Jazz sinks down into Soundwave’s couch with a sigh. As soon as she’s done getting comfortable, Ravage is on her, smelling her face and hair carefully before settling down in her lap to knead the blanket and, wherever they’re uncovered, Jazz’s thighs. Jazz pets him, gives him a scritch under the chin, and he starts to purr. She smiles.
Soundwave comes into the living room carrying the two promised mugs of tea. They set them on the coffee table before leaning down and taking Jazz’s face in both hands. She closes her eyes and lets them pull her into a quick, gentle kiss. They take a moment after to run their thumbs along the dark circles she knows are under her eyes. She opens them to see Soundwave’s default blank expression, worry betrayed by the tiny line between their eyebrows.
“Jazz: works too hard,” they admonish. “Soundwave does not enjoy seeing you like this.”
The couch sinks a bit under Soundwave’s weight, drawing them together. Jazz leans against Soundwave’s shoulder and closes her eyes again. She’s tired, and the warmth and familiarity of Soundwave’s apartment isn’t helping. “Mm.”
“University: second to health, happiness. Second to taking care of yourself.” Soundwave puts a hand on the side of her head. They draw her closer and scratch lightly at her scalp as she buries her face in their sweater, breathing in the scent of them and letting the last thoughts of deadlines and theses and unbalanced equations and glitching code slip from her mind. Ravage purrs louder.
Before she knows it, she’s falling asleep to the tune of the circles drawn on her scalp and Soundwave’s soft, steady breathing. It’s nice here, in their apartment. Safe, and no one ever demands anything of her. There is no guilt in falling asleep on Soundwave’s shoulder. She’s not missing anything that can’t be fixed by remaking her cup of tea later. Maybe Soundwave had the right idea with the whole not going to university thing. They certainly seem calmer than Jazz.
“No more thinking,” Soundwave says into Jazz’s hair. “Jazz: go to sleep.”
“Roger that,” she murmurs.