Saphira felt extremely, well rested when she slowly opened her eyes the next morning. She grimaced a little as bright light hit her eyes and she moved her arm slowly to cover her face. She took a deep breath and relaxed as she allowed herself to wake up. As she shifted, she felt herself laying against something familiar. She had expected to wake up laying on a pillow, as she knew she had laid against Optimus when she had fallen asleep. However, it took her a moment to think about what she was laying against before moving her hand and feeling the chin of a familiar autobot. Saphira opened her eyes quickly, though grimacing as the bright light of the sun was filtering through the window, and she sat up with a deep blush on her cheeks, turning her head to see Optimus's holoform sitting on the seats. She had not realized he had stayed like that the whole night.
Optimus was smiling at her, and she let out a small giggle, looking away as she brushed her hair from her face shyly and bit her index finger, seemingly nervous and shy that she had awoken to Optimus's holoform. Optimus had been amused by how she figured who she was resting against, as felt her touching him and then realizing who he was, was quite amusing to watch. And now she was awake, and blushing. The blush on her cheeks always made her look adorable, and Optimus enjoyed seeing her react that way.
"Merry Christmas." Saphira turned her head and smiled at Optimus when he spoke. "You were pretty clingy while you were asleep last night, Saphira. I didn't want to wake you by turning off my holoform." Her blush reddened, not realizing she had actually done that the night before. "And you seemed to be dreaming well, so I didn't want to wake you up. And I hope you feel well rested. It is Christmas morning now."
Saphira's eyes adjusted to the light quite quickly, and she looked towards the front, as she was wondering why there was a lot of light filtering into the cab. She saw that Optimus was actually parked by the river, and there was clear, blue skies currently with plenty of snow on the ground. She did not know when he would be moved, but it would have been when in the morning sometime, as the weather likely would have turned more pleasant. And she could see that it was definitely a more pleasant day than it was the day before.
She smiled as she stretched her arms and legs put, still waking herself up from her sleep. "I feel very well, thanks, Optimus." She rubbed sleep from her eyes and she smiled, noticing that it was just after ten in the morning. "It's already midmorning?!" She was surprised and she looked at Optimus. "You could have woken me up earlier. I wouldn't have been mad at you. I hope Mirage isn't being too impatient about opening the gifts."
Optimus was amused when she noticed the time of day. "I am sure you would not have minded, but as the day has turned out to be a nice day, I brought you to wake up by the ocean. I figured you would like that, even though you did miss a beautiful sunrise." She looked at the water, watching the light reflect from the waves and she smiled. She actually did realize it was very beautiful. And she was very happy. "And as you were wanting a nice, relaxing Christmas, this seemed like the best way to start it."
Saphira played with a strand of her hair, twirling it gently in her index finger as the thought that Optimus had put into this was actually very wonderful. She felt very flattered that Optimus had done this for her. "Yes...it is a wonderful way to wake up, Optimus. It is beautiful, even if I have missed out on the sunrise." She stared at the ocean for a moment and threw her arms around Optimus, surprising the autobot. "Thank you. I didn't ask for it, but I am grateful." She smiled happily before she realized she had hugged Optimus. She was blushing deeply again as she pulled back. "Uh...sorry..."
"No, it is okay. I do not mind the affection you show me." Saphira bit her lip for a moment before Optimus reached down to pick up something. "Also, I hope you don't mind, but I have a gift for you." She raised an eyebrow as she thought she would only get one gift today. "It isn't much, but I made it for you." He made it? Saphira was immediately intrigued by what he had made for her. Even if it wasn't necessarily good, she would certainly be very touched. He lifts out a small box. The box itself was cardboard, and well worn, but it didn't matter. "If you are curious, I was able to work on it when you were asleep. None of the others know about it as well."
Saphira stared at the box and she was excited to see what was inside it. "Whatever you made, I am sure I am going to love it." Optimus smiled as he hands the box over to her. She giggled a little as she looked at the box. "Too bad I don't have your gift with me. It's probably back at the factory...oh well, I know you'll love it." Optimus considered bringing his gift, but he knew it was best that Saphira gave it to him. She opened the lid of the box and she gasped in surprise. "Wow, a bracelet! You made a bracelet?!" She picked it up out of the box with a smile. "Looks like it will fit!"
The bracelet that Optimus had made was a crescent shaped bracelet. She wasn't sure where he got the metal, but it didn't matter. There was writing carved into the metal, and charms were also on the bracelet. And each charm was of each autobot, and it was just beautiful. It was all one colour of silver, but Saphira did not mind at all. She put the bracelet on and it fit perfectly. It even matched the ring she was wearing on her finger.
"This is amazing, Optimus. I'd ask, but I think it is best that only you know where you go the materials for this." She chuckled softly before she threw her arms around him again. "I promise that I will take good care of it, Optimus. This is a beautiful gift. I never knew you could be artistic yourself."
Optimus smiled as he rubbed her back as she hugged him. "I am pleased you like it, Saphira. As for the artistic side...admittedly, it took more than a few prototypes before this one. This is the only one that did not break or lose shape, so I am happy with its outcome. Especially with how fragile the materials were."
