Jack felt guilty about what happened with Smokescreen and how it was still partly his own fault; he had quite enough close encounters with Decepticons to think it would be a good idea to go to them. Airachnid, Megatron, Knock Out, and even that zombie 'Con stood out in his mind as one of the scariest moments he had around them.

But he was just having so much fun with the newest Autobot that he really wasn't thinking as he should have been, because being around Smokescreen brought out that relaxed side of him; one he didn't have time to indulge in nowadays or any other days really. He had responsibility long before the Autobots had come into his life, so it was almost a foreign feeling to be so loose for once; it had been a long time though that he could have felt so carefree.

And sure, though he hadn't exactly cut loose on a good way, it still felt…rather nice to feel like an actual teenager.

So as he looked for Smokescreen in the base, he thought he should make sure the thanks he was going to add didn't seem tacked on or feel cheap after Arcee had lashed out at him for putting him in danger. He had also got it when he went home, but adding that probably wouldn't matter much if he was trying to sound sincere.

It would just make it seem like he was doing it to take the heat off himself than being genuinely sorry. And quite honestly that was the last thing he wanted to do.

He was so lost in thought he jumped when he heard a voice uneasily call out his name and he looked up, unbelievably at the mech he was looking for. Jack furrowed his brow, why would Smokescreen be so anxious around him…? Oh, right, that.

The mech grinned at him to cover up his previous expression. "Whoa there, kid."

"Kid, who are you calling a kid?" Jack retorted and felt the tension just unwind for a moment, and that was enough for him to begin his apology. He thought long about what he wanted to say, that's why he had avoided Smokescreen for the better part of the past two days, and even calling it 'thinking' still felt cowardly to him. "Uh, can we talk?"

The grin slipped off Smokescreen's faceplate and his expression closed itself off guardedly as he stared down at him. "There's nothing to talk about."

Jack bit his lip at the finality of the tone before pressing on. "I should have tried to convince you not to go-"

Smokescreen quickly waved it off. "Everyone was fine at the end, there's nothing more to say that hasn't already been said."

The tension was back and Jack furrowed his brow at the reason Smokescreen was acting this way towards him. Then he thought about what the mech had just said and his eyes widened. "Look, it's as much my fault too, and I'm really so-"

"You don't have to say that." Smokescreen cut in hastily and seemed even more agitated than before.

Jack bit back the urge to sigh, he knew because of what happened with Arcee that the mech might want to avoid him so he didn't get him in danger again. He had to prove he wasn't going to get in trouble with interacting with him. "Okay then," he said in placation, "are you doing anything right now?"

Smokescreen blinked before his optics narrowed. "No, why?"

Jack scratched the back of his head nervously, but since his try at apologizing had not gone as planned, then there was no guarantee that this offer would be accepted either. "We never did get to finish our…'assignment.'"

The mech stared at him for a moment before he slowly shook his head. "Uh, maybe some other time." He said evasively and continued walking down the hall.

Jack watched him go and sighed in disappointment; but buildings things up took time after all.

For someone who was confined to the immediate base area, Jack though Smokescreen was really hard to find, but after his disastrous attempt to talk to him, Jack had the sinking suspicion the mech was probably avoiding him on purpose. Jack didn't want to ask the others were Smokescreen was since he wanted to do this himself.

It hadn't been overt when Jack noticed Smokescreen was never around when he was, but then it started to get obvious when he took any excuse not to be in the same room with him. Was he angrier at him than he realized or was he scared of Arcee? Either way it just made Jack want to prove to the mech that being around him wasn't bad.

The boy wandered out of the base and blinked when he heard the sounds of tires against the gravel and looked off to the side to see a race car coming down the drive. He gritted his teeth and stupidly stood in the center of the entrance. "I just want to talk!" he shouted and the race car transformed and landed in front of him, the mech leaning in close with narrowed optics.

"Well I don't, we can't if there's nothing to say." He retorted.

"It's still my fault, just let me apologize." Jack said pleadingly.

Something changed in Smokescreen's optics and he looked uncomfortable with how the boy was acting. "What do you have to apologize for? I was careless with bringing you with me, that's all there is to it."

"No it's not, I should have tried harder to make you see it wasn't a good idea, but I didn't because…" Jack bit his lip momentarily. "…because I was having so much fun with you, even though it was just dumb pranks I felt…alive, like a regular teenager."

Smokescreen's optics widened. "You…you were?"

Jack nodded and latched onto the incredulous tone. "Yes, I had fun and that's what I wanted to ask you before." He said and didn't mention the fact he wanted to also prove being around him wasn't so bad.

The mech still looked uneasy about the idea, but at least he wasn't immediately turning him down like before. "I," he paused and his optics had a faraway look in them, "I'll think about."

Well, it wasn't a 'no' at least, Jack thought and accepted the answer. "I'll be waiting for the answer then." He added and moved to the side to let Smokescreen go by him.

The mech stopped briefly when he walked past Jack and wavered before offering him a small smile. "Walk with me?"

Jack's eyes dimmed and he returned the smile. "Sure."

This was at least a start.