Everybody learns from *somebody*

[lordmegatron]

Passing the doors into the library, Megatron was pleased he had gotten the schedule correct as he saw who was sitting at the desk. If it had been completely necessary due to his own schedule, he'd have come here when he could. But since he didn't have to...

Ignoring the faint itch interfacing hadn't properly gotten rid off, Megatron approached the librarian at a lazy, casual walk. It was a pity he hadn't seen any signs at all that the surprisingly fine-lined truck-alted mech had the inclination he was looking for. Things would have been a lot easier (and, really, pleasing) if he had.

As it was, since there was no one left in the current arena circuit that he trusted with what he had to hand over, perhaps he would have to avail himself of one of the clubs. It made an irritable twitch slither down the treads on his shoulders, the thought that he'd have to do that.

It was ages since he'd had to go to an open venue like that to simply get his needs properly taken care of.

And he really would have preferred the librarian. Orion Pax - it hadn't taken anything to find out the designation when to found the schedule - was witty, somehow diplomatically argumentative and didn't give in if he knew he was right or wanted to stand for his opinion, actually had some smarts to go with said use of words and Megatron wanted to know more.

More, and more personally (most of the earlier he'd simply learned over the few times he'd been in the library when the mech was, but hadn't actually approached him). So this time, he decided to actually use the librarian's assistance in what he was looking for... and perhaps get something more out of it.

"Excuse me?"

Comments

[lordmegatron]

In most situations Megatron would have said yes immediately, assumed it, or said that's what would happen. Here and now, however, considering everything so far, he paused long enough to eye Orion for a moment before he nodded.

"If you have the time, I certainly would. I have nothing planned today." Mostly because regardless of what happened, he hadn't wanted to do any thing under some sort of pressure that a time constraint would bring to bear.

Disengaging the privacy barrier, Megatron stood up and gave Orion an easy smile and almost asked how far he was comfortable to go in public regarding normal displays of affection - he had the sudden urge to kiss him.

But... didn't. Both because of the place and the fact it didn't seem right for him to act out of turn (no matter that they hadn't established anything like it, and might not at all), and even Megatron realised that question might be better saved for when they weren't about to leave.

It was a bit annoying, however.

[ichooseboth]

"Ah, good. I'm off for the rest of the day, so we have plenty of time."

Orion stood after Megatron, smiling with his own relief. Oblivious to Megatron's own inner dilemma, Orion simply stepped up beside him and offered larger mech his arm.

"Shall we?" He asked, grinning disarmingly. Clearly, he had no issue with the 'usual' forms of public affection.

[lordmegatron]

Megatron stared, the offered arm quite unexpected. If it had been (almost) anyone other than Orion, he'd have taken offense. As it was, Megatron was surprised and maybe charmed. Only a little, and only by it being an insight into Orion's personality.

"I believe so, yes." Pretending there had been no lapse, Megatron smirked, looped his arm with the one offered and it was probably an amusing thing, for those paying attention, the difference between Megatron's behaviour in that particular space and outside of it, as a few steps away from the door, his field bloomed effortlessly outwards and his expression subtly... firmed as well.

[ichooseboth]

Beaming when Megatron took his arm, Orion led him down the street and back in the direction of his apartment with a contently purring engine. Possible 'additions' in their fledgling relationship or not, it certainly felt wonderful to be so comfortably close to the impressive mech.

Of course, the sudden change in Megatron was enough for Orion to notice, given how close he was. Though he made no move to disengage from Megatron's arm, Orion did glance up to give the gladiator a confused glance, his own field relaxing from some of his tight hold.

"Alright?" He eventually asked, raising an optic ridge in question.

[lordmegatron]

Despite being out of the café and nowhere private, Megatron was content to let Orion lead them - in fact, it wasn't bad at all, since it let him concentrate more fully on the surroundings and possible threats.

Not that there were any, and of course he could have led the way himself and be alert at the same time, but Megatron's nature (so fitting his position as a gladiator) and being used to the ring made it impossible not to.

His own engine went a half-pitch deeper when he felt Orion let his field loosen up some, even if, this close, he could feel it nonetheless. The question was at first met with a helmtilt and a blank look.

What was he even...

Oh.

"Ah, yes. Perfectly fine." Despite clearing his vocaliser in what could be called a cough, Megatron chuckled. "That's perfectly normal. It simply depends on the situation and location and what frame of mind I need to be in." Optics sweeping around them as he spoke, Megatron shrugged, amusement tugging on his lips.

