Starscream stood there near the entrance of the bar that he was in now, arms crossed across his chest as he glared menacingly at Knock Out, who was running around trying to find them seats.
After Knock Out had finished his shift for the day, he sent Bumblebee on his way. The Seeker was glad that the yellow bot was finally gone because any longer and he would have, well, done something that would result in him being arrested. It wasn't his fault that he was getting rather cooped up in the apartment. The young bot wouldn't even allow him to leave.
Shortly after Bumblebee left, Knock Out practically dragged him out of the apartment and to this bar.
He honestly didn't want to be there but the red medic insisted that he do this. It just so happens, much to the Seeker's annoyance, that this bar was rather popular, packed and large with a dance floor in the middle where you can see the second floor above. For being a large place, it was rather cramped.
Starscream's wing twitched. He really didn't want to be there yet he did at the same time. The narcissistic medic said he was going to help him and so he did, by taking him to a bar to give him tips and maybe find someone.
He suddenly felt rather uneasy, about finding someone at this bar. If he sees someone he likes, would they like him back? How would they react if they found out that he used to be a Decepticon?
"Hey Starscream, I found us some seats," Knock Out said as he ran back over.
The Seeker's arms wrapped around himself tighter, "I-I don't think I can do this."
"Nonsense," the medic said with a large smile, grabbing the Seeker's wrist to practically drag him over to one of the seating areas on the ground floor. "You just need good advice and a shove in the right direction."
Starscream frowned, "What if that shove ends up being in the wrong direction?"
Knock Out snorted, rolling his optics, "Come on now. Do you realize who you are talking to?"
The ex-Commander couldn't help himself, "Someone who can't keep a steady relationship himself? Someone who can't get rid of the crazy admirers that he unintentionally, and possibly intentionally, created?"
The red mech glanced at him over his shoulder, fixing the Seeker with a slight glare, "Nooo," he said then stopped in front a vacant table with two seats, letting go of the Seeker's wrist as he turned around to face him. "You're talking to the same bot who helped hundreds of bots get their act together, by pushing them in the right direction. The direction towards future love interests that have the potential to become their sparkmates."
"Yet your advice never helped you to find your own potential sparkmate?"
Knock Out shrugged, taking a seat in one of the chairs, "Not everyone will find the right bot off the bat. Others, like myself, are still waiting," he crossed a leg over the other, gesturing to the seat across the table from him. "Now sit before you hurt yourself."
Starscream glared at the medic, clenching his denta before sitting down.
Knock Out smiled in success, lifting a digit, "First off, stop with the faces."
The Seeker blinked, "What faces?"
"The glaring and the frowning. That is such a turn-off to others when you're trying to win their spark. Smile, show some confidence. Like moi," the red medic boasted, placing a servo to his chest.
Starscream shook his helm, "Not everyone wants to be like you Knock Out and besides, I don't do smiling."
The red mech looked at him in shock, "What do you mean you don't smile!? You've done it before. Sure, they were more evil than anything but they were still smiles."
The Seeker looked rather unsure and glanced over at the dance floor, seeing bots dancing on platforms while lights flashed and music played.
Knock Out patted the table, "Come on, try it. Give me a smile."
Starscream decided to just get this part over with and smiled, not really thinking.
"Eh, I think we may need to work on that."
"Yeah think?" the ex-Commander said as if it was obvious. He looked up when someone came up to their table.
"Hello, what would you like for this fine evening?" the femme asked.
Knock Out gestured to himself, "I would like your moderate-potent high-grade and if you have any low-potent medium-grade, that would be good for my friend here," he said as he gestured to Starscream.
She glanced at the Seeker oddly, "Low-potent medium-grade?"
The ex-Commander nodded his helm, "Uh, medical issue. Can't have higher potent energon for awhile."
She rested a servo against her chest, "Bless your spark. Hope you feel better soon," she said then looked at Knock Out. "I'll be back shortly with your energon."
Knock Out nodded his thanks and watched her for a bit as she walked away before looking back at the Seeker, "Now, let's continue. Like I said, you need to be confident and when you interact with someone for the first time, don't get too close. You want them to feel as comfortable as possible around you, which I believe will be a little difficult for you."
"Oh ha ha," was Starscream's reply to that bit at the end.
