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]

"Of course I am," Megatron snapped, well-aware he was snapping and that was counter-productive. To convincing Orion, to having this conversation, to... a lot of things really.

But he'd never liked being vulnerable, and post-scene like this he very much was and he couldn't quite keep a faint tremble through his frame down.

"You might want to... set an alarm the first few times. You develop an awareness of it after a while," he paused staring into the shadows of his hands over his faceplate, "I'm--- I assume you read up on after care, Orion?"

His voice was still too sharp, brittle. Not really the usually commanding tone, and that was frustrating.

He probably should've expected it, and they should probably have had this discussion before they started, but he hadn't thought of it. So he tackled Orion's question in a roundabout way that would hopefully make him think for himself without Megatron having to talk... unless Orion prodded, of course.

It was far easier to obey that gentle thrumming voice that could be surprisingly deep if it demanded an answer.

[ichooseboth]

"Ah."

Well then.

"Yes?"

Resetting his optics in a moment of terrified bewilderment, Orion nodded decisively. Right. He had read about it, to be thorough, but. To be honest, he had not expected Megatron to need it. Megatron was a much tougher mech than himself, and much more experienced in such matters.

That showed what he knew.

Hands fluttering helplessly for a moment, Orion withdrew himself from Megatron's frame - he wasn't sure if that was exactly what the gladiator needed right now, but it seemed like a good place to start. He wouldn't want to be pinned on a spike if he was having an emotional moment, after all. But he didn't go far, simply unstraddling Megatron's bulk, to press up against his side instead, higher up and closer to his face.

"I admit, I'm at something of a loss, despite my readings. But whatever you need, I will give it if I can."

He reached over, resting a hand on a shoulder. If Megatron threw him off, he would at least know to back off.

[lordmegatron]

This was probably why they should've had this discussion beforehand, but Megatron had, honestly not anticipated the need for it. Especially not for such a simple scene - it wasn't as if Orion had the experience or, presently, much daring to get inventive.

But here they were and...

Space.

Optics flickering behind his hands, Megatron realised that yes, that did help. He had vague memories of other doms doing the same, though he had no idea if he'd ever had to tell anyone.

But he also didn't want Orion to go---

He didn't, obviously.

He was right there, had just shifted, and after a moment he lifted his hands off his faceplate, grabbed the hand Orion had on his shoulder and intertwined their hands (more like enveloped Orion's in his) and turned over.

He hesitated for a moment, because this was just embarrassing, but Orion needed to learn. So despite the crawling near-shame he knew others had tried to drive out, he leaned over and down, resting his helm on Orion's shoulder.

"Next time, I... suggest we move from the floor." Despite the slight waver still lingering, his voice was dry.

[ichooseboth]

"The berth might have been better, yes," Orion agreed readily enough, with a great vent of relief.

The tension - tension he had not even been aware of - greatly eased from his frame when Megatron accepted his offered hand. He squeezed in return, leaning forward to bump his helm against Megatron's shoulder, unconsciously mirroring his pose.

"...I hope this is alright."

He tentatively brought his other hand around, blindly seeking to stroke the heavily-armored side of Megatron's helm.

[lordmegatron]

"Mmh." He knew he should say something else, explain more, but this was, unfortunately, a part where he would be even less of an exemplary teacher for Orion in this.

It was hard enough to admit he needed this, Orion up close and his hands where they were. Harder enough to admit it to Orion. So instead he merely tightened his grip on Orion's hand, thumb lazing in circles over the back of the smaller hand.

"Give me a moment," Megatron muttered, fully intent on, as soon as the slight tremble settled and the unsteady charge to his actuators and pistons stabilised, ignoring this... embarrassing slip from something so simple.

[ichooseboth]

"...Of course."

Orion vented a shaky sigh, the force of his own return cling tightening. His hand found helm, and he pet at the heavily scarred metal in silence.

It was somewhat unsettling, this silence and his lack of definitive knowledge on what to do. But he would endure.