Saphira fully understood and she leaned back, looking at the bracelet and caressing it gently with her fingers. It really was beautiful, and she was super happy to have it. She leaned back from him as she gazed at the bracelet in awe. "You did a fantastic job. But just to let you know, even if it was broken, I would still love it. A lot of care went into it, and that is what counts the most and it is genuine. Something that might look like junk can be more valuable."
He was happy to hear she would have loved the bracelet, regardless of the condition of it. She was not looking for anything grand, and that is good. "I have no doubt that your painting will be the same. I am looking forward to seeing it. Though I have yet to figure out how to store the paintings you have already made, so as much as I enjoy them as gifts, I will run out of room."
"I have not even thought of that." Saphira knew she was going to have to think of storage, because she didn't want to be unfair to the autobots. "Okay...I will just limit my drawings to my sketchbooks at least. But as for canvases...ugh...this is where a house or apartment would be handy, I guess. I could rent a storage unit, but that would be kind of a waste of money, so..."
"I don't want you to stop painting, Saphira. I understand that we don't have much. And it was my fault for demanding you leave your apartment in the first place, but I just wanted to make you aware. I maybe large, but I am not a truck. I have parts that cannot move for storage. They're my organs, in a sense." Saphira understood, which meant she would need to be creative. "Have you considered selling your prints to an art gallery? That might make you some money, and any painting you create can go there."
Saphira had considered that before, but she wasn't interested in that either. "I'm afraid...um...I don't want to use my art for profit. It's a good thought, Optimus, but I do like to keep the art that I have." Optimus smiled as he understood. She looked out the front window again and smiled at Optimus. "As much as I am enjoying the midmorning sun, I really need to use the bathroom, and I think we should head back to the others as well. We need to be fair. I'm kind of picturing Mirage acting like a kid at Christmas eagerly waiting to open their presents."
Optimus's engine started as soon as she said she needed to use the bathroom, and he backed up before driving along the road to bring Saphira to a public bathroom. "You are right. Mirage did complain a bit about me taking a bit long with you, so it will be a good idea. He might even send a message if we wait too much longer."
"And I can already imagine him making a joke about the mistletoe again, as well." Saphira shifted a little as she did feel the strong need to use the bathroom. She bit her lip and grimaced a little. "But, I really need to go. I only just realized how strong of a need I have. Any nearest public bathroom will do, Optimus. I'll be quick, especially since the seat is going to be cold."
Optimus nodded that Saphira was acting strange, and he's seen that before whenever she really, really needs to use the bathroom. It told him that she would struggle to hold it for too long if he did not bring her to a bathroom. Good thing they were only a few minutes away from one. And the city was quieter being Christmas day, so getting through the city was a lot easier than it normally would be.
Once he brought her to the bathroom, Saphira practically rushed out of the cab into the building to make use of the toilet. Optimus kept a close eye of their surroundings, as he knew that there could be danger, even on Christmas. They were on a quiet side of town, but he had to be sure. After all, no human would suspect a truck was spying on them. But he did not need to worry, as by the time Saphira returned, he saw only one car drive by, and that was it.
Optimus began driving back to the factory as soon as Saphira was comfortable, and she immediately put on the radio to play some Christmas music. Optimus could not help but feel amused by her, especially as she began to sing along to the songs. He enjoyed hearing her sing, and he almost felt like he was in a trance whenever she would sing. Luckily, he did not allow that to distract him while driving, so he would not cause an accident. But he still enjoyed listening to her getting into the Christmas spirit.
She sang the songs all the way until they returned to the factory. And Saphira was right. Mirage and Bumblebee were both clearly impatient, because they had an eager expression. They were excited, and Saphira noticed there were several boxes around the tree. She expected just three, but there were more. She wondered if that meant Optimus had another gift for her as well, not just the bracelet he gave her.
"That's why he made a comment about Santa." Saphira giggled softly as she shifted to the passenger door as Optimus came to a stop and opened the door to let her climb out. She smiled at Mirage as she climbed down quickly and jumped to the floor. She was glad that the temperature was not so bad right now, but she still shivered a little. "Merry Christmas, everyone! Sorry we took so long. I didn't even realize the time when I woke up."
"It is about time, I was about to call." Mirage chuckled softly as he knelt a little, placing his hands on his thighs excitedly. "When Optimus decided to give you a nice, morning, wake up call, I knew it would take a while. And I was right." He glanced at Saphira's wrist when he noticed the bracelet. "And I see he's already given you one of his gifts." Saphira looked at the bracelet and placed her hand over it, nodding while blushing a little. "Mmm, that is very pretty. Never knew Optimus could make something like that. Especially small enough to fit your arm nicely."
"It took a lot of time and patience to make." Optimus transforms as Mirage admired the bracelet before looking at his leader with a big smile. "It might be one of the gifts she receives from me today, but she will be happy regardless of what she is given." He looked down at Saphira with a smile. "Maybe since you and I were late, we should allow Mirage and Bumblebee to open their gifts first. That way they can enjoy their gifts before you open yours."
