Chapter Text
One of the new kids was sneaking looks at him.
Optimus smiled behind his blast mask and kept his optic feed trained dutifully on the discussion (read: one-sided argument) Ratchet was trying to have with him about the delay on medical’s supply restock. It didn’t appear to require any of his actual input, so Optimus mostly mades ‘hmm’s in the right places and let his peripheral sensors examine Hot Rod where he’s scrubbing out the energon sanitisation station.
It was the third time he'd ended up on the punishment roster in the six weeks since they integrated with the ARK crew, and Optimus was a little curious as to what he did to deserve it. There was a decent amount of tension with the little crew and the ARK long timers which was disappointing—the simple fact of a reunion with old friends and the chance to make new ones lightened Optimus’s mood considerably. The difficulty some were having adjusting was a shame.
Optimus could feel Hot Rod’s eyes scanning over him, as though he were simply taking in the room, but he lingered a little too long, not quite as subtle as some of their more practised crew mates. It’s not… Admiring or, worse, awestruck, like some of the younger members of their rotation. Assessing. Not warily, but he was definitely being sized up.
It reminded him of the way Ultra Magnus approached new people, almost charmingly so. Neat to see how his command affected the Autobots working with him. Given the initial reactions of everyone, Optimus had honestly thought Kup would be more of an influence on their cell.
“...And if you’re planning on paying attention to me any time in the near future, Carly sent me her medical clearance and wants to know if that’s good enough to let her introduce Danny to everyone,” said Ratchet acerbically.
Optimus’s eyes locked to his and he couldn’t even start his sheepish apology before Ratchet’s mouth was twitching.
“See I thought that might get your attention,” he said, forwarding Optimus a series of image files over their comms. “Make sure you sign off on my restock after you’re done ogling the fresh human. And call Carly and Spike!”
He stormed off to his office (still just two sheets of steel welded to the floor that didn’t quite reach the ceiling, they really needed to get around to something more permanent) leaving Optimus alone with Hot Rod in the rarely empty medbay.
“...Fresh human?” asked Hot Rod eventually.
When Optimus looked around Hot Rod had stopped scrubbing and was watching him with open curiosity. It made his smile widen (which Hot Rod could see in his optical plating if his own, smaller smile was anything to go by) and beckoned him over to the nearest monitor, which accepted his permissions instantly and let him display the photos.
“Oh!” said Hot Rod, abandoning his scrubbing in a sparkbeat and stepping in to examine. “Those are normal sized humans next to it, right? Wow, they start so small!”
“His name is Daniel,” said Optimus, weighing Hot Rod’s reactions. Springer was busy learning all the more official duties of the field command role he’d assumed for Magnus and Kup, and Arcee and Blur were a little standoffish and uncomfortable with the humans they’d met on base so far. “His parents are the humans in the picture here—”
“Carly and Spike, right? Sparkplug mentioned them when you introduced us all after we landed.”
“Yes,” said Optimus, pleased that Hot Rod had not only paid attention, but remembered. It would be good for one of the new crew to be on human duty, to help get them all acclimated with their allies—it might even keep him off the punishment roster for more than a week. “They’re usually more embedded in the ARK’s daily life and want to get back to that, so you’ll have the chance to meet him in person quite soon.”
“Really?” said Hot Rod, and when he looked up he was grinning openly. “That’s cool.”
Success. “Yes, it is,” said Optimus, making sure to scrunch his facial plating to emphasise his return smile. “I’ll make sure you’re ARK-side when they come by, they’re very excited to meet ‘the new guys’.”
Hot Rod laughed at his impression of Sparkplug’s phrasing. Another win. “Thanks, Prime.”
Sometimes it could be easy to facilitate new friendships. It was nice to be reminded of that. “Please, everyone is welcome to call me Optimus.”
He probably wouldn’t, but no one could blame him for trying.
Hot Rod surprised him: “Thank you then, Optimus.”