom. Quickfire stirred in annoyance, still exhausted from the nightmare that had sent her running into Orion's arms with a sob, and the hours she had sat up crying for her daddy.

The scratching persisted, followed by a high-pitched whimper.

Carefully, the Prime slipped out of the bed and crossed the room warily, opening the door slowly and sighing when he saw what was on the other side. He knelt down, smiling softly with tired eyes.
"Hey boy," He murmured to Storm, scratching the golden lab behind his ear, "Haven't seen you in a while."
The dog whimpered again, pressing his nose into the inside of Orion's wrist and whined when there was no trace of lemon to balance out the strawberry. He twisted past the holo, sniffing the blue shirt folded neatly on the chair beside the wardrobe and whimpering when the shirt carried no trace of his owner. Orion exhaled forcibly through his nose and slipped back into bed, dropping his hand down to pet Storm soothingly when he curled up at the side of the bed.

"I know, boy. I miss him too."

Rain lightly misted against the Californian dorm room's window, unseen due to the inky darkness of outside. A sudden cold breeze snaked through the open window, making the student checking his work shiver and tip his chair back to close it. Leaning over, he flipped the switch which made the smaller lamps perched on desks and the tops of wardrobes turn on at once-their ceiling lighting was horrific- bathing the room in soft yellow light. He stretched, cracking his elbows and fingers as he did so before going back to his work.

Mere minutes later, the door flew open and hit his roommate's bed so hard in slammed shut in his face, prompting a snort from the man by the window. The man outside let out a muffled curse before opening the door slightly easier, then practically flew across the room.

"Come on, man! Go get changed!"
"I told you I wasn't going, Leo"

"Come on, man! Hot chikas and bros!" Leo tried to persuade his roommate, bouncing excitedly and running his fingers through his curly hair. The red-head looked up from his laptop, eyebrows practically at his hairline. He propped one elbow on the table and dropped his chin into his palm, the bold designs of red, blue and green which twisted up his arms automatically catching Leo's eye.

Sam's mouth twisted up at the side even as he shook his head. "Man, I've got way too much-"
"Dude, you're a fucking TA and you've completed practically everything in our course! You could graduate next month despite it only being November. I'm sure you're fine."
"Leo-"
"Come on, man! You've been here two months-"
"-I've been here from June."
"...That doesn't count; you were studying with the professor all summer to feed you're freaky genius IQ and do a four year course in like half a year. There wasn't people around! It's been two months and you have never even looked at anyone! You've got that whole 'smart badass with a motorbike' thing for the chicks and that 'Delicate bambi-eyed twinky' shit for the dudes-"
"Delicate bambi-eyed twinky?!"
Leo rolled on, ignoring Sam's incredulous yelp, "and turned down all of them! Dude, there was guys I'd bend over for!"
"Whoa man, I did not need that mental image-"
"And yet every time you just 'Sorry, not interested, I'm in a relationship'! Come on, man! You're in collage! You're meant to do the whole drink, drugs, and sex thing!"
Sam tipped his head back and laughed, the yellow glow of the lamps illuminating the pale scars on his neck. "Man, been there, done that. I am never touching that stuff again, and as for sex?" He exhaled a laugh, lips curling up into a knowing smile as he bit down on his bottom lip and slowly released it, leaving it full and red, "Man, I'm just gonna end up disappointed, compared to what I'm used to."

Leo made a face, batting at the air between the two as if to push away the conversation. "Ew dude, TMI. Anyway, come on" He dragged out the word into a whine, until Sam threw his hands up with a huff.

"Alright Alright! Ares give me strength."

His fingers darted across the keyboard before he clicked the laptop shut. He rose rapidly, grabbing a handful of clothes and disappeared into the bathroom, before reappearing in jeans and a black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, displaying the delicate designs crawling up his arms. Before leaving, he knelt down before the small alter wedged between his bed and the window and whispered a soft prayer, before extinguishing the two candles that stood there with his finger and thumb. Stepping around the dumbstruck Leo (who was staring incredulously at Sam, who never changed his mind), he opened the door and raised an eyebrow at Leo. "C'mon then, let's go check out this rave."

"I can't just leave!" Sam turned back to the sink and went to ball up the acceptance letter, only for Orion to dart flush with his back and pluck it out of hands.

