Automative Repairs ((TFP ULTRA MAGNUS X OC))

3

"Yeah. Like, what're you gonna do?" She elucidated, crossing her legs and leaning forward.

Magnus blinked after realizing that he didn't think that part through. "I have to get my ship back."

"Yikes," Ailani sent him a sympathetic look. "No such luck, my guy. The feds have been up by your crater since you got here."

"Then I'll just have to sneak in." Magnus proposed.

"How the hell is a twenty-nine foot tall robot supposed to sneak in there?" Ailani questioned, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the doors. "They'll see you easily."

"I'll use my alt mode."

"An unauthorized vehicle."

Magnus paused for a moment. "I don't suppose that I can just take it back by force?"

"Uh, no! Are you daft?" Ailani ridiculed, frowning. "That doesn't exactly give the 'I come in peace' vibe much justice."

"Then what do you suppose I do?" Magnus challenged, quirking an optic ridge.

"I dunno," she shrugged. "Wait 'em out? It doesn't look like they know that your ship is there, so maybe they'll give up and leave."

"That is highly unlikely."

"Who knows," Ailani tried a smile and gestured to be lifted to his more-than-halfway-sealed gash. "If they don't have anything to find, then why would they waste their time staying there?"

"You don't have anything to gain from this," Magnus said, gesturing to him. "But you're still doing it."

"That's different," she told him, a tiny smile on her face. "I get personal satisfaction from patching you up the best I can. And, no matter what you say, I think I've made a friend outta all this fuckery."

"Have you?" Magnus tilted his helm. "Who?"

Ailani sent him a pointed look. "You! Damn, for an alien war commander, you really don't catch on very well to anything."

"I am not from this planet," he justified, yet there was no irritation in his voice. "Cut me some slack."

Ailani sniggered at his use of her phrase and continued briskly in her work. The pair sat in silence for another hour and a half with Magnus observing the organic in his palm.

Her hair was still damp due to the way she had it up, and — even through her welding helmet — he could tell that she had a concentrated look on her face. She went about her business carefully and diligently, being sure to repair his gash perfectly all the way down to the smallest detail. Magnus would be lying if he said the way she worked surprised him; taking that her personality would have originally led him to believe that she was a slacker. Though, clearly, that wasn't the case.

A feeling of contentment washed through him as he watched her, and when she was finally finished, she pulled back from his newly sealed wound with a look of triumph on her face. She pulled back her helmet and grinned up at him, and it took quite a bit of willpower not to return the look with a smile of his own.

After all, he was leaving soon and didn't want the human to grow attached to him.

"You're all fixed, Peterbilt!" She beamed, climbing to her feet after discarding her safety helmet to his palm.

"Thank you for your help." Magnus nodded his helm in gratitude, keeping his tone distant and even.

"Say," Ailani continued, leaning her weight against his thumb. "You're not in a big hurry to make it back to your pals, right?"