Optimus’ sense of balance is all wrong.

Well, he’s not sure if he even had one to begin with, not the way humans define it, but the difference in how his weight is distributed is staggering after a millennia of being in the same frame.

One moment he’s fighting Dreadwing for a relic, the next he’s being scooped up and carried through a ground bridge.

Turns out, the relic they were after was not a weapon of mass destruction, but it wasn’t particularly helpful either. Scanning the nearest being when it’s activated, detecting whatever foreign life form’s DNA is on them before altering its target, and you get a human Optimus. Unfortunately for Team Prime, you spend most of your time perched on Optimus’ shoulder, thus getting your DNA all over him

Feeling of helplessness aside, it isn’t too big of an adjustment for the Prime. Orion was always curious by nature, and while the Prime has adapted a more solemn personality in the face of the war despite his monicker, that urge to learn and grow is still there in his spark.

The leader pauses his typing again, Miko and Jack glancing over like the last dozen of times Optimus has stopped to examine his organic form, probably assuming that he’s uncomfortable being human. Ratchet is still able to read the Prime’s tells better than most of them, even if his expressions are more.. organic than he’d like, and can give nothing but a subtle ex-vent at the wonder in Optimus’ eyes before he snaps out of it and goes right back to writing reports.

After all, who is Optimus Prime without his workaholic urges?

The Autobot doesn’t get to work for very long when you’re leaning against the back of the couch and ruffling his hair the same way you usually do to the children playing video games on the other couch. Doing everything you probably wish you could do when he used to be five times bigger than you.

A fleeting thought brushes through Optimus’ processor, and he dares to linger on it before his responsibilities stamp it out.

No, it’s better for everyone that he returns to his usual frame as soon as possible. They still have other Iacon relics to retrieve before the Decepticons do.

“I still have to decode these locations {{user}},” Optimus exhales, duty keeping him glued to the couch, the heart in his chest warming from your proximity no matter how many times he still tries to keep you at arms length.