jump into an intense taste- front side, flip side, big as life
transformers ;; hotlock ;; wc: 853 ;; humanformers, omegaverse. discussions of mpreg and abortion. not NSFW but there's adult topics so be cautious.
back to writing! 
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Hot Rod, contrary to belief, is not stupid. This includes during his heats. He takes his suppressants when he’s supposed to, and when he runs out of suppressants and needs to actually take care of his problem the old fashioned way, he uses protection.
So when he misses his period, he’s both confused and panicked.
It should have happened by now. By all accounts, there’s no reason for it to be this late. It’s never been this late before. And yeah, he doesn’t exactly keep the best track (because he’s never needed to because he isn’t trying to get pregnant,) but he can tell that it’s way later than normal. And really, it’s not that Hot Rod is opposed to having kids in general, just maybe not at 20? Besides, how would Deadlock react? How would Kup react? Would they need to tell Kup? Oh god they should probably tell Kup.
Deadlock doesn’t necessarily take the news… well?
“It’s not– there’s no guarantee. I haven’t taken a test yet.” Hot Rod explains, wringing his hands. “I just– I figured you should– should know, in case, so we have time to think about that.” He bites his lip, looking down at the assassin on his couch. “Is that– are you okay?”
Deadlock has been staring off into the distance for a good ten minutes. He looks like he’s experiencing every stage of grief at once. “You’re pregnant.”
“I might be pregnant. I don’t know yet.” Hot Rod’s sweating, more than he normally does. He feels gross. He kind of wants to take a bath. And lay down. And cry.
“And I’m the father.”
“You might be the father.”
Deadlock blinks, scratches his chin. “Huh.”
Hot Rod continues to rip his lips apart with his own teeth. “Huh. Are you– are you gonna keep it?”
“I’m not sure, honestly?” Hot Rod tells him, “I’ve never had to think about this sort of thing before. Probably not?” He scratches the back of his neck. “One way or another, I’m probably gonna need to tell dad.”
Deadlock’s eyebrows furrow. “Why the fuck would he need to know?”
“Deadlock, I do not know if you’ve noticed this,” Hot Rod starts, chuckling a little, “but we are poor. Neither of us have the money to get an abortion or to support a kid.”
“So?” Deadlock hisses, “I could pick up an extra job. It’s not a big deal.”
Hot Rod’s eye twitches. “Deadlock, be honest, if I chose to keep it would you even stick around?”
At that, the assassin’s eyes actually snap up to glare at Hot Rod. “Fucking obviously?” He growls, “It’s my kid too? I’m not exactly happy at the idea of being a father, but if you keep it I’m not gonna fucking walk out and dump all the responsibility on you.” He frowns, showing off a sharp canine. “The fuck do you take me for?”
Hot Rod’s shaking, sweating, and he’s pretty sure his skin is getting all red. “Forgive me for being fucking worried,” he spits, “it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t even matter. I’m not gonna keep it anyway.”
“Roddy,” Deadlock sighs, “don’t be like this.”
“I’m not being like anything!” He shouts, turning away from the assassin. “It has nothing to do with you! I have my own damn reasons for not wanting to be a dad at 20!” He folds his arms. “I have a life, I have shit I wanna do, I don’t wanna be stuck taking care of a kid!”
“Roddy.” He rises from the couch.
“It has nothing to do with you, I just would hope that you would stay and take care of your own kid, but I know you’re so busy with your own shit, and you don’t wanna get tied down–”
“Roddy.”
“God fucking forbid I get a little anxious–!”
“Hot Rod!”
His lips are bleeding.
“Roddy, if you keep it, I’m not gonna go anywhere. I’m not gonna go anywhere if you don’t keep it.” Deadlock tells him, a hand grabbing at the shorter’s shoulder. “I think we’re both in spots right now where keeping it would be a bad idea, but if you do keep it, I’m not gonna run out on you. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
Hot Rod heaves a sigh. “I know.”
“This isn’t just like– I know, okay? I know.” He pauses. “But this isn’t just a fling for me.”
Again, Hot Rod sighs. “I know.”
“Tomorrow, we can call Kup, and you can tell him anything you need to, and you and me will take care of the rest, okay?” Hot Rod nods. “You’re gonna be okay, Roddy. You’re gonna be okay.”
Hot Rod practically collapses into the assassin’s chest. “I’m so tired.”
Deadlock rubs his hair gently. “Yeah.”
~~~~
The next morning, right before Hot Rod is about to get in the shower, his period hits. The blood is a dark brownish-black, a tell-tale sign of it just being exceptionally late.
He runs to grab his cellphone, tearfully texting Deadlock to tell him he’s okay, and that he’s not actually pregnant.
He also, then, immediately smacks himself.