[lordmegatron]

He didn't plan on laying there for long, whether or not he actually was completely settled when he got up. All he needed was a stilling of the jangle along his wiring, a bit of distance between giving over himself completely and taking up his own burdens again.

Orion's quiet weight beside him, simply laying there and demanding nothing, calling for nothing allowed the scene to meld back into his frame with a faint, familiar warmth.

After a breem, Megatron slowly stretched, caught Orion's chin in one hand and pressed their crests together, before he got to his feet.

"Issues or not... thank you, Orion," Megatron smiled as he offered a hand up to Orion, able to actually appreciate his state of mind now that the troublesome part was over, "if you're willing to keep at it, I would be pleased to call you my dom."

[ichooseboth]

It was...disorienting. He didn't think he was taking it as 'badly' as Megatron had, but the longer the silence went on, the more off Orion felt.

Megatron's eventual movement was a relief, and the press of crest-to-helm was soothing. He took the offered hand quickly enough, standing- only to stagger a bit at the claim.

"Ah. Really? Er, you're welcome?" Helm ducking, he rubbed at the back of his neck with his free hand.

"It would be an honor?"

[lordmegatron]

He probably shouldn't be amused by the abashed hesitation Orion was telegraphing, but he was. Orion was also adorable like that, and Megatron chuckled.

"You might change your mind when you get used to it, and me, but until then I'll take advantage of the situation." He was, of course, joking. He was hardly disobedient enough to constantly require corrections enough to drive any dom spare.

He might have pushed with Orion, both because it was reflex and because he was knew, but it hadn't been out of the sort of sheer bloodymindedness some bratty submissives threw around to force their doms to 'make' them obey and behave.

That wasn't really Megatron's style.

"But yes Orion, I am serious. If you would want to try, I would certainly want you to," Megatron said and reached out to brush a thumb over Orion's cheek before he walked past him and picked up two cubes, coming back with both and offering one.

[ichooseboth]

Orion snorted. "I shouldn't be surprised you call it 'taking advantage'..."

He paused, sighing contently when Megatron's large hand passed over his cheek; the little bit of comfort was something that he needed right then, to soothe his anxious spark.

"I...would certainly like to try again," he agreed, accepting the cube with a sudden surge of hunger. He took a deep drink.

"...with timers."

[lordmegatron]

Megatron just chuckled at Orion's snort and comment as he returned with the cubes and he could have lied and said he hadn't worried or wasn't pleased when Orion said he'd like to try again.

He wouldn't, though. At least not to himself.

"Trust me, it gets easier as you go... especially as you already did a very good job for someone trying it out for the first time," Megatron grinned then and shook his helm as he took a swallow as well, "though, yes. Timers of some sort next time. It'll help us both."

At least until Orion got good enough to get a feel of how much time had passed, or remembered to look at the chronometer. Of course, later there wouldn't even be a need for a set time limit, really, and the scenes could run to their own end.

For now, though, it seemed for the best. Especially for Orion's sake.

[ichooseboth]

"I'll believe it only if I ever actually manage it. It's too distracting, in the middle of...everything."

But he still grinned, audials twitching in pleasure at the compliment.

"That's...reassuring to hear. Is it really a rare thing, to be, er. Passable on the first attempt?"

He couldn't help but ask. It was such a new thing to him, concept and all. The idea that he might innately be good at something like this was still quite odd.

[lordmegatron]

"Trust me, you will," Megatron's smile was self-assured and his tone brooked no argument. Not because Orion couldn't fail or anything, but Megatron didn't think he would.

Taking another swallow, Megatron's smile turned somewhat lopsided.

"Not so much rare as passingly unusual. You have the right temperament to not let the inherent power of the position go to your processor or override your care for your submissive," Megatron shrugged and tipped his cube at Orion, "most need to be taught that, which doesn't make them bad dominants if they're just starting out, but it does require some time and effort."

