"What if she doesn't like me?"

He rolled his optics at the mere thought of it. "You're overreacting. She'll like you just fine."

"But I only know her through Optimus, who I know through you! I met him the one time, Drift! Just one time!"

"Don't worry about it. They're newly bonded, she just got back from my understanding. They'll be too wrapped up in each other to notice your nonexistent faults."

She groaned, and slowed her pace, trying to push off meeting the couple as quickly as possible. "Why is there a big party now? Isn't it supposed to be when they sparkbond?"

Drift gave her a look, before breaking into almost hysterical laughter, struggling to remain composed for his namesake. "Oh, Hina, how wonderfully oblivious you are." He teased, grinning as he began to move again, dragging her along with him.

"I don't understand." She said blankly, cocking her helm to the side and following him subconsciously. "What did I say?"

Drift shook his helm, smiling fondly at her before slowing his pace as they emerged from the dense crowd and into the clearer space around the two commanders.

"Slag!" Hina swore, and Drift snapped his helm to stare at her.

"I thought I told you never to repeat that!" He exclaimed, optics wide and processor racing.

Hina snorted, and jerked her servo away, giving him a mocking look. "I thought that you also said that it was a Cybertronian swear word."

"Yes, but I did not-"

"I'm Cybertronian. I'll use the word, thank you very much." She cut in, crossing her arms challengingly as she raised both optic ridges. "Your fault for teaching me..." She said sing-songly, grinning as she walked backwards slowly, not looking behind her. "Besides, it's not like you abide by your own rules."

Drift sighed. "Do as I say, not as I do. These are words of greater wisdom than can be found in my actions." He countered with a smirk, but it faded almost instantly as he reached out and snatched her up, optics wide as he gazed upon something behind her.

"Hey!" She protested, shoving him off of her irritably, but she stumbled, squealing as she fell backwards, and right into the waiting arms of a ready mech.

Her optic were squeezed shut; she had braced for impact, but she slowly opened them to see the upside-down torso of Optimus Prime. Hina yelped, jerking upwards and ducking behind Drift, faceplate flushing dark blue. How typical of her to make such a mistake... and how very foolish.

A musical, bell-like laughter flooded her audio receptors and she dared to step out from behind Drift to see a taller, pink femme laughing with a wide smile upon her faceplate as she leaned against Optimus, who was smiling warmly at her. It would only stand to reason that the femme was Elita-One. She had just embarrassed herself in front of the center of attention; the stars of the show; the newly bonded couple.

There didn't seem to be any hiding spots anywhere near her other than behind Drift, but she'd already compromised that location by coming out from behind him. What was that other swear he'd used? Because it had sure as heck seemed like a good time to use it right then and there.

Clapping slowly, she shook her helm and applauded Hina with a kind, genuine smile. "That was impressive." She said, flashing a grin at the golden femme. "You've most certainly got practice in the art of falling. I thought only I could do that."

Shyly, Hina mumbled quietly, her voice barely decipherable to the louder femme. "Hello." Was the only thing she could muster at the moment, afraid to open up to the femme. She was heeding Drift's earlier warning, and trying to stay distant, but if she was bluntly honest with herself, this other femme, one of which she'd never really interacted with before in her entire life, scared her, and she was unbelievably shy.

Cocking her helm to the side, Elita looked up at Optimus adoringly, optics playful. "Aw, Optimus! Isn't that just adorable!" She asked excitedly, grinning at her bonded once more. "They're so perfect for one another!"
Optimus shook his helm, kissing her forehelm fondly as he smiled back at her. "Indeed, Elita. It is quite precious."

To both of the femme's dismay. Drift mimicked a cough, gaining Optimus' attention, his gaze serious. "I believe you wished to discuss certain matters with me, Sir?"

The Prime nodded,nodded, sneaking in a not-so-innocent kiss with his bondmate before departing with his old friend, and leaving behind two femmes that were not going to connect very well. He just didn't know it.

Elita watched him disappear, waving farewell as she stood beside Hina unsteadily, feeling giddy, and abnormally joyful. She snapped her helm to look at Hina expectantly, clasping her servos together and grinning. "So! Tell me about yourself, Hina!"

The story Drift had fed her resurfaced, and before she could think about it, she lied instantly, optics darting away in anxiety. "I grew up an orphan during the war. My creators were once neutral, but were slaughter amidst the violence. I fended for myself for a long time."

Her smile faded, and was replaced with a look of deep sorrow as her optics feared up. "Oh, I am so sorry! I never knew; Drift had never said anything!" She exclaimed, clasping Hina's servo, but the golden femme yanked it away, and clasped hers together.

She hung her helm, and sighed. "I told him not to."

Though many others talked easily and jovially, laughing, and crying in contentment, the two did not exchange another word, instead, each waiting for their respective mate in silence instead.

Elita's gaze suddenly lifted, and she smiled broadly, standing on the edges of her peds as she attempted to be seen over the crowd. "Ironhide! Chromia!" She called out cheerily, feeling a sense of accomplishment as they turned to face her. She wasn't too short after all! The two made their way over to her as the pink femme realized that this was the perfect opportunity for her to connect with Drift's beloved mate!

"'Hide, 'Mia, this is Drift's intended-" Elita stopped speaking when she looked to her right and the femme was gone. "Hina."

Confused, Chromia cocked her helm to the side inquisitively. "You mean the femme that was just standing next to you?" Elita nodded slowly, trying to peer above the crowd for the golden and copper femme that had suddenly vanished. "She darted away when you called us over. I guess you talked her to death, 'Lita."

Irritated, she looked at the femme weapons nut and her bondmate disbelievingly, as if they were the biggest thorn in anyone's side on Cybertron, and she stalked off, towards Drift and Optimus, obviously to try and go and spend time with her bonded. Ironhide waited for Chromia to follow, but surprisingly, she didn't go after her best friend. In fact, he saw her quickly dodging through the crowd towards the back doors to the courtyard, the same doors he saw Hina darting out of as if a swarm of scraplets was on her tail.

"Oh, Chromia." He said knowingly, shaking his helm as he watched his mate duck out the same way Hina had. "How very warm-sparked you are." The weapons specialist muttered ruefully, heading over to where two of his closest friends stood, each of them staring intently at Elita-One.

Curiously, when he loomed over the femme, and she did not noticed, Drift snickered, which was unlike the strictly bound samurai. Optimus was trying not to laugh, but when Elita turned around, the Prime snickered along with his close friend.

Surprisingly, she seemed unfazed by his presence. "Where did Chromia go?" The pink femme asked, confused by the lack of her gossip-crazy friend. Normally, Chromia, though she may not have acted like it, was enthralled by every rumor spread, story told, and secret revealed, never daring to miss any of it.

Shaking his helm, the weapon's specialist walked over between the two mechs, and brought them both in a frame crushing, one-armed embrace as he grinned at Elita. "Chatting with the Lady."