"I should probably have chosen another place for us to talk, but it was nearby, the food on offer is very good, and it's as safe as a public space can be."

[ichooseboth]

"Oh. I think I understand. Somewhat." Orion chuckled softly. He led them at a rather brisk pace; normally he would transform to make the trip more swift, but he found himself loathe to pull away from the larger mech unless he suggested it first. It was...nice. And his apartments were not that far away at all. He'd chosen them for their proximity to the library, after all.

"I think I can see the need, at least. It seems like it could be inconvenient at best to be in the wrong mindset at the wrong time."

[lordmegatron]

If Orion actually had made motions and a suggestion they transform, Megatron would probably have said they could walk - maybe it was merely the newness of not having to impose closely on Orion's personal space, but he enjoyed feeling the mech and his EM field close.

"Precisely. Some have an easier time of it, but I've always preferred a private setting. Beside a few exceptions." One of which was the café they'd just been in, the others... some other places.

Not that it had been easy for his doms to introduce him to those beyond-private settings at first, but patience and showing he could trust them there had led to those exceptions being founded.

Then Megatron glanced down at Orion, tightening his hand a little where it rested on the red arm to call Orion's attention; there was one more thing, far more simpler than any possible... extra additions to their beginning relationship, to take up.

"I hope you wouldn't mind continuing whatever this leads to even after I might need to go back to Kaon. My term doesn't end for a while yet, but it will happen." And Megatron didn't exactly feel like giving Orion up for a bit of distance.

[ichooseboth]

"Hmm?"

They were almost back to Orion's apartment, but the mech paused questioningly when Megatron's grip changed on his arm.

"Oh... Right. I had forgotten." Orion's audial nubs visibly drooped, field wobbling briefly with disappointment. Orion shifted his grip, dislodging Megatron's hand - only to catch massive, scar-platted fingers with his own. Despite the vast difference in strength between them, the more finely articulated artisan digits could still manage a tight, reassuring squeeze. Orion stared up, optics going bright with stubborn challenge.

"But of course. I'd regret the distance, but I'm perfectly capable with tolerating a wait and some travel-time. I'd hardly let that stop me."

[lordmegatron]

"There's a vorn left, yet." The comment was both amused and reassuring - while a vorn wasn't an exceedingly long time, a lot could still happen during it, so who knew..? But he preferred not to think like that, not when he didn't need to.

He could plan forward for the long term, but relationships wasn't something you did that to.

Curling his hand around Orion's grip, Megatron's pleasure at the response thrummed through his field and in the tiny smile curling about the edges of his lips. No hesitation there, merely disappointment at the (potential) eventual distance.

He wouldn't say anything about how there was a slight, warm curl not just from the strength of Orion's grip, but also because that said strength came from someone whose hand was smaller than his.

"That's all I needed to know," Megatron murmured as he raised their joined hands, turning them over to drop a brief brush of a kiss against the back of Orion's hand before he lowered them again. "Shall we continue?"

[ichooseboth]

He really couldn't help the pulse from his field at the kiss, flaring warm with surprised pleasure and pressing up against Megatron's own. His optics were just as bright, and Orion beamed.

"Yes. Lets." Giving Megatron's hand a squeeze, he led them onward. It didn't take much longer to arrive, and the smaller mech welcomed the gladiator inside.

"I'd offer you a drink, but if imagine we're both still topped off." He laughed, waving a hand before plopping himself down on the nearest couch, though Orion pointedly left room for Megatron.

"So. Where do you recommend starting?"

[lordmegatron]

Megatron managed to suppress the twitch of charge Orion's expanding field caused, though his optics brightened minutely as he follwed Orion the last of the way, amusedly shaking his helm in agreement; he was quite topped up, and anything more would simply be a waste of energon.

Sitting down, Megatron angled himself so they were nearly facing straight and laid one arm over the back of the couch, considering where to start with a frown.

"Considering you're going into this new, a few decacyles first of plain stuff. Getting used to each other." Getting closer, and all the other things he could say, but Megatron, even if he could do a romantic gesture every now and then, wasn't exactly romatic. He did, however, stretch out enough to hook one of his legs around Orion's as he spoke.

"After that... probably a short session of you on your knees." Megatron held up a hand, catching Orion's optics. "I don't expect you will like it - you might, but most probably not. The point is merely to show you part of what it's about." Trust. Normally, of course, a switch wouldn't happen, but since Orion was completely new to this, Megatron felt it sort of his responsibility to at least attempt to make sure Orion understood.

