Transformers: A Matter of Fate

ADVICE AND COLD FEET

CHAPTER 40

Advice and Cold Feet

"I still can't believe you came to me for advice," Hound patted his chest as he looked down at Mark, who was seated on his berth. "I mean, I'd always wanted to show my kid how to get a femme. But I thought I would have to come to you," Hound laughed a little as the boy shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, so do you want to know the story? Or would you rather I just give you the advice?" He asked.

Mark looked at Hound silently, unsure how to answer. Somehow, the idea of hearing the story sounded a lot more interesting. But he also knew that talking about his sparkmate was really, really hard for Hound. "Whichever is easier for you," Mark replied, with a smile on his face. "I don't want you to be hurt by telling me about this," He told him patiently. "You can just go for the advice if you want."

Hound stroked his beard slightly, thinking it over. "How about both?" Hound asked, his optics lowering as he took a Transformer-sized seat. "I can start with a little of how I won over Aqua. It's actually a rather funny story," He commented with a chuckle. "I was just out of the academy, and so was she. At the time, I worked as a construction worker just outside of Kaon."

"You, a construction worker?"

"I was fresh out of "college" basically," Hound laughed a little. "I wasn't sure what I was going to do with my life yet. And actually, neither was she," Hound rubbed the back of his neck as he thought back on his sparkmate. "In fact, we met when she came to apply for the... Basic equivalent of a "elementary" school that I was helping to build," Hound then added with a low chuckle. "She got in the way of a piece of falling Cybertronium. Probably would have died right there if I hadn't tackled her away."

Mark's eyes widened as he leaned forward, curious now. He leaned his head against his open hand, and cocked an eyebrow. "So you met your sparkmate by saving her life?" Hound nodded at his foster sons questioning. "Didn't that like... Instantly get you into her berth? Girls love that right," Hound laughed a little. "What? It's true!"

"She actually didn't notice the danger," Hound laughed a little. "Aqua nearly ripped my head off for ruining her brand new paint job." Mark burst out into laughter at that. "You laugh now, but it's the truth. I thought she was the most beautiful femme I had laid my eyes on. But it didn't change the fact I thought she was nuts," He shook his head slowly. "Even so, I offered to buy her a drink and pay for a new paint job for her. And well, she was definitely not going to turn that down."

"That's how you two started dating?"

Hound shook his head, and waved him off slightly. "Not quite. We were friends after that, yes," Hound replied with a grunt. "But she didn't start dating me for a good vorn. I was friends-zoned pretty fast," He explained with a shrug. "She was offered to bond with another mech for a while, but it never worked out. Their sparks weren't compatible," He then added. "I comforted her that night, and one thing lead to another. And the next thing I knew, I was waking up from a long night under the stars with her. Fill in the blanks yerself."

"That's when Coldsteel was born," Mark guessed.

"Sparked, at least," Hound replied with a wide smile. "Aqua nearly killed me when she found out I had sparked her. Thought I'd be the type of mech who would bail, and be an absent sire," Mark frowned, he could never, ever imagine Hound doing that. "But I didn't. I took a promotion at work, I bought us a house to raise him in. And I asked her to bond with me. By that time, she had dated me for quite some time." He hummed quietly. "We were so very much in love."

Mark smiled, it was a very romantic, and sweet story. He shifted a little, and looked up at his foster father. "That's really beautiful, dad," Hound smiled at his foster son's response. "So I take it your big advice isn't to have sex too soon. Or to have a kid before marriage," Hound let out a long, deep laugh at that one. "So, what advice do you have?"