"Darlin', you have to go! This...this is an amazing opportunity!" Orion scanned the letter again, co-signed by the president. "You'd only be gone for six months, and if you have to cut it short for some emergency-" Sam knocked the chopping board twice, waving away the mystified look he knew was on Orion's face without turning around, "-you can finish you last month here. And it would mean..." he trailed off, before softening his voice and placing a hand on Sam's shoulder, "It would mean you wouldn't be here when Galloway is."

Sam first tensed under the hand, then twisted to curl into Orion's chest and lock his arms around him, relaxing slightly when the holo immediately wrapped his arms around him and rested his cheek on the top of his head, eyes like flint.

Too many times had he woke to Sam begging Galloway to stop and listen to him, and too many times over the last few days did Sam's momentarily terrified face flash before his eyes when they were told who would be their liaison for the next six months.

"But the Rebels-"he protested into Orion's chest, voice muffled even as he deflated slightly.

"-Miles is more than capable of taking control for a few months."

"Soundwave-"

"Mass forces won't reach Earth until next year at the very earliest...we're talking about ten cons in the next few months at the very most."

"Quickfire."

Orion sighed, tightening his hold on Sam for a moment. "You can still read her a story every night, and you'll be able to come home for a few days every month. I know it'll be hard Darlin'...but you have to do this. You deserve to have at least a few months of being a normal college student, after everything you've done."

"Orion-"

"Don't dare argue with me on that, I have the backing of half a race, a few dozen humans and a life-giving power."

Sam pulled back slightly, biting on his bottom lip. "And if I go...will..." he wouldn't meet Orion's eyes, and when the mech gently tilted his chin up, his spark ached at the vulnerability in his eyes. "Will you still be here for me?"

He was going to hunt down every single person who had ever turned away from his Promised and make them regret ever putting that lost look in his eyes.

Gently, he leant down and kissed the human slowly and softly-nothing more than to provide reassurance and show his love.
"I have waited thousands of vorns for you, Darlin'. A few months will be naught but sparkling's play."

"You were always so nice, Sam!" Stacey slurred, propping herself up by leaning against him. "Kaela talked about you all the time!"
"Uh huh." Sam choked down a laugh, patting her on the head. "Stacey, I think you've had enough tonight. Maybe you should head home?"

"YEAH I SHOULD TOTALLY DO THAT!" The girl squealed, swishing her neon purple hair around in excitement.

Shaking his head, Sam motioned one of the girls Stacey had arrived with over, frowning when the girl simply told him to take her home himself and shut the lights off when he left. After debating for a few seconds, the red-head pulled the stumbling girl's arm over his shoulder and shook his head.
"Nah, I was at school with her and I can't just leave her. I'll let her stay in my room tonight, rather than her be by herself."
The girl shrugged, turning away with a careless "Whatever", completely missing Sam's outraged look that she would let her 'friend' vanish with a random guy who she'd never met before, when Stacey was clearly in no shape to be by herself.
Muttering under his breath, he grabbed Leo by the arm, making the curly haired student jolt and narrowly avoid throwing the drink at him.
"Man, I'm taking Stacey to ours to sleep this off...try not to stumble in at three AM singing Christmas carols again."
"Duuuuude!" The tips of Leo's ear burned, "That was one time!"
"I LOVE CHRISTMAS CAROLS!"

Carefully, Sam led her outside, shrugging his jacket off and giving it to her when she started to shiver. They had only got a couple of feet outside the club when someone called his name, causing him to huff under his breath and turn with a forced calm expression.
"Yes?"
The student that called him rocked back on his heels, grinning at Sam from under a blond fringe. He carefully licked his lips, dragging his eyes up and down the teen's wiry body. "Hey, I'm Steven. I'm in your Astrophysics and Gov classes. I was wondering if maybe you could tutor me in some things? Maybe we could go-"
At that moment Stacey moaned and Sam just had enough time to get her over to the gutter and crouch down before she threw up, shivering. He murmured soothingly to her, holding her hair back and rubbing her back until she groaned and leant against him, snuggling into his warmth.
"So can we?"
"What?" Sam glanced back at him, shaking his head and rubbing Stacey's arm when she started throwing up again. "Yeah, sure, whatever man." He muttered distractedly, attention on the girl in his arms. "Look man, I'm kinda busy, I'll talk to you tomorrow."
He gently lifted Stacey up and helped guide her onto his back in a piggy-back, where she locked her arms and legs around him and buried her face in his neck with a tired sob. He murmured softly to her, distractedly throwing a hand up at Steven as he darted across the road and made his way to his dorm.

