NOTORIOUS // TFP Arcee X Reader

What's it to you?

CHAPTER NINE
2ND POV
7 / 2 8 / 1 9
/ / /
"Steal from everyone and copy no one."
– Charles Movalli
/ / /

"So why didn't you pick me up from school the other day?" Jack questioned, using one hand to adjust his biking helmet. It went back to join the other one in gripping the motorcycle handles as the two sped towards the Autobot base. Arcee moved one of her rear view mirrors to better see her teammates behind her.

   "I met with the neutral bot," she answered monotonously.

   "Y/N? Does Optimus know?" Jack asked, full of surprise.

   "Of course he does. I have to tell him." She'd admitted to her meeting with you, and though her leader had disapproved of leaving without telling anyone, he was glad you'd been willing to cooperate. Even if she hadn't gotten too much information from you verbally, your actions had spoke just as loud as your words.

   "Right," he replied. She wouldn't keep useful information from Optimus.

". . . And?" Arcee could tell he wanted to know more.

   "When you told Optimus about them, he said they would be good to have as an ally, but if they want to be left alone, we should do that."

   "I remember."

   "Has anyone tried talking to them? They didn't say they wanted to be left alone, they, well they didn't really say anything about themself." Jack stopped and chuckled to himself. "Miko said we should convince them to come to our side so she can get free jet rides."

The motorcycle hummed in amusement. "Of course she did."

"What'd they say anyways? Y/N?" The trio finally approached the base doors. They opened before Bumblebee, and her and Bulkhead followed through.

"I'll tell you up topside in a bit," she answered.

   The femme drove in line with her teammates and let Jack get off of her before transforming. The two made their way towards the elevator. They rose to the level of the cliff where Cliffjumper's memorial resided. The human and alien walked over and sat on the edge.

   Arcee stayed true to what she'd said when they arrived. She told him the details she'd told Optimus. You had a plus one, but little information was provided about them, but they seemed to want to be left alone. You were surprisingly understanding. You saved them for no apparent reason, not even personal gain, or so it seemed. You also used to steal as a hobby. She wondered if it went farther than that. You seemed like you knew more than you let on.

The femme told her partner about what she'd revealed. Team Prime's members, their human friends and allies. Arcee made sure to mention her threats against you, which you took calmly and moved past without issue.

"Did you tell Y/N about Cliffjumper?" Jack asked.

"No. I specifically said 'no getting personal'. They got the message."

"Oh."

Arcee had her knees near her chassis. Her arms were behind her, supporting her as she watched the horizon. She hadn't revealed all you'd said though, that didn't matter when it came to telling Optimus. The things that's made her flush blue. The things that, as she remembered, made her smile and quietly laugh to herself. "They said my optics were the prettiest they'd ever seen."

   Jack's head whipped over to look at her in surprise. "Wait really?"

   "Yeah. It didn't seem like I was meant to hear it, but they said they really meant it anyway." She was still smiling at that. Jack noticed, raising a brow, but decided not to question it.

   "I knew they were flirting with you when we both found them. Did they say anything else?"

   "I like you. I'm curious about ya. I'd like to see you again."

Arcee remembered it like it'd happened this morning. "They said they wanted to talk to me again."

Admittedly, she regretted how she acted that day. You'd been so kind and patient despite her threats and attitude. A part of her was still immensely skeptical, but Optimus and Jack had hope, so she would too. Besides, the part of her that liked the attention was gnawing at her spark.

Sure, Arcee wasn't too big of a fan of flirting, or at least, the usual type where some drunk mech would approach her at Maccadam's and spout compliments and pickup line they didn't mean. If a Decepticon had ever asked her if Primus had a servo in sculpting her frame with lust in his optics, she'd kick his aft. You weren't like that though.

Throughout the war, the femme had gotten compliments on her ability to carry out orders like other soldiers. She'd been starved of most touches that weren't the violent kind. She'd been starved of relationships that didn't end in tragedy.

That was the problem, wasn't it? If she did like you, trust you, you'd likely just become another statistic. If you turned out to be a terrible person, the team had another enemy to add to the list. It would never end well.

"Arcee?" The femme looked down at her partner, who was gazing up in concern.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Are you going to? Talk with them again, like you did a few days ago?" Jack repeated.

She took a moment to think, tapping a digit on the platform. "I don't know. I think so. To collect more information."

"Okay." The response had something to it. It made her raise an optic ridge. He then asked, "Do you mind the flirting?"

Arcee went still. "Is that a question I have to answer?" Her tone was dry, but the response said too much already. The human boy's face went from shocked to amused.

"Is that why you'd really go back to see Y/N?" He teased and laughed.

"Do want to walk to base tomorrow?" She playfully challenged.

   "Alright, forget I asked," he laughed, raising his hands in innocence. "What does the team think?"

"Bee's excited for a new ally, Bulk is hopeful but skeptical, Ratchet is the same, just more pessimistic about it, and, well, you already know Optimus' take on things. Fowler was surprised and told Optimus to make sure the neutrals didn't mess with any humans or make themselves known."

"Guess you'll have to tell them that."

"Heh, yeah, I guess."

Jack pondered for a moment. "What do you think?"

Arcee was casually watching the clouds pass by. She raised an optic ridge in question again. "Didn't I already tell you what I thought?"

"No, you just told me what you told Optimus and you liked their flirting. You're the only one that's really gotten to know the neutral. What do you think of Y/N?"

She wanted to retort against the second half of the first statement, but decided not to. Arcee gnawed at the mesh of the inside of her cheek. She pictured your curvy and slim seeker figure, heels and wings and all. She recalled your encounters and your admittance to first seeing Team Prime during that mine raid. "I don't know," the two-wheeler admitted.

   Bee called her on the comm. It was time for patrol again.