Even Orion's usual personality didn't exactly indicate anything of whether he'd be good as a dominant. He could have needed the sort of training Megatron had mentioned, and while he might, maybe, at some point need a reminder or two, it was still clear he wouldn't need any greater education in that area.

Megatron had guessed, but he'd definitely been pleasantly surprised by it.

[ichooseboth]

Orion perked up around his cube as Megatron explained, faintly preening, allowing himself the rarely-enjoyed pleasure of soaking in the 'praise'.

"I'm glad it worked out for the best. I'm certainly not inclined to ignore you or your needs in any situation in the berth, so. It wasn't terribly difficult, in that respect."

He really couldn't imagine it being any other way, really. He grinned, wry. He raised his own cube in turn.

"Except for keeping track of time." He could help but bring up again, teasingly. At least it wasn't likely he'd forget again, at this rate.

[lordmegatron]

"Except for keeping track of time," Megatron agreed with an amused smirk and another tilt of his cube before he took another drink of it, "and it's not always ignoring needs as pushing further because you can without paying attention to the submissive." A shrug, then and Megatron's smile turned sharp and tilted.

"Of course, there's the safeword for that. Ideally, though, it would be used not because the dominant isn't paying attention, but because the submissive has realised they can't quite take as much of what's being given out as they thought." Of course, at that point it was also the dominant's responsibility to pause and check in, but either way.

"But really. This went... far better than I'd have assumed it would have, Orion." He'd expected to have to stay far more alert and teaching than he had - obviously his failing, but it was his failing because Orion had taken to things so well.

[ichooseboth]

"I'm glad. It went better than I expected myself."

Grinning happily, Orion finished off his cube- though he was still listening carefully. Humming thoughtfully into the empty edge of his cube, he nodded slowly.

"It makes sense that the 'submissive' mech would need it more, really. But," he paused, somewhat awkwardly, clearly worried about the question being a bit too embarrassing.

"But the dom can get in over their head enough to use it at times, right?"

He assumed it was possible - but normal, however, was a different matter entirely. He wasn't certain it would never come up for him, if this lingering twitchiness was any indication.

[lordmegatron]

Megatron didn't bother with any coy gestures or things otherwise meant to string Orion along; that wouldn't be helpful here, that much was all too obvious.

"Obviously. Trust me Orion, it probably happens more than you're thinking right now, especially with inexperienced dominants... or even experienced ones that are honest with themselves."

Smiling slightly, Megatron shook his helm and sat down, stretching out in the chair and over the floor. He still felt vaguely... bendy, not that that was the word he was looking for, but it was settling, and didn't feel bad.

"It can happen quite a lot in public play settings, like clubs, as some who want to try things out do it there and then realise they don't know what they're doing..." Trailing off, he gave Orion a thoughtful frown,"or they get overwhelmed by the situation and their own reactions to it, much like any submissive can be."

[ichooseboth]

"Ah. Good."

He felt a little foolish for asking the question, awkwardly fidgeting with his cube before electing to sit himself down next to Megatron, close enough to for fields and metals to brush.

He wasn't quite done getting his fill of post-interfacing contact.

"That is something of a relief to hear," Orion admitted sheepishly. "Intellectually, I can easily imagine that 'it happens' readily enough. But it is still reassuring to hear from one with...'real world' experience."

[lordmegatron]

He couldn't say he minded, at all, so Orion got Megatron leaning close easily, field humming gently as they brushed together.

"Try not to worry about it, Orion," Megatron said with a chuckle and a slow shake off his helm, laying his arm along the back of the couch and brushing his fingers against the metal of Orion's shoulder.

"Everybody needs to learn, even if dime catch on easily."

[ichooseboth]

Sighing contently, Orion leaned into the contact, rolling his shoulders to try and shrug Megatron's hand closer.

"I will give it an attempt. But no promises."

He grinned, field content and engines dropping down to a more relaxed purr. The contact was just what he needed.