As Steven watched him go, he ran his tongue over his teeth and smirked, "Well...Prime seems to have chosen someone with as big a bleeding spark as his own."
He blinked slowly, brown irises melting into blood red.

Stacey jerked up and practically threw herself over the side of the bed, retching into the dish left there. Sam winced sympathetically from his desk, smiling softly at Stacey when she met his eyes.

"Sam? What...what time is it?"
"It's about four AM, Stacey."
She blinked, purple hair sticking in all directions. "Why am I here?"
"I didn't want to risk you chocking in the middle of the night, and there was no-one else to look after you."
She blinked at him, swallowing some of the water he had left for her. "...Thanks."
"Don't worry about it." He cut her argument off with a wave of his hand. "Seriously, Stacey. Get some sleep."
She nodded slowly, and then curled up again, facing the wall with a sleepy sigh. Sam shook his head, jerking when his PADD gave a soft chime.

He shot up, grabbing it and ducking into Leo's 'office', locking the door behind him. He accepted the call, sighing in relief when Orion's tired, but mostly uninjured holo smiled back at him.
"Hey Darlin'"
"Hey. How was Beijing?"
"Alright." Orion scuffed a hand over his face, grimacing when his hand pulled on a few cuts. "Got everything contained pretty quickly."
"...What else happened?" Sam didn't miss the tension in Orion's shoulders nor the heaviness in his eyes. The mech blinked tiredly back at him, exhaling through his exhaustion.
"I'll tell you tomorrow."
"Okay, I'll see you-tomorrow? What do you mean, tomorrow?"
Orion looked back at him, before dropping his head into his hands and shaking his head. Panic twisted Sam stomach, even as he forced himself to stay calm
"Orion, what happened? Orion? Sweetheart, you're scaring me here."
"I know, I'm-I'm sorry." The holo ran his fingers through his hair, taking a calming breath before he looked up at Sam again, clasping his hands together tightly.
"We had a break-in last night."
"What?!" Sam snapped upright, hands shaking, "Who was it?! Is everyone okay?! What-"
"Sam! Darlin, not here. The break-in wasn't here."
"Gods, Orion! Don't scare me like-Wait...where was broken into?"
Orion looked back at him for a long moment before swallowing. "The safe."
"The safe? What safe-"

"Will, what are they going to do with the Shard?"
"It's being hidden in one of the safest naval bases in the world, under an electromagnetic field which should keep any of them from getting to it"
"How are they going to hide that?"
"I'm not sure, something about filing it in the paperwork as being in a 'safe' of some sort?"

"Oh gods."
"Yeah." Orion scrubbed a hand over his face, sighing in exhaustion. "We're going to collect you about two o'clock tomorrow-"
"Orion, I can just get a plane-"
"NO!"
Sam jumped, taken back by the outrage in Orion's voice. The holo swore, dragging his shaking fingers through his hair again. "Sorry Darlin', I didn't...it's too dangerous. You'd be far too out in the open and..."
"Hey, Orion." Sam smiled softly at him, waiting until he slumped back before continuing, "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"
The holo looked back at him, relief clear in his eyes as he nodded. Sam smiled again, waiting until Orion managed to smile back before he reached out to touch the screen. Automatically Orion copied, pressing their fingertips together.
"I love you, and everything's going to be okay. It'll work out."
Orion smiled again, huffing out a soft laugh. "Love you too, Darlin', and-" his eyes snapped to somewhere behind Sam's head and he snapped up, face smoothing out.
"-Director Galloway!"
Both screens vanished as Orion slammed the laptop shut and Sam flipped the cover over the PADD.

The smile dropped, and he took a shaking breath to try and calm the terror that was rising in his throat. He stared at the covered PADD for a few moments, then took an unsteady breath and set the PADD to the side and quickly rose. He avoided the tables in the 'office' as if he was in a daze, unlocking the door and ghosting over to the wardrobe. Robotically, he pulled it open, grabbed the suitcase from the top shelf and began packing.

Sam softly shut the door behind Stacey, having waved her embarrassed apologies aside with a smile. Leo slapped his shoulder as he got up from his desk, muttering something about 'girls being wasted' on him.

