Flushed Out

[farre385]

Context from outside of Starscream's point of view is Megatron floods all Starscream's usual hiding spots with sneezing powder to try and find him. CW for transformers-typical physical abuse, but nothing graphic

When the tickle starts deep in his nose, all Starscream can think is no, no, please not now. Not while he’s crammed in this stupid supply closet hiding for his fucking life. He’s not even sure what he’d done this time, how he’d set Megatron off so thoroughly and completely, but clearly, he had done something. He’d heard the roar of his name from the throne room and taken off, desperate to get anywhere Megatron wouldn’t find him. He’s still sore from yesterday’s beating. He can’t take another right now. 

 

His own room was a non-starter, the first place Megatron would look. His trine’s quarters weren’t much better, and he doubted they’d even let him in, so he’d ended up here, in this cramped little closet off G wing, waiting for Megatron’s ire to pass. Usually, if he couldn’t find Starscream, he’d move on to a new target fairly quickly. The only trick is to…

 

“Hehh…” 

 

To keep quiet.

 

“Ih’heh?” 

 

And his nose is not cooperating. He would blame it on dust or mold or any other substance on his not-insignificant list of allergies, but it hadn’t started in the right timeframe. He’d been perfectly fine for almost ten minutes, and then all at once, the need to sneeze hit him like a speeding triple-changer. His whole nose tickles, from his twitching nostrils to the deep place where his vents meet his internal respiratory system. Every breath intensifies the itch, and he can’t think straight, can’t concentrate on anything beyond the need strong enough to make his optics water. He can almost never sneeze just once, and he knows already that if he sneezes now, if he lets even one out, the tickle will only get worse. He’ll send himself into a fit, and he will be found. 

 

There’s another problem, though: the increasing volume of his hitching breaths. The closer he gets to that inevitable release, the louder he gets. 

 

“Hehh… hehhh… ih’AHHH!”

 

Just before he can reach the point of no return, he puts his finger under his nose, pressing hard. The tickle doesn’t recede, but the immediate urge to sneeze fades into something a bit more manageable. He pants frantically, trying to catch his breath while his nose allows it, but the relief doesn’t last long. The tickle, somehow, intensifies, and he wonders if there are traces of whatever is setting him off on his hands. He hitches once, twice, and almost sneezes before pinching his nose shut. 

 

“Ahh’hah! Hih!! HAHHtchh. Ggghh…” 

 

He doesn’t dare breathe, doesn’t dare do anything but focus on holding back the looming disaster. This sneeze, when it comes, will be huge, and he can’t let Megatron find him. Not now. Not like this. Not when…

 

“Hahhhh….”

 

When…

 

“Hahhhh!” 

 

He can’t breathe without hitching, can’t think, can’t do anything but surrender to the need to sneeze. He lets go of his nose, lets his head fall back, and gives in to the buildup. 

“Ahhh’hhhh, hiihhHHH!” 

 

His nose twitches, burning with that incessant tickle, and it feels like every breath he takes only draws more of the irritant in. 

 

“AH’HAHHH! HAHHHHH!” 

 

“STARSCREAM!” The door to the closet slams open, light floods in, and Starscream can’t hold back a second longer. 

 

“AAAAHHHH’TSCHOOOOO!” The relief is the sweetest thing he’s ever felt and he can’t help but moan. “HAAHTCHEW ihSCHOOO’CHEW’CHEW’CHEW HAHchew HAH’tschew HHAAAHHHH…. AHHHHH… AHHHHHTSCHOOOO!” 

 

“Starscream, you imbecile! Did you think you could hide from me?” 

 

“AAATSCHHH, AATSCHH, hahhhCHOOO!” Starscream can’t possibly answer him, can’t stop sneezing, totally lost in the fit. Even when Megatron grabs him by the wing and starts to drag him down the hall, he keeps sneezing. “AHHHHSHHCHEWW!” 

 

“If you can’t stop sneezing, it will just have to become part of your punishment.”

 

to be continued...?

[derangest]

HELP THIS IS SO FUCKING GOOD AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I LOVE IT SO MUCH!?!??!? Just the incessant buildup, the expectation THE TENSION and the hitching!!! It's all so so so good I'm SO HAPPY thank you so much for writing this I am FEASTING.