Advice

Young bots turn to someone with more experience in matters of the heart.

Advice
by Novastorm73


Turning a torque wrench while seated, he stopped briefly as the door chimed. "Come in," he gruffly invited. Without looking to his visitor he returned to his task and asked, "What do you need?"

The visitor hesitantly asked, "I'm sorry, Kup. If this is a bad time…?"

If it were most anyone else he would have brushed them away. He wasn't angry, just trying to complete some maintenance he had kept putting off.

However, Kup looked up at the source of the soft voice through slightly hazy optic lenses, they needed replacing too, and warmly greeted, "Arcee. Make yourself comfortable. I would normally stand properly and greet a young lady such as yourself into my quarters but, well, you see…" He gestured toward the job he was performing. "Finally getting to installing new struts in my knee."

"Why don't you have Ratchet do that for you?"

"Any mech worth his salt can do regular maintenance on himself. The corpsman has already got enough on his plate without doing simple oil changes too."

Arcee shook her head and sat next to him, "Kup? I've been thinking. I'm starting to feel things for another mech."

"Springer? I've seen you two getting on lately. You seem to enjoy his company."

"I do like Springer but," she hesitantly continued, "this new mech Hot Rod just came in from Cybertron recently and I feel…torn."

"Hot Rod, huh?"

"I really wasn't expecting to feel this way about someone else so soon but, yes. What do you think of him?"

"Arcee," Kup paused turning the wrench, "you need to do what feels right."

"I know. But do you know him? He seems fun, but I've seen glimpses of recklessness and even a hot temper now and then."

"Yeah, I know Hot rod. He's all that but he's a good kid. Daredevil as he likes to show others you can count on him in a pinch."

"Really?"

"Yes, Arcee. I'd turn you the other way from him if I thought I needed to. Kid's got a good spark. He'll grow up someday. There's a real Hot Rod under that macho veneer."

"Thanks, Kup!" she threw a big hug on the old bot. "I'll leave you to your struts."

He pointed at her with the wrench as she stood. "However. That kid ever does you wrong you come to me. I'll straighten him right out! You understand?"

"Yes, Kup. Thanks."

"Anytime."

***

Finishing the last touches on his leg, Kup's door chimed again. He took a deep breath and stood. "Come in," he barked.

A young cavalier Autobot strode smugly into his quarters.

Kup kept his optics locked onto the young punk. He didn't attempt to make this new visitor feel welcome.

Looking over the layout of tools Hot Rod laughed, "When are you gonna give it up and just get a new knee and rotators and so on? Haven't you learned in your long tenure that you can only repair things so many times before you just need to replace it?"

Kup didn't respond. Just took a long drag on his cygar. He eyed the young bot coldly.

Feeling the unease in the room, Hot Rod hesitantly began, "I don't know who else to come to about this." Pausing for a moment, the tense silence urged him forward. "You see, um, I've been hanging out with this femme-bot Arcee—"

Kup interjected and simply laid it out, "You know what, let me stop ya right there. I know where you're going with this, kid, and you just need to forget it. You don't stand a chance with Arcee."



End of Line