Zirconium
By Uniasus
~Magnesium~
12) There were few he trusted to see him without his armor or to get access to his more delicate systems; Sam was the only one he trusted with both.
He was a war baby, a mech who couldn't remember a time when there wasn't fighting, or at least tension, between the two sides. And when fighting a war, survival is important. He never went anywhere without his armor, a lesson he learned early on. He used to have a friend that liked to take his armor off in his own home and the habit killed him when the building was bombed.
There were only two reasons to remove your armor, repairs or a sign of trust. Removing several panels meant you felt safe in the other's company, that you were willing to take the risk of being unguarded because the other would watch your back.
He had never taken his armor off for his teammates. The war and the Cons were too unpredictable. He trusted Prime and the others, but not enough to put his life at risk. They couldn't protect him from everything.
Sam couldn't protect him from anything, not really, but he was helpful in keeping a low profile. He was just to soft, to small, to human to be more than an occasional help in battle. And yet something about the teen made him feel safe enough to take off every single panel of his right arm.
And while they were off, he let Sam clean the more delicate systems in his arm; the places that needed extra care to prevent damage to them. He couldn't get at them properly himself, but Sam's soft, small nature made him perfect for the job. Nowadays, most mechs cleaned such special nooks and crannies with extra water and sonic bursts but that never worked 100%. Only someone looking at the areas could do it perfectly, but the high risk of damage again made him hesitant.
Except Sam just grabbed a rag and started cleaning on his own, and he found no reason to stop him. This was Sam, this was home, and there was no one he trusted more or a place more safe.
A/N: Sorry, I know you'd rather have a Frostbite chapter, but these are alot easier to write on my mom's iPad when I can snag it during vacations. Also, my friend from Germany is staying with me this week, so I may not be able to write/post till September. Which will be a massive upload, lots of things getting updated, so look for that!
Though that may have something to do with the fact that I'm now unemployed...