"Dreadwing...he's so young, I can't tell him yet. Can you please, please do me this favor?" Elita held his servo tightly, optics scanning his faceplate.

"You can't hide the fact he's adopted," Dreadwing said. "You simply cannot. He'll find out, one way or another."

"I'll tell him when I feel it's best. But please, he's so young, and he adores you. Could you at least play along?"

"Fine."

"Thank you Dreadwing, you don't know how much this means to me. I could kiss you~" With that, she let go of his servo, and pivoted on her heel, to the hall.

Dreadwing tried not to think about the fluttering his spark was doing, hearing her say that.

He wasn't even supposed to. Like. Her.

He was here to protect her. Make sure no harm befalls her or Bumblebee, Megatron's orders. Pit, Megatron had warned him.

"Don't fall for her, Dreadwing. She provides the kind of love that will make you sad."

Well Pit, he didn't feel sad around her. She made him feel tingly, and downright jolly at times. He couldn't help but wonder why Megatron told him that.

Maybe his Leader had fallen for her, and she had managed to shake him by being distant and depressive. That didn't feel like her, though. Maybe he meant, the kind of love that makes you sad, because you know you'll be rejected.

Elita did have yet to even date. And she was well aged, and quite the charmer. Big smiles, kind spirit, strong personality. She did charm Megatron, after all. And Swindle, probably. The business mech could often be spotted admiring her, like she were a rare, expensive gem. Or maybe he was looking at the pendant on her neck.

How had Elita charmed him? When did Dreadwing realize; I like her. Oh no.

It was the day she took in Bumblebee, wasn't it?

It was.

She had been such a disaster, coddling the crying sparkling like she'd die with him. Held him close, fed him, made him giggle after the painful procedure of removing glass from his tiny servos.

Poor child. Abandoned among rubble, left to crawl through broken glass and sharp metals.

Elita found him, and rushed him to Shamrock, who quickly removed the glass pieces from his tiny, tiny fist, and wrapped it in bandages to prevent him from picking at it. Then Elita fed him, and started booping his nose plate, making him giggle. Then she made funny faces, and wiped away his dried tears as she gently cooed to him.

He had never been good with kids. It stemmed from a fear of failure, pursued by thoughts of inadequacy. Seeing her get along so well with a sparkling, he wanted to be there. Helping her.

Alongside the rest of the entire ship. By the Primes, this sparkling was going to grow with about forty different parents and siblings…All of which were trained warriors.

He was a tad concerned, but they would burn that bridge when they got to it.

He liked pretending to be Bumble's sire. It was fun, for the most part.

One day, Bumble threw a fit.

Dreadwing had to carry him aside, and have a discussion with him; Why are you so upset? Is it something I did, or did someone else upset you? What made you cry?

Normally it was over something small; Sideswipe wouldn't give him a hug, or Mirage kept ignoring him.

"T-they don love me anmore!" He cried, tears rolling down his tiny face.

"No no no, they still love you. Sometimes, it's just hard to want to give love, when it's so easy to not do it. I promise you though, they still love you." Dreadwing wiped away Bee's tears. "And even if they don't, screw them, you have Elita and I, and the rest of the entire ship to show you in love. Because you're Bumblebee, the sweetest, kindest little mechling in the universe. It's their loss if they're being blind brats." He booped Bee's tiny noseplate, and the sparkling giggled, and hiccupped, before being tugged into a hug.

Elita overheard every word, and found herself wanting to step in. But it wasn't her moment, it was Dreadwings. She could thank him later, and shower her baby in love and affection later, when he was brought back to her arms.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Bumble?"

"Why don you and mama show each other love?"

"...what."

"Like hand holding. Or hugging. Or sayit."

There was a silence.

"I do love her. But I never know how to show it. It's tricky."

"Jus give hug. Or kiss."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Is!"