A/N: Here's a one shot that's leaning more towards cannon. This was originally a reader self-insert, but Fanfiction's guidelines prohibit that, so I had to change it quite a bit. Sorry if it's written a little weird. I just had to change to comply with the rules. This could be in anyone's point of view, including the reader's. Let us begin shall we?
I had no choice but to work overtime at the train yard tonight. Not very many are interested in these old railways anymore, which meant a shortage of employees Control had on call. I was the only new worker here. My co-workers quickly warmed up to me, and welcomed me to the family with a clap on the back. Out here, we had to look out after another, especially since our brakeman suddenly went missing last week. Now that made us a little uneasy. We weren't even safe at our workplace now. I had a sneaking suspicion that one of the trains here was behind it, but the police couldn't find any evidence that led to that conclusion.
The rain was really pouring down tonight. It was wet and cold, perfect weather to catch pneumonia. I've only been working here for two weeks, and I might have to call in sick already. That was a great first impression. I pulled the hood of my coat up as the temperature began to drop even further. I worked for several hours until a huge shadow loomed over me. Startled, I looked up to see a steam engine in its humanoid form.
He was as tall as, well, a steam engine standing on its rear couplings. He had his helmet on. He was in racing mode. That was odd. Why would he be out on a night like this? I shielded my eyes from the bright light of his lantern as he gazed down at me. I had to lean back to look him in the eye. His amber eyes almost seemed to glow softly like hot coals in his firebox. I wasn't sure what this engine had in mind. I had to be on my guard with any engine now that our brakeman disappeared. However, this rusty steam engine didn't seem to be aggressive; rather he appeared docile. Apparently, he noticed his light was blinding me, and he turned off his lantern. I was taken by surprise as he got down on his knees, making the ground shake. My knees buckled, and I fell flat on the ground on my rear. The engine crooned softly, and gently scratched my head with a huge finger, as if I was a dog. He rested his huge head on the ground in front of me. His amber eyes seemed to have a glint of curiosity in them. He was so close to me. I could just reach out and touch him. I had never been this close to an engine before. Only the most experienced workers were allowed to get up close to them. It was a safety precaution to ensure the newer workers wouldn't be injured... or worse. I knew he could be trying to lull me into a false sense of security before he would squish me like a bug, but... he was gentle with me as if I were made of glass. He obviously cared about me. Otherwise, he would have probably nearly crushed me when he scratched my head.
I faced my qualms and reached out to him to touch him. He gently pressed the base of his helmet into my hand. I looked up at him and sensed a smile from him. I returned the friendly gesture. I jumped back a little as he stood up, careful not to squish me by accident. I was a little alarmed when he ever so gently plucked me off the ground by the back of my coat. He clearly had no ill will towards me, but it was a good idea to stay alert just in case. He gingerly placed me in his enormous hand and held me close to his abdomen. The immense warmth caught me off guard, but it was a nice change from the dank air of the evening. He crooned, and gently stroked my head with his giant thumb, as if he was reassuring me that I was safe. I eagerly took up on his generous offer and snuggled into his warmth. The cold slowly receded as if it was only a bad dream. This was a blessing.
I was startled a little when he started moving with me in his gentle grasp. I was starting to worry a little about where he was taking me, but if he was kind enough to provide me with much needed warmth, he probably wouldn't try to squish me. He carried me into one of the older engine sheds, sat down in the corner, and leaned back against the wall, letting me make myself comfortable and lay down on his warm abdomen. He laid a hand on the doors of his firebox, as if to check on something, then took off his helmet and set it aside, revealing his face. He had smudges on his cheeks, rivets on his chin, and one lone rivet on his nose. Steam, or smoke billowed form his nose, reminding me of an ancient dragon of legend and folk lore. Now that I think about it, steam engines were like dragons in a sense. They had fire inside them, had brute strength, and some even have a reputation to be rather... aggressive towards humans.
I watched as he scooped a handful of coal from the pile and ate a bit of it, as if it were candy to him. I shuddered at the thought of his jaws being able to crush the bits of coal as if they were nothing. If he was powerful enough to crush that with no problem, he would easily be able to bite me in two. I simply looked down at the firebox in his chest to distract me from my unsettling observation, and saw the fire in his firebox glow even brighter. That was when I understood that he was refueling to make sure I stayed warm. Once he was done, he slouched against the wall with his other hand directly over me, as if to shelter me like how a mother hawk drapes her wing over her young to protect them from the elements. I mustered up all my strength and crawled up to his chest. He looked down at me in surprise. He hadn't expected me to become so bold so suddenly.
"What's your name?" I raised a eyebrow at him. I should at least know the name of my host.
The engine smiled gently."You can call me Rusty." The engine was even courteous enough to speak to me in a low volume, so I wouldn't go deaf for a few hours.
"Rusty, eh?" I smiled. Rusty nodded. I exclaimed in surprise as I slid back down onto his belly. Rusty chuckled softly, making me bounce a little. It could have been worse. I could have fallen off of him. I decided it was best to just lie there and not to test my luck again. This was probably as lucky as I was going to be for a while.
"Thanks for taking me in, Rusty. I really appreciate it." I might as well enjoy this while I could. No doubt my boss would be furious with me being so close to an engine, let alone laying on one.
"I couldn't just leave you out there in the cold and rain. You humans get sick too easily." Rusty gently stroked my head with a gargantuan thumb. I rested my head on his abdomen, and I could hear the soft sound of the water rolling around in his boiler with every powerful breath he took. Curious, I pressed my ear against him and listened to the sound of the water sloshing around in his boiler. Even with me resting on his gut, his breath stirred my hair a little. I could only imagine just what he was capable of. Shoot, he could probably destroy half the town if he wanted to.
"Curious little fella, aren't you?" Rusty smiled, amused with my child-like curiosity. I yawned. The mix of Rusty's warmth, and the sound of the rain pattering on the tin roof made me drowsy. Rusty seemed to take note because he gently stroked my back with a huge finger as he softly hummed a lullaby. Within minutes, I had fallen asleep. He was a gentle giant and my newfound friend.
A/N: Phew! Finally! I head cannon that steam engines are the only engines that need to breathe. They need a constant supply of oxygen to help keep their fires burning. The mix of metal and muscle helps make them not as hot as the fire inside them, more like a soothing warmth, like fresh laundry. Until next time, see you later!