The red medic chuckled, "Its the truth though, you're not exactly someone that anyone would want to hang out with all the time."
"Yet you do anyway."
Knock Out pointed a digit at him, "Hey, someone needs to look after you. Besides, didn't I say back at the hospital that you're my friend."
After Starscream went silent then and looked over at the dance floor, the red mech continued, "Anyway, we first need to determine the type of bot that would suit you the best."
Starscream looked back at him, "And how are you going to accomplish that?"
The red medic leaned back in his seat, arm crossing over his chest while a digit from his other servo tapped his chin in thought, "Well, I first got to ask you something. Are you more into mechs or femmes?"
The ex-Commander sputtered, "Wh-what kind of question is that!?"
"You want to find someone don't you?" when the Seeker nodded his helm rather hesitantly, Knock Out smiled. "Now answer the question."
He opened his mouth to answer but stopped when that femme came back with a tray that had two cubes of energon on it.
She took one of the cubes and placed it in front of Knock Out, "Here's the high-grade," she said then placed the other cube in front of Starscream. "And here's your medium-grade. Enjoy yourselves," she said rather cheerfully before walking away again.
Knock Out sipped from his energon, "So?"
Starscream's digits tapped against his cube, "I guess it doesn't really matter."
"Hmm, you're going to want to change your answer after this next bit," Knock Out smirked. "What would you say you are: submissive or dominant?"
The Seeker had taken a sip of his energon then and nearly spat it out, deciding to hide behind his cube as he blushed madly, "Th-the Pit would I know?" he spat.
Knock Out grinned, "In my opinion, you could be either but we've got to look at a few facts to determine this."
Starscream glanced at him from around the cube, "Wh-what do you mean by that?"
The red medic began inspecting his digits as he spoke, "Well, the reason I think that you could be dominant was because of your dedication to the... "cause". You always went about trying to become leader, almost succeeding at times, and your rather traitorous streak and your habit to look down on everyone would put you as someone being dominant.
"But," he continued, glancing up from his digits to look at the nervous Seeker across from the table. "Because of the constant beatings you got from Megatron, you had no choice but to revert to being cowardly to survive. You did it so many times, getting into trouble and trying not to be deactivated. You became uneasy until something or someone tips the scale to your favor. It got to the point that it became second nature. You gotten so used to being on the end where you had to obey constantly so you wouldn't be deactivated, you ended up changing from being dominant to submissive."
Starscream tapped his digits against the side of his cube, "So you're saying I'm submissive because of the beatings I had received from Megatron?"
Knock Out shrugged, "It was either that or because ever since I asked about that datapad, you've been rather skittish, hesitant... oh what's the other word... oh yeah," he grinned. "Timid and rather embarrassed every time I mention anything that deals with relationships."
Starscream looked into his cube, trying to ignore the fact that his faceplate was still warm. He took a sip from it, trying to calm himself.
"Hmm, I don't think a femme would be good for you then. Unless you like it when the femme is dominant in the relationship, being the one on top while you're on the bottom instead."
Starscream's optics widened before he lowered his helm, "Please, stop," he whined, trying to stop the images from flooding his mind while at the same time trying to calm his blushing faceplate. He was really regretting not leaving the instant Knock Out had left to find seats for them.
Knock Out laughed, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself but I'm serious. A femme wouldn't suit you but a mech would," he glanced over the Seeker's shoulder. "We just need to find a good enough mech for you who would not only treat you the right way but doesn't look half bad either."
The Seeker snorted, "I thought we were looking for someone for me, not you."
"Or it could be me."
Starscream frowned, "Wha...?" he was silenced when the red medic's servo covered his mouth.
The red mech glanced at him, "Just follow my lead," he whispered.
The Seeker was about to question him once he removed his servo but stopped himself at hearing a femme's voice.
"Hey Knock Out, whose your friend?"
Starscream frowned, the glare that Knock Out was sending the femme was menacing.
"What do you want?" the medic growled at her.
The way she smiled made Starscream instantly dislike her, "Am I not allowed to see my boyfriend?"
Knock Out grit his denta, "I told you we are through. Multiple times. Doesn't the words 'Frag off' mean anything to you?"
She literally waved it off, "Oh, you were just having a bad week."
Starscream rolled his optics. So, she was those kind of femmes, "He told you that he doesn't want to see you anymore glitch."
