A small, childish squeal drew his attention faster than anything. It sounded in such an eerie echo of a sparkling cry. It was enough to jolt Hotrod out of the trance like state he had been in, nearly a stupor as Hotrod had not bothered to turn on the radio. He retreated it now, but Hotrod was now alert again as he unfolded out of his alternate mode.
The Autobot wanted to feel a good stretch, but only shook out his arms and hands as he walked around the stone walls. Walls he knew well now, almost as well as his old ship, so it was not hard to find where the sound had come from. The sight made Hotrod pause, debating on going to find the adult humans.
That was likely the best option, really...but then that would mean leaving the human sparkling in distress. Hotrod gave a deep vent like sigh as he straightened up from the half crouch he got into the habit of to make himself seem smaller of a target. Or less scary. Stepping away from the wall, the mech walked over the near pristine green grass of the inner quart yard. His footsteps always seemed heaver on this world, or at least when there were so few bigger mecha around. OR just any other that was a rusting warrior class from ages ago, and a disturbing, and mean, head master.
"Oy," Hotrod rumbled as he came over and knelt down by the disturbance, the toddlers worried sounds still ringing in his audios. Not for the first time the Aubobot was struck at the scale of difference between his kind and the native humans. It always seemed to hit him when he was near the younglings, the little human sparklings. His hands were so big as one cupped around the girl, the other gently pushing between her and the overly exited puppies.
Year old canines were not really the biggest threat in the world, but apparently enough that young Vivian needed saving from.
"Shuu," Hotrod said, wiggling the fingers of his right hand at the puppies. Not bothered that one of the two canines half hopped up to flop its forelegs over the backs of his fingers. It was an attempt to play, as well as being a good sign that the dog was desensitized to Cybertorians. Hotrod wiggled his fingers of that hand, while those of his left were deftly sliding under the youngling.
The small child squeaked at first, looking at the massive metallic hand wrapping around her. Vivian yipped in reflex as she was lifted off the ground, drawing the mech's attention. She looked up at a strange sound as her small hands grasped at the digits around her. "...?"
Hotrod rumbled softly in Cybertronian, not a lot but a little reassuring note he had heard others use for sparkling before the war. That and his energy field were better than the blasted accent he was stuck with. The drawback of having to learn an organic language before humans had advanced enough tech for others to just...download. French had been the first language Hotrod had learned, and in turn it had... stuck in his systems.
"There, little one, you are alright." Hotrod shifted his kneeling position a little better, freeing his right hand- though giving the two puppies a light rub-scratch like motion on their backs before flicking their ball off into the semi distance for the canines to romp after. "See? No more exited dogs. You are safe my little one."
He looked down into wide eyes as Hotrod stood back up, bringing his right hand up at the same time. The black and orange Autobot made sure his own optics stayed open and wide back, keeping his expression open and friendly. Slowly, as a minute passed, Hotrod became a little worried as Vivian did not move, was she afraid of him? He knew the girl had not seen him up right for...primus since she was a tinier wiggly thing in her father arms.
Vivian's eyes were shifting slightly, looking from one point of Hotrod's face to another as she was lifted up to optic level with him. Once more hearing those rumbling notes of before, and started to relax a little in her back. Though Vivian's hands were still clasped on the edge of of the grey and black finger folded over the girl's lap to hold her stable. She blinked slowly, watching the bright sapphire optics shutter and open back in response. The young girl looked down as she caught movement again, the other combatively massive hand was sifting so a fingertip tapped the underside of Vivian's left shoe.
At a sudden thought, the girl giggled.
Hotrod arched an optic ridge at that, but smiled slowly, "I am not bad? Good. See? Friendlee 'Ot'rod, friendlee Autobot! You are safe now my leettle one."
"...no jumps?" the girl asked, peering down at the ground that seemed so far away, as did the jumping puppies.
Hotrod shook his head in response; the mech paused as he looked around. Finding himself alone the mech dared to draw Vivian in closer. Getting a good long look as much as the toddler was looking back at him. She blinked again and glanced at the fingers wrapped around her before turning back, wide blue eyes meeting the glowing optics.
"Imma a fairy now?" young Vivian asked, trying to gasp the size difference. This big metal giant looked to fit into these huge walls more than she did. So, in the logic of a child, she must be somewhere new like in her story books.
Hotrod blinked, and then a clicking trill came from the mech. The laugh blurting out in his own native way first, switching it over to a more human like chuckle as he ever so gently tapped his fingertip to the top of the toddler's head, "Only eef you want to be my leettle lady."
The three year old looked and reach up to put both of her hands on the grey metal that pet her hair. The startled moment of fear shifting to fascination, the mech's energy field was still kept warm and reassuring. It was giving Vivian a feeling of safety even if she was not aware of it happening. Her faze was drawn back to the mech's face, and held her arms out in the childish show of her want to be closer. Vivain squeaked once more as she was drawn in closer almost with no hesitation, the mecha watching her just as intently. Wanting to see what the reaction would be.
Vivian was still in the gentle, but firm hold to keep her from falling out of Hotrod's palm. The girl found that she could lean forward, putting her hands on the mech's face, just under the ridge of his lower lip. The metal was surprisingly warm, and more malleable than one would expect metal to be, even to a toddler.
Pushing lightly against the smooth metal, the girl watched as the living metal moved. She pushed again up and together. Vivain, remembering what one of her aunts did and said with her, the sparkling's soft voice pipped up, "Mush..."
Hotrod arched an optics ridge before the smile came back to his face. He tilted the girl and his own head, almost delicately placing a kiss on the toddler's head and left shoulder. The Autobot chuckled as he muttered, "Mush? Oy, my leettle one... what shall I do weeth you?"
Vivian giggled, one eye closing as she ducked her head reflexively at the kiss. She meeped and giggled again as motion turned into a light nuzzle. The mech holding the toddler against his face before giving one more light kiss and lowering her to chest level as he started to walk to the inner quart yard. Where she should be and likely came from.
"Imma small like a' fairy!" the girl chirped from her spot in Hotrod's palm, grasping one of the fingers of his other hand that half wrapped over as he moved.
"Eef you want to be, you can be a fairee for how long you want to be my leetle lady." Hotrod said, spotting Vivian's father and moving over there. The mech pulsed his field stronger for the short walk, reassurance, amusement and affection wrapping around the human sparkling.
Hotrod vented a sigh as he finally opened his hand, stooped over and offering Vivian to her father with a humming rumble. He watched as they returned inside to where Sir Edmund Burton and that Cogman were. At least the little mean annoyance was smart enough to offer the toddler some toys this time- though only Hotrod knew why Vivian insisted over the next few months to be a fairy and not a girl.
Primus...why did he let himself get attached?
...the feeling of tiny sparkling sized hands on his face would not leave the mech's active memory for centuries.
