"Oh! There you are!" You hear, and then feel Fix-It take your arm to get your attention. "I've been looking for you!"
"Me? Why?"
"I've been doing some research on your planet and now I need a sample, so I was hoping you could get it for me. Preferably some soil, or a flower. Oh, or both!"
"Alright, since there's nothing else to do," you accept.
"Most of the bots are gone out on patrol, but I think Sideswipe is still here. Take him with you for protection. I hear the bears out there are suspicious-delicious-vicious!" He hits himself in the chest to stop his glitch. "And you never know when there'll be a Decepticon around."
You nod and head off to the other side of the junk yard where Sideswipe is listening to extremely loud music and dancing in the middle of the yard. "Sideswipe?" you call, but he doesn't hear you. "Sideswipe!" Still nothing. Out of the corner of your eye you see a blowhorn and pick it up, turn it on and shout into the mic, "Boogie bot! SIDESWIPE!"
He freezes and pulls off his oversized headphones to look down at you. "What!? Can't you see I'm listening to my jam?"
"Fix-It wants you to come with me while I get him some samples from the woods. You know, for saftey reasons."
"What? No way! That sounds boring. Besides, I've got other stuff to do."
Yeah, sit on your tailpipe and flail around to that crummy music, you want to say, but instead walk out of the junk yard quietly to get the samples by yourself. You doubt anything bad will happen, but if it does you know how to run and hide.
There's no flowers or decent soil near Denny's place so you have to go deeper into the woods for the good stuff. It's rather quiet besides the sound of the birds which is relaxing, but the farther ahead you go, the more you don't feel so alone. You stop to look around on the ground for your sample and catch yourself looking around you nervously more often. When you suddenly hear a branch snap, you're so anxious already that you take off running for a short distance and skid to a halt. You turn to find out what it was, and see that Drift is trying to hide behind a thin tree. That bright orange armor and two swords sticking out are unmistakable.
Realizing you've noticed him, he steps out and walks up to you. "I'm sorry, I did not mean to frighten you."
"That's okay, I guess. What are you doing out here?"
"I came in early from my patrol and found out you had gone into the woods alone for the minicon caretaker, so I decided to join you for your protection. You looked so content when I caught up with you, though, that I stayed behind at a safe distance so as not to bother you."
You blush, thinking it would have been much better with his company anyways, but give him a bow as his minicons do. "Thank you, but you don't bother me at all."
He blinks and begins to follow you loyally as you continue to look for a decent sample. It's completely quiet, and you know he won't make conversation with you unless you start, so you try to think of a question. "Err...how's your day been?"
He seems a little shocked by the question. "I have nothing to complain about-though even if I did, I would not complain."
"I see," you giggle. He's so unbearibly adorable, you almost can't stand it.
"And how has your day been?"
"Well, it's started off pretty boring. But I think my luck is starting to change." You look up at him and smile warmly.
"Why is that?" he asks, genuinely curious.
"Because now I'm having a conversation with my favorite bot!"
"Oh. Uh-Well," he clears his throat and scratches the back of his neck in embarrassment. If it were possible, you know he'd be blushing. "Thank you-um, (YN)."
"You're welcome," you laugh, still tickled by his expression.
"I...enjoy your presence as well," he admits, looking foreward to avoid your stare.
"You do!?"
He clears his throat again and looks away as if he sees something in the distance. "Yes. You're a very honorable and reserved person."
You smile and walk a little closer to him. "Thank you."
"Mmhm."
You finally see the perfect batch of blue Forget-Me-Not flowers to pick and fill a little ziplock bag with dark, damp soil before heading back to base.
"Would you like a ride back?" Drift asks.
"No, I'd rather see the forest from outside glass."
"I meant on my shoulder," he gives you the slightest of smiles.
You jump with glee and nod excessively before clambering up his figure and resting between his head and shoulder armor. "Thank you."
He nods and walks you back to the junk yard where the rest of the bots are hanging around in the front, already back from their patrols. When they see you sitting on Drift's shoulder, their jaws drop and arms hang loosely in front of them.
"Hey guys," Bumblebee says indifferently. "Where ya been?"
"Out collecting samples for Fix-It," Drift answers for you. He raises his hand to your feet so you can hop on and he can lower you to the ground. With your cheeks burning hot, you run to the minicon to give him what you found quickly and avoid the other bots for the rest of the day.
Bee's team gives you a little heat for your "bonding" time with Drift for a while after that, and often ship you secretly behind the Samurai bot's back.