[ichooseboth]

The immediate suggestions were met with only encouraging nods and a smile. Orion hummed happily when Megatron's leg entangled with his own, and was bold enough to rest a hand on his nearest knee.

"Of course. As different as some of the elements may be, a relationship is just that. I look forward to seeing more of you outside of my library." He chuckled, though the sound was brief.

Because given Orion's reaction to Megatron's final suggestion...he probably would not like it. At all.

Audials rotating back with a unpleasant grind of gears, his immediate, startled instinct was to lean away even as Megatron raised his hand preemptively.

"...Nnh. Why?"

Orion's field buzzed unpleasantly, withdrawing close to his frame, viscerally rejecting the idea even if his words were more...tactful.

[lordmegatron]

"Because even if you don't like it, or can understand why it might feel good for someone else, you should understand what sort of responsibility you're taking." It fell out before he'd thought much, and Megatron grimaced and dragged the hand he'd held up down his faceplates.

"Those aren't my words, by the way, but that's how I got in explained." Leaning back in his seat, Megatron wriggled his leg to rub their armour together, counterpoint to Orion's field, which he by now could only feel where their legs tangled together. "I know some merely talk about what they like and go from there, but I agree with my first dom; it's a good idea to at least be aware of the whole equation."

Not that he was a particularly good dominant - he was simply unable to perfectly put the other before himself when he was in that position, demanding more, in the wrong way, than what he had a right to. It'd taken a long while before he'd learned to at least be passable.

In fact...

Leaning forward slightly, Megatron pulled out a cable from the back of neck, nestled under the edge of the helm; standard transfer cable.

"This might help," Megatron said with a slightly dry smirk, offering the jack to Orion. "The first time I got put in the dominant position. Compared to you, I'd jumped at the chance, both because I couldn't quite equate myself with being submissive yet, and because the thought that I wouldn't be a master of both was incomprehensible to me." Megatron shook his helm, optics bright and amusement in his voice - at himself.

Even if he might still privately be annoyed that he wasn't a master of both. He could lead, yes, he knew this, but that wasn't the same as being a dominant. They were very similar, but different.

[ichooseboth]

"Being aware and experiencing are two completely different things..." Orion objected sullenly, even as he began to (reluctantly) grasp the wisdom of Megatron's words. The sharp angle of his spine eased somewhat, but his field's agitation did not subside.

"...I can somewhat see the reasoning of that, but I really don't see how it would help if one is not inclined to enjoy it? If anything, it feels like it might only increase my hesitation to do it to someone else."

How could he expect someone else to enjoy something that so viscerally repelled him?

Warily, Orion accepted the cable and, with only a moments hesitation, jacked in.

[lordmegatron]

"Responsibility and respect. Perhaps it'll make more sense later." That, again, was words he'd been told, and while he'd obviously grasped the responsibiliy part, there were probably things Megatron was missing.

He probably didn't want to admit to that, however.

With a lopsided grin as Orion plugged in, Megatron sat back again, tightened the leg he had around Orion's, and brought up the memory.

Crashtime's helm fit well in his hand, rounded segments where his palm fit, and with two large audial finials pointed backwards at the sides and this was easy and simple and right and clearly it had been Thunderfall's position he'd felt a reaction to when he accidentally walked in on them.

A smirk on his lips and his spark thrumming brightly, he leaned forward, feeling he was where he should be, and Crashtime definitely was where he should be---

"Scraplet." Quiet and implacable, the single word from the mech in front of him broke the pleased humming and he barely kept the frustrated roar muted. His hand tightened minutely before he stepped away, flinging his hands up.

"What now!? I was sure I got it right this time!" He glanced down at Crashtime, who stood up and shook his helm.

"You were and then it changed. Something in the grip, I could tell." Crashtime huffed and glanced over at Thunderfall, who so far had been a green and purple shadow in the corner of his vision. Megatron followed Crashtime's optics, and once again felt a flush rush through his circuits - similar but different to when he looked at Crashtime, whose smaller, but fiercly armoured chassis he could still fit within his own shadow easily.

Thunderfall was large, with extra armour that made him bigger than him, and Megatron wasn't often smaller than somebody.

"I think we need to start from the other end, 'Fall. He keeps missing it."

It was utterly enraging to be talked about as if he wasn't there, and Megatron crossed his arms, sullen frustration souring the energon still in his tanks.

"It can't be that hard. I'll get it." And then he was just annoyed with himself because that? That had been petulant. He didn't do petulant. Thunderfall shifting brought his optics back to the mech - there was just something in the way he moved that drew his attention.

