It had been official not a week and already it seemed Bumblebee knew that something was wrong with his Guardian. A week since he had officially "broken up" with his bonded, and often 'Bee looked up at him with sad optics, as if he had been hurt in some way. Chromia had left, and when they both agreed that until the war was over, and since they could rarely see each other, it was best to go their separate ways and find someone else. Maybe, just maybe, if neither had anyone else when the war ended, they would try their stakes again. They didn't want to risk the stakes of sudden sparklings, if the chance, nor did they want the risk of one dying and the other quickly following.
It was near night time Cybertronian time, and also time for the Sparkling's bed time. It didn't take him long to convince the Sparkling to lie down and try to get some sleep; to his unusual standards, Bumblebee readily agreed and lied on their shared berth, even though attached above was his bed, with railing around it as a safe guard. Ironhide still had work to do; something about battle plans that Prowl needed him to look over. After lying the sparkling down, the gruff weapons speaclist strutted across the toy-filled room - one that he could never get fully clean no matter how hard he tried - and to his desk, turning on the dim lamp and getting to work. Bumblebee had no need to worry; lying on his side, he could see fully of was 'Hide was doing. Ironhide just wasn't aware that he was being watch.
It was merely half a breem into the work that he was believing in something strange; that he was most likely being watched. What gave him suspicions was that he kept hearing movement from the berth behind him, and when he turned around to see what it was, there came a gasp, and he watched the tiny, frail little sparkling trying to hide him self under the blankets. Smiling, Ironhide thought it would be best that he try to get some sleep; more often than not the sparkling would only go to sleep if 'Hide was lying in bed with him. Sighing, Ironhide turned, turning off the lamp with the smiley faced sticker on it, two night lights from opposite sides of the room illuminating the empty darkness.
It wasn't hard to tell where the bed was; besides having a mental map of the room, Bumblebee shifted in the bed, moving the sheets and making them make noise as he moved. Standing up and pushing in his chair, Ironhide made sure to step over the toys that aimed to trip him every time he was near one, and made his way to the berth. The sparkling still seemed at least a little bit tired, however when Ironhide felt around the bed and tried to find him so he wouldn't accidentally lay on him, Bumblebee must have thought that it was best he have a giggle fit as 'Hide try to find his way around the berth. Finally, he managed a place towards the wall and, scooping up the sparkling, shifted under the blankets and covered himself up to his chassis, where the sparkling lay as Ironhide lay on his back.
As Ironhide got comfortable, it sounded as if Bumblebee was slowly drifting into recharge, something that the large mech's presence usually brought when it came time for bed; the time in which no one wanted to put a usually cranky sparkling to bed. Feeling the small body slowly starting to breath in rhythm with his, Ironhide slowly felt recharge creep onto him in the darkness of the room; it seemed he could never get enough sleep no matter how hard he tried, but any amount he got with his charge was worth it by his standards. However, as he slowly began to drift off, he felt a movement on his chassis. Grabbing the small blanket - at least to Ironhide it was small; compared to 'Bee it was normal size - that he slept with every night and wrapping it around him and grabbing one of his stuff animals, Bumblebee made his way to where Ironhide's chassis met his neck. He promptly then sat his aft where, leg going on either side of where the neck split into the shoulder.
"'Hide?" whispered the sparkling, obviously holding his stuff animal tight in the very lightly lit room. Taking in a big breath, Ironhide shifted to where he could look at his charge without having to get up and make him go rolling off.
"You should be asleep, little one," he said softly, tiredness etched in his voice. "What do you want?" There was a moment of silence, and for a split second Ironhide thought that his charge had fallen asleep like he had wanted him to. Then, as 'Hide gave out the human equivalent of a yawn, Bumblebee finally spoke up.
"You and Chromia not bein' t'gether no more isn't 'cause a' me, is it?" asked 'Bee sheepishly, cuddling further into his blanket as he asked his question. Rubbing his optics, Ironhide gave him a curious look, easily visible through the dim lighting of the night lights.
"No," croaked the old mech, keeping a hold of the sparkling with one hand as he sat up, making Bumblebee edge closer to his chassis and hold tighter to his own blanket that he had around him. "It's a long story Bumblebee, I'd have to tell you when you're older and can understand, alright?" asked/stated Ironhide. "But you should know better than t' blame somethin' on yerself. Did ya ever hear me yellin' at me when all of it went down?" Bumblebee shook his helm. "Then ya didn't do nothin' wrong, got it? Naw go back t' recharge, al'ight?" Bumblebee gave a nod and, giving in, simply laid his head gently against the large chassis that dwarfed him.
For a mechling as young as he was, 'Hide had to admit that he was smart; not super smart like Prowl or Perceptor, but smart enough to not be stupid. Everyone on board the Ark who happily took care of him gladly taught him new things, weather some wanted him to be taught certain things and not to be taught certain things. Jazz was especially bad at this method; having a bad habit of swearing and Bumblebee easily picking up on it. Well, learning it, so to speak.
It was obvious that Bumblebee liked the answer he was given; not long after he laid his head down, Ironhide heard the soft and steady breathing of the sleeping sparkling. Relaxing back, he tucked 'Bee in on his chassis, making sure that his favored stuffed toy Rufus was there beside him before trying to go to sleep like he had earlier. Slowly drifting to sleep, Ironhide couldn't help but wonder why 'Bee thought that he and Chromia "breaking up" was his fault.
Something that would be discovered in the morning, perhaps; Bumblebee knew better than to keep secrets from his "father", no matter how hard he tried.