TG'verse. Iacon. The Prime's compound. A father's love
Starforge whimpered softly, his optics flickering in the darkness of the room that he shared with his sister as he looked around fearfully for the monster that had wakened him from recharge.
"Shhh," said a soft, deep voice that seemed to echo slightly. "I'm right here, lil' britches. Yer safe."
The sparkling turned his head, his faceplate smoothing as he saw the softly shining form sitting on the edge of his berth. "You always chase the bad things away."
"You bet I do." Ironhide smiled down at his creation, pulling up the blanket that Starforge liked to hide under as he recharged. "No bad thing's gonna gitchya on my watch."
Starforge's mouth quirked in an answering smile. "'N you protect Nova 'n Mama too, right?"
"Dunno how much protectin' yer mama needs," said Ironhide a little gruffly. "She's a strong lady."
"She was sad before you came. Even though she doesn't know you're here she's happy now."
Ironhide glanced toward Nova to hide how much he was touched by those words. "Ya think so?"
"I know it... Daddy."
The red free spark gasped and turned back to look down at the little one with wide optics. "What...?"
"I was right." Starforge sat up and looked at him more closely. "You are our Dad. Mama said you were gone a long time ago. But you came back."
"I... how ya figure that?" asked Ironhide weakly, knowing that some of the consternation and sheepishness he was feeling were showing through.
"You look just like me."
"Lotsa mechs look alike, little britches."
"Yeah, but I can't feel them in my spark," said Starforge confidently. "I feel you like I feel Mama."
Ironhide blinked, then put an arm around the sparkling as he snuggled close. "Didn' think'a that. Heh... whoops."
"Nova told me." Starforge reached for his blanket and pulled it over himself, his optics blinking with sleepy contentment. "I'm glad you came back."
Ironhide watched as those big optics closed down, his hand gently rubbing his little son's back. "So'm I, little britches. So'm I."
"Shhh," said a soft, deep voice that seemed to echo slightly. "I'm right here, lil' britches. Yer safe."
The sparkling turned his head, his faceplate smoothing as he saw the softly shining form sitting on the edge of his berth. "You always chase the bad things away."
"You bet I do." Ironhide smiled down at his creation, pulling up the blanket that Starforge liked to hide under as he recharged. "No bad thing's gonna gitchya on my watch."
Starforge's mouth quirked in an answering smile. "'N you protect Nova 'n Mama too, right?"
"Dunno how much protectin' yer mama needs," said Ironhide a little gruffly. "She's a strong lady."
"She was sad before you came. Even though she doesn't know you're here she's happy now."
Ironhide glanced toward Nova to hide how much he was touched by those words. "Ya think so?"
"I know it... Daddy."
The red free spark gasped and turned back to look down at the little one with wide optics. "What...?"
"I was right." Starforge sat up and looked at him more closely. "You are our Dad. Mama said you were gone a long time ago. But you came back."
"I... how ya figure that?" asked Ironhide weakly, knowing that some of the consternation and sheepishness he was feeling were showing through.
"You look just like me."
"Lotsa mechs look alike, little britches."
"Yeah, but I can't feel them in my spark," said Starforge confidently. "I feel you like I feel Mama."
Ironhide blinked, then put an arm around the sparkling as he snuggled close. "Didn' think'a that. Heh... whoops."
"Nova told me." Starforge reached for his blanket and pulled it over himself, his optics blinking with sleepy contentment. "I'm glad you came back."
Ironhide watched as those big optics closed down, his hand gently rubbing his little son's back. "So'm I, little britches. So'm I."