The Hour Of The Innocent

"Morning Loser"

Sunlight beamed down on the sandy ground as a slight breeze moved small rocks from their resting places. The smell of old rain was in the air as paper ruffled in a withering notebook. It was early in the morning, but not so early that life had not yet resumed. Birds and small rodents flew and scattered about as if they had chores to complete. What little grass was present glistened from the previous night's rain, and was slowly turning orange due to dust in the air.

A pencil etched across blue lined notebook paper as the sound carried out into the morning sky. All was still, and yet so vivid. The girl holding the pencil let her mouth scrunch up in concentration as she tilted her head to match the angle of her drawn lines. Her h/c hair flowed around her face as she used one hand to tame it, the other still sketching away at the brittle paper. Her "model" lay dormant not too far from her. His sleeping form; the perfect inspiration for her work.

The junk yard was coming alive as each member of the makeshift family rose to greet the day. She sat atop the old billboard railing a pop-tart next to her and a bottled water in her lap. They were running low on water, she would have to let Cade know once he awoke.

"Mornin' kid." Y/n perked up at the sound of the bot who was passing. Rustling metal alerted her of his identity before her eyes met his form. Not even looking up from her paper she greeted him calmly. "Good morning Hound."

"Dammit! You didn't even look up. How in the hell do you even do that?" She smiled to herself as he walked away to find something else to do. 

"Must be a gift." 

That voice did cause her to look up; Cade.

 He was down on the ground below her wiping his hands on a rag. "Morning sunshine." He beamed. A smile matching his rose on her face as she moved her hair out of her face. "Hey Cade," Her leg dropped down and swung over the edge, "We're almost out of water." The empty bottle she had possessed was tossed down to him with little force and he caught it with ease.

"Shit...." He removed the lid and crumpled it up before tossing it at a now arriving smaller bot. Wheelie shouted in protest, but caught the bottle. "What's the big idea? Tossing your trash at me for? I have rights you alien fleshie!" 

Cade made a face, earning a giggle from the girl, before kicking Wheelie out of his way. "Piss off you little creep. I don't even know why I let them keep you. God." The last word was spoken more as a sigh then anything else, as the teen laughed again. "You've got to big a heart to kick anyone out Cade!" She shouted after him.

Cade waved her off before turning to face her one last time.

 "I wasn't going to say anything, but while we were talking Grimlock woke up and walked away." Her eyes went wide as she looked back to her "model" only to find him gone. 

"Cade!" She shouted in her best upset voice. He laughed a bit before adding one last thing, "And I'd get down from there before king of the hill found out you took his spot!"

"Oh! I'd like to see him try!"

Grimlock had gotten up from his hole and now Y/n had nothing to draw. Her sketch of the Dinobot was only half done, and she knew she was never going to get him back in that position anytime soon. Her mind was so focused on her notebook she didn't even hear her approaching attacker.