"There's nothing wrong with your ability to be commanding, but you keep forgetting that he's not merely there for you Megatron. You've got a responsibility to him." Thunderfall stood up, the massive armour on his shoulders twitching which made the loose treads that fell from them sway.

Something twisted deep inside as the mech came up before him, his blue optics warm and bright, but his expression as implacable as Crashtime's simple use of his safe word had been.

"What?" Suspicion and nearly combat-ready caution made him widen his stance as Thunderfall raised his hand and cradled the side of his helm as Crashtime grinned and retreated to Thunderfall's seat.

"Perhaps you'll learn it by learning yourself, first." Thunderfall paused, his lips twisting briefly in a dry smile. "We should probably have started here, but I prefer teaching by doing both sides. But we'll get back to that. Let's see if you are more quicker to learn this, instead. Kneel, Megatron."

Implacable--- no. More than that and he didn't want to, how dare he, but at the same time he couldn't not---

Megatron's engine sputtered in conjunction with his vocaliser in a cough as he suddenly cut the memory off, optics bright and staring out the window.

"I have a feeling you'll end up understanding him better."

And maybe sometime he'd show Orion the rest of that memory, but that wasn't today. Besides, Orion should have his own impression of what such a situation could do to your chassis and spark.

[ichooseboth]

"That sounds-" reasonable, he started to say, but his jaw went slack and his frame tense as soon as the memory files hit.

The first, immediate thing Orion gained from the instant memory, was that he was reassured that Megatron wasn't simply teasing him some how. A small, wary part of him had wondered... But no, it was a genuine sort of technique, one with actual use. A responsibility to the...'submissive' mech? That sounded doable; he always wanted to make sure his berth-partners were well cared for, after all...

The second was a jolt of arousal so sharp and sudden it almost hurt. What Megatron was doing - or trying to do - in the start was...exhilarating. But it was the end that really got him. Not Megatron's impression of it; not being told to kneel from a first-person perspective, but the sight/feel of Megatron being told to and caving to it.

"...Oh." The sound was half moan, small and embarrassed but there nonetheless.

Immediately, he felt like he should be ill. That was close to what Maul had done, wasn't it? Not entirely, but...

But the arousal stayed, and Orion quickly moved to disconnect the hardline.

[lordmegatron]

At that little noise, Megatron wished they were sharing more than a one-way memory feed because what he wouldn't do to get the feedback from Orion's reaction to..?

Ah, yes. It didn't take more than an astrosecond or two to match up when he'd moaned to where in the memory it was, and Megatron kept staring out the window, hand briefly tightening on the back of the couch.

This was supposed to be a teaching moment, not leading into something... more. Shifting his shoulders, Megatron looked back at Orion, a slightly lopsided smile on his faceplates.

"That was a rather, mmmm, revealing day. And compared to Thunderfall and Crashtime, I'm not about to try and teach you about any submissive side you might or might not have," Megatron said as he waved his hand dismissively. "All we're going to do is a few kliks, a breem at the most. We'll keep it simple."

Mostly because he knew himself well enough by now that it was for the best they didn't attempt a full scene or anything of the sort. Merely something to give Orion a better first hand experience of what sort of situation it was.

Of what sort of thing you were, as a submissive, handing over to your dominant.

"And either way, I'm more interested in you in your feet." That lopsided smile morphed into a grin as his voice went soft with teasing, and hopefully it wasn't too soon to obliquely mention such a thing in regards to them.

[ichooseboth]

Handing back the cable without looking in Megatron's direction, Orion vented a heavy, heated sigh. Slowly, his systems began to calm, but not nearly quick enough for his embarrassed tastes.

"Ah. Right. Well then," Orion finally managed with a cough.

"Seems like it must have indeed been very...informative." He glanced up, still visibly embarrassed, but recovered enough to give Megatron the faintest of wry smirks.

"I believe at this point, I can honestly say I would much rather be on my feet as well."

[lordmegatron]

"It was, believe me." Laughing softly, Megatron actually winked at Orion as he put the cable away, smothering his smirk and looking away to give Orion a moment more to calm down and that embarrassment to go away.

Megatron couldn't tell what, precisely, Orion was embarrassed for. His own reactions to the memory? Probably, but it seemed to be more than that, or more than simple embarrassment, but Megatron wasn't the best at going quite that personal, at least on the spot.

He could read a crowd's mood and adjust his performance after that, but this wasn't remotly like that.

