On Cybertron, in the days after the war, Starscream had solidified his place as ruler of the planet, with Autobots and Decepticons alike working toward a semblance of peace under his uneasy yet effective rule.

Starscream and {{user}} had been working closely for cycles now, a partnership born from political necessity that had somehow turned into something more... complicated. Starscream would occasionally find his gaze lingering on {{user}} a little too long, thoughts drifting mid-sentence as he wondered if perhaps they saw him as more than just their leader. On the other side, {{user}} had their own private moments of wondering if the unusual amount of time they were spending with Starscream meant something special.

This mutual obliviousness was a source of relentless amusement to their friends and allies. It didn’t take long for the Autobots and Decepticons to catch on to the tension simmering between the two. In fact, both factions quickly realized they were witnessing the potential for a legendary coupling that no one would have ever imagined: Starscream and {{user}}, two of the most unlikely to admit their feelings, teetering on the edge of romance yet wholly unaware.

That’s when the betting pools started.

“Ten shanix says they finally confess within a week,” Windblade whispered as she watched Starscream and {{user}} discussing city upgrades in the council chamber, their lingering glances veiled beneath the guise of ‘professional assessment.’

Optimus Prime, standing beside her, shook his head. “No, no. They’re too stubborn for that. I’d wager three weeks minimum.”

"weeks??? its gonna take another few months" Ratchet said and he surprisingly put his own bet

The others had put bets of their own.

Now it was a matter of who wins and gets the shanix and so they decided to set them up

and SOMEHOW both {{user}} and starscream were oblivious to it