The femme gasped, placing a servo to her chest, "Rude!" she looked back at Knock Out. "Who is this piece of slag?"
Starscream snarled. He wanted so bad to snap back at her but he didn't get the chance. He froze to the spot when Knock Out reached over and grabbed his servo.
The red medic didn't leave his glaring optics off the femme as he held the Seeker's servo, "He's my date."
Starscream's optics widened then, his mouth moving to protest but he had no idea how to reply to that.
"Date!?" the femme laughed. "Oh that's just rich. I know you enough to know that you've never dated a mech before and a Seeker no less."
Starscream wanted to remove his servo from Knock Out's but the medic had a good hold on him. He could feel the red mech's servos shaking from anger and he was sure that any second he was going to punch that femme in the face.
Knock Out grit his denta, "This Seeker happens to be an old friend. I met him way before I met you and who cares if I date a mech, I believe its about time I date one if all femmes are fragging glitches like you."
Starscream's vents soon hitched when Knock Out's thumb-digit began stroking along his servo, caressing along a few seams. He placed his other servo over his faceplate as he turned his helm away from the other two, trying to hide the heavy blush creeping up along his cheeks.
What the medic said made her growl and just the sight of him stroking the Seeker's servo caused something to snap in her, "If that's how its going to be," she said then looked at the ex-Commander. "Hey, Seeker."
Starscream managed to look at her at the corner of his optic.
She sneered, "Word of advice; the moment he is satisfied, he'll just dump you like every other bot he's dated," she then smiled. "Nice meeting you."
With that said, she turned and left. Not once looking back at them.
Knock Out snorted, "And this is what I practically go through every week. If you're wondering, her name is Reefknot. She is one of the many who are so determined to have me as their boyfriend just because of my looks."
"Kn-Knock Out..."
"Honestly, they really need to give up."
"... please, let go..."
"Many wonder why I haven't dated anyone in the passed few months. This is the reason."
"Knock Out!"
Said medic looked at him, "What?"
Starscream's faceplate was hidden behind his servo but it wasn't doing a very good job at hiding the deep blush, "Let go of my servo," he practically growled out.
Knock Out looked down, "Oh, sorry," he said and as soon as his grip on the Seeker's servo had loosened, Starscream was immediately on his pedes and heading for the exit at a fast pace.
"Woah, Starscream, wait up," Knock Out quickly followed after, leaving a tip on the table. Once the Seeker was just leaving the bar, the medic paid for the energon at the front counter before rushing after the ex-Commander.
He managed to catch up but he had to walk at a much faster pace to keep up with the Seeker's longer strides, "Starscream, what's wrong?"
"Nothing!" the Seeker spat, his servos gripping his upper arms.
Knock Out groaned to himself. He used to be able to understand what the ex-Commander was feeling just by watching his wings but that was impossible now with them being stuck in their lowered position. He caught up enough to reach out and grab his arm, stopping the Seeker from going any farther, "I'm serious. Tell me what's wrong."
Starscream was forced to stop once the medic took his arm. He lowered his helm, "Why did you have to go ahead and tell her that?"
Now Knock Out was really confused, "Tell her what?"
The Seeker turned enough to look at him, an angered expression still present, "Why did you tell her that we were dating? Not only that, you decided that it was such a good idea to hold my servo!"
Knock Out laughed halfheartedly, "Is that what this is about? Just some silly servo holding and a few words? The reason I did that was to get her off my back and to leave me alone. It worked so what's gotten you so riled up about?"
Starscream shook his helm, turning his helm away, "You won't understand."
The red medic stepped a little closer without releasing his grip on the Seeker's arm, "Then tell me what's wrong. It's the only way that will make me understand."
Starsceam was silent for a bit, clenching his denta as he tried to straighten out his thoughts. Should he tell him? Tell him that he has never experienced being in a relationship? Not even before the war started? He bit his bottom lip, shaking his helm. He didn't want to tell him, yet he did. He desperately wanted to get this off his chest but the only closest friend he had to talk to was Knock Out but he honestly didn't know how the red mech would react.
He sighed deeply, shoulders sagging as he calmed down after deciding what to do. He turned his helm to the medic rather hesitantly, "I-I'll tell you back at the apartment."