Mirage raised an eyebrow. "To be fair, Bee and I are a little more excited for her to open her gifts, but you are right. That is fair." He looked at Bee who was nodding in agreement. "Saphira's art talents are always amazing to see, so I am looking forward to my gift. I promise that I did not peak, because Bee will tell you if I did."
Bumblebee chuckled softly. "He did not. We both did not want to ruin the surprise on you, Saphira. I'm just happy to spend the day with you. Maybe after you can go ice skating."
"If we have time." Saphira walked over to the gift bags she had placed by the tree. She grabbed the two meant for Bumblebee and Mirage, and walked over to them. She hands them the bags, and they took the bags gently. "I hope you do like them. Hopefully, next Christmas I might have an apartment that we can spend time together, and can decorate it with a lot of Christmas decorations."
Bumblebee opened the bag excitedly. "It will be good regardless." He carefully grabbed the canvas in the bag and he realized there were two canvases in the bag. He pulled then out gently, shifting the canvases carefully in his hands to look at them. His optics immediately widened in surprise and he was clearly feeling happy and emotional for the pictures. "These are wonderful, Saphira!"
The first canvas in Bumblebee's right hand was a painting of Bumblebee's full form with his vehicle form in front with the night sky in the background with stars and the moon. Saphira had given a glow to Bumblebee's body in the picture, and it was wonderful. Bumblebee felt like she had painted him in a way that made him look greater than he thought he was. Bumblebee loved it, and he loved how photogenic the picture looked like. A lot of time and thought went into this painting, and he certainly would treasure it.
The second picture that Saphira had painted was an image of Bee standing by the river with Saphira sitting on his shoulder. Bee felt his spark warm as he looked at the image as it was also photogenic with how much effort had gone into the painting. And she has also painted the words on the left side of the picture, Big Brother, which Bumblebee really felt a sense of appreciation, given that is what Saphira saw him as. And it was just another, beautiful way that he could be reminded of how she felt about him.
"These are wonderful, Saphira!" Bumblebee opened his chassis and carefully placed the pictures inside before he leaned down and hugged her. She smiled as she hugged him back, knowing he loved the paintings. "You are extremely talented! I hope you never lose that talent."
"Considering I draw every day, I don't think so." She chuckled softly as the bot hugged her gently. "I knew you would love it." She stepped back from Bumblebee and Bee eyed her off happily before she turned to face Mirage. "Your turn, Mirage. I hope you like yours as well."
Mirage had a big grin on his face as he also found two pictures in the gift bag, and he was extremely thrilled to see them. Mirage was carefully when pulling the pictures out and held them in his hands. His smile widened as he looked at them, and he was very touched. Saphira had painted very similar paintings. She painted the first image of Mirage in his full form and vehicle form, but instead of just a night sky with the moon as the background, she painted dusk in the background, which seemed to make Mirage stand out more in the image.
The second image was a painting of Mirage and Saphira. Though instead of Saphira sitting on Mirage's shoulder, she was running in front of Mirage with him following her. Both were painted with smiles on their faces, and it seemed they were running through shallow water of a lake, and it was beautiful. And the word she had painted on the side of painting made Mirage hum softly. My Best Friend. Mirage was very touched by the paintings. He knew that Optimus was technically her best friend, but he knew that he and Saphira were definitely great friends.
"These are wonderful!" Mirage spun around enthusiastically as he held them before placing them down carefully. "I love them!" He picked Saphira up suddenly, and she yelped before giggling as he spun her around before hugging her. "Thank you, so much!"
"You are welcome...but..." Saphira grimaced as Mirage was still spinning. "Please stop spinning. I'm going to be sick if you don't." Mirage stopped immediately and looked at her, watching as she placed her hand on her head. "Ugh! Now I am so dizzy!"
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to make you dizzy." Mirage pats Saphira's head lightly, making her grumble and shake her head, looking up at him with a frown as she was a tad annoyed at him, but he just grinned at her. "I suppose I'll have to wait until you aren't dizzy to let you down. There may not be ice in here, but I doubt you want to be stumbling all over the place."
Saphira rolled her eyes at him in amusement. "I think I will be fine, Mirage. I am not that dizzy. You can put me down. I doubt you want me to open my presents like this. It would be kind of awkward." He chuckled lightly before placing her down, and Saphira brushed off her jacket before walking over to the tree. She looked at Arcee who was standing by it. "Would you like to open your gift, Arcee?" The femme looked at her in surprise. "I know you are patient, but I don't mind waiting."
Arcee was pleased that Saphira wanted her to be happy at the moment. "Thanks, Saphira. I appreciate the offer. But I think you can open some of your gifts. There really is not many. We were able to find things we think you would like, even though we don't have the luxury of walking into any shops to get them."
Saphira looked at the gifts by the tree. They were all cardboard boxes that were worn and stained, but they were still in good enough condition to be used as boxes for presents. Saphira did not know who got what, but Arcee walked over and picked up the square box and brought it over to her. Saphira noticed the scent of moth balls from the box, which likely meant it came from a clothing store. And she disliked the smell, so it made her grimace a little, but she remained composed.
"Thanks, Arcee." Saphira held the box and