"I noticed. One more thing we should simply establish before anything else that'll come later; safe words." Megatron settled back in his seat again, expression tightening up. "I'm not the only one who's going to have one, no matter in what position I am in; you're going to have one as well, and it'll be your complete right to use it." Megatron stopped and stared at Orion, hard.

"If you feel you need to break off the breem we'll have in a few decacycles before it's up, you use that word. If, at any point, you feel uncomfortable with what you're doing while I'm the one before you, you use that word. We stop. If I use mine, we stop. No if's, but's or exceptions about it."

Not that he believed Orion would ever not stop, but it was as important the mech understand that he had the right to use the safe word that would be his as much as Megatron would have for his own.

[ichooseboth]

"Ah. Well. That sounds like a reasonable precaution." Orion nodded slowly. He recalled in his frenzied researching that first evening how he'd come across something similar in his reading and vid files, but had not understood the seemingly nonsensical change in the middle of the scenes.

Now he knew. And he also had a hunch about what Maul had severe trouble respecting.

"I think something like that should help. Some, at least."

He still wasn't comfortable with the idea of being on his knees. Not like this. But it was a start.

[lordmegatron]

"A rule, Orion." Megatron shook his helm. "If you engage in this beyond me, if neither you nor the other bring up a safe word discussion before you do anything, you need to stop immediately. Continuing beyond a safe word having been used isn't something to be done, either."

He knew well enough, since he'd flouted the safe word rule on both sides of the equation before he'd been taught better - and realised he had his limits as well, which had been humiliating (in his opinion), frustrating and, perhaps, somewhat unpleasant (terrifying) to realise and experience.

And Orion would be completely right in what Maul ended up having trouble respecting after a while.

Rubbing his chin, Megatron huffed a static sigh and looked away. He hoped he was brining up what needed to be brought, but a teacher he was not.

"... I may end up forgetting things, but talking things through as they come up should alleviate that some." That was as close as he'd get to admit he might be failing or be wrong in some things.

[ichooseboth]

Cautiously, Orion nodded in agreement.

"Given the...challenging, testing nature of this sort of er, involvement, I can only agree with the concept of an guaranteed 'autostop'."

Which Orion fully intended to take advantage of the moment kneeling became too humiliating. If he went through with that at all. He still was far from pleased with the idea.

He shifted, looking up to give Megatron a questioning glance. "Forgetting what?"

[lordmegatron]

Reluctantly, Megatron looked back at Orion and twitched his shoulders in a shrug. He didn't like admitting to failings, and he probably could slide around it, but that... wouldn't be a good start for anything.

"I'm not a teacher, Orion, especially not something like this, that requires information beyond correcting stance." He grinned, briefly. And really, he wasn't very good at teaching fighting either. He could, and he would teach Orion, but there were many who would be better suited to teach than him.

"I've never had to lead anyone through this after I was introduced to it, so I may... miss things." At the end he was frowning, crossed his arms over his chestplates and shrugged.

[ichooseboth]

Orion laughed gently. It was obvious that Megatron didn't want to admit such a 'failing', but he was both pleased and grateful that he had. He leaned across the couch, placing a hand on the gladiator's stubbornly crossed arms.

"Thank you for being honest with me, Megatron. Even if we stumble along the way, I'm sure we'll manage well enough."

He smiled, and feeling suddenly both reassured and bold, used his hold on those crossed arms as a brace to lever himself. Suddenly equal to Megatron's height, Orion leaned across the larger frame and pressed their lips together.

[lordmegatron]

Hopefully they would, not that Megatron had any belief that they wouldn't manage. He still grunted a bit at Orion's laughter, but his annoyance didn't stop a smile from forming when Orion leaned over.

Whatever else happened, it was certainly pleasant that Orion felt secure enough to initiate more than a handhold... or leading him by his arm, for that matter.

Megatron still wasn't sure what he thought about that, even if it had been simple enough, and most would probably have assumed he was the one leading Orion, simply by general prejudice of strength and height.

Which, honestly, was rather foolish.

Smile briefly deepening before Orion kissed him, Megatron angled his helm into it, the difference between their heights meaning a slight difference that made it easier to chase up friction.

Humming into the kiss, Megatron teased their tongues together, and was, perhaps, a shade too amused by the fact that the way Orion had braced himself meant he was basically pinning him down... a fact Megatron wasn't going to point out, because Orion's hands were warm against the metal of his arms, and his weight... and the curl of his field this close, made his circuits vibrate with a slow, warm pleasure.