The student brushed it off with a laugh, picking some books off the table and sliding them into the almost-full suitcase, which had been explained by a blunt 'family emergency'.
Sam's tight smile had silenced any questions.

Still laughing, he pulled a brown zip-up out of the wardrobe, and almost had it in his bag before he registered what it was. The laugh died in his throat as he turned it over in his hands, fingers lightly grazing the material.

Leo snorted from behind him, shaking his head as he stumbled into the bathroom. "Dude, don't even donate that-That thing deserves to be burned!"
"Hey!" Sam shouted back, turning the jacket in question over in his hands absentmindedly, "I bled in this thing!" He dropped his voice, still gazing at the jacket in confusion, "I haven't seen this thing since...I don't even remember packing it-"

Out of the sleeve, something small slipped.

He had just enough time to recognise the silver sheen and symbols scrawled across the side, just enough time to know he had to catch it, and just enough time to reach out-

The moment the splinter touched his skin, agony exploded in his fingers and blazed up his arm, ravaging through his body in a heartbeat. He bit down on his other wrist to stop his screams from slipping out as the white-hot splinter which burned blue melted into his palm. The symbols hidden by his new tattoos blazed to life, matching the colour of his burning irises.

Barely a few seconds had past, when the images slammed into him. Worlds and wars and energon and blood and fire and ice and a thousand things in-between swirled into a sickening blur of agony. The sound hit next: Voices who screamed and pleaded and roared, crashes and clashes and cracking of flames which swirled into deafening noise.

He gripped his hair with his burning hand, ignoring the taste of copper in his mouth as he trembled, frozen in one spot. The pain skyrocketed to a point where he could not scream even if he wanted to when, suddenly, it vanished.
He crumpled, curling up and trembling as the aftershocks slammed into place, razing through him from head to toe.

He stayed like that, curled up like a child until the pain blissfully ebbed and the pressure of someone's hand on his shoulder grew. The noise that had sounded like a badly tuned radio eventually focused enough to become a calming male voice.
"-there we go, Sam. Take another breath for me. That's it, you're doing great man. One more breath...there you go..."

Still trembling, he allowed himself to be guided into a sitting position, back against the blessedly cool mirror of the wardrobe. He stared blankly, barely noticing that the other teen had left, only to reappear with a first aid box. Like Sam was a spooked animal, Leo slowly pulled the bleeding wrist away from where it was tucked against the chest and gently dashed some antiseptic on it, frowning to himself when Sam didn't so much as flinch at the sting of alcohol.
"You okay, bro?" He made certain to keep his voice low and even as he wrapped the bandage around the wrist.
"Panic attack" the red-head gasped out, forcing his breath back under control and ignoring the warmth blossoming at the back of his head, "Fine now, just need to wash my mouth out."

"Okay, man." Leo backed off slowly, letting Sam stumble to his feet and into the bathroom.

He gripped the sink for support, spitting into it and grimacing at the splatter of scarlet. With shaking hands he yanked the mouthwash off the shelf and ended up using half a bottle, not pausing until all he could taste was spearmint, and desperately pushing back at the heat which was increasing in his cheat. He gazed down at the sink for a moment before slowly lifting his hand to stare at the mark on it. It no longer was an angry weeping wound. Now, it looked like someone had drawn the sliver in henna on his palm-a thin black outline with the symbols that decorated it seemingly painstakingly painted on. He poked it carefully; surprised at how unsurprised he was when there was no pain.

He took a slow breath then lifted his head to look into the mirror. He took one more steadying breath and pulled at the heat in his head and chest and held it for a breath, and then pushed it away once more with an exhale.

His eyes flashed blue in sync.

SO MUCH WORK AT A-LEVEL

HERE IS YOUR NEW STORY AND WE ARE RIGHT BANG INTO THE ROTF ARC SO YEY

GIVE ME SONGS TO LISTEN TO/ THINGS YOU WANT TO SEE IN THIS FIC/ UPDATES ON HOW YOU LOT ARE DOING IN THE REVIEWS PLEASE!

HOLY SHIT I'VE MISSED YOU GUYS SO MUCH *HUGS ALL OF YOU*

ALSO I GOT TWITTER SO COME TALK TO ME GUYS!
starscatterer