Chapter 8: Little Guy

"Uh… Hey, uh, little Guy… oh my gosh- little Guy! Look at you, you're tiny!"

Optimus grabbed her by her shoulders.

"Yes, look at me. What did you do?"

He was gripping her so hard that her eyes started to tear up.

"I- I'm sorry. OUCH! You're hurting me Optimus. I didn't do anything!"

Optimus let go of her quickly and the anger left his eyes. As a leader, he was exhibiting very bad behaviour. He shook himself. It wasn't like him to loose control like that. Especially on her! Phoenix was a human, she was fragile. But now seeing her face in line with his chest was unnerving. She suddenly seemed like she could hold her own a heck of a lot better then he could.

"I am sorry that I hurt you." He sighed, "I am… distressed. Did you… Were you thinking or wishing that I were smaller?" He said in a rush, despite the situation, and knowing her powers, he hardly dared to hope she could have been wanting him to be her size.

Phoenix blushed a deep shade of red. How could she explain this one?

"I uh… I guess so." She finished lamely.

Optimus waited for more, but Phoenix seemed determined to look anywhere but at him. He found himself reaching up to touch her cheek and she leaned into the touch.

"Little One?" He asked, unsure of the tremendous wave of emotions he was feeling.

Phoenix laughed. "Not so little anymore am I?"

Optimus smiled. " To me you will always be little."

Phoenix looked up at him. He was human height but still taller than her. Not that that was a big thing. Everyone was taller than her. Her face came about level with his chest, at the perfect height to place her head under his chin and nuzzle his neck. She blushed as the thought came to her, and resisted the urge to do just that. But with the way he was caressing her cheek…

Optimus suddenly pulled away. It would go to far if he didn't stop. She was a human. Nothing could come of a relationship from to so vastly different forms. He knew it was true, but he wanted so badly to deny the facts. To go against fact and science, to forget that as the leader, he was setting an example to all the Autobots. He wanted to throw caution to the wind and embrace her. Phoenix. His Phoenix. And he'd never let her go.

But for the moment he kept his emotions in check. Mustering every ounce of self-control he possessed, he said stonily, "I guess you had better return me to my proper size."

Phoenix gulped and held back tears as she nodded. For a moment she had thought that every thing would be ok and he would want to be with her. But she had been wrong. He obviously did not want her, or feel the same way about her as she did him.

Optimus watched the display of emotions across her face and read them as easily as a book. She thought he didn't want her. He wanted to scream. He wanted to tell her how he felt but something was holding him back. Transformers did not breathe air, but he was sure this was what it felt like to be suffocating.

Slowly Phoenix raised her hand."

"STOP!" Optimus yelled, just as she was about to place her hand on his chest.

Phoenix jumped and looked at him with a solitary tear running down her cheek.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Um… I uh…" Optimus avoided looking her in the eye. It was so unlike him to stutter and say things like 'um'! "I think that maybe while I'm this size I could, uh, learn more about humans… yes," He nodded almost to himself as he fabricated an excuse for his outburst. 'Oh why don't you just tell her the truth you fool?' He thought angrily. 'But what is the truth? I can't actually have feelings for her can I?!" He continued his story. "It is a good research opportunity, I think, seeing as I live on earth now, I should know more about humans right?"

He looked at Phoenix anxiously, praying that she'd go along with his hurried, made up excuse.

Phoenix's face split into a huge grin. Maybe he did want to be with her after all. She hardly dared to hope.

"I think it's a wonderful idea… for research of course." She said.

Optimus couldn't help but smile at how bright her mood had become.

"And you could help me… for research."

Phoenix laughed giddily.

"What has you so happy?" Optimus asked.

"Oh I'm just happy because uh… for research. Good stuff, right?"

Optimus made a sound halfway between a chuckle and a snort.

"I had best go tell the others what has happened."

"Of course."

Optimus left, crawling clumsily under his door.

Phoenix sat down and hugged her legs to her chest. Things were definitely looking up. But she frowned. She was glad he had stopped her from trying to make him big again, because deep down she knew it wouldn't have worked, and she didn't know if it ever would. She had figured out that most of the weird things that happened on her behalf were because she wished it or wanted it. That was why she couldn't make it work, because try as she might, she was too selfish, and in her heart she just didn't want him to be big again!

'This might turn into a big problem!' She thought before drifting into a fitful sleep.

Hello everybody! I'm back!

Sorry it's a short chapter, but I'm exhausted! And I'm looking for fillers. I've got most of the big things planned for this story, but if you've got any ideas for just little 'fillers', situations to happen between big stuff it'd be great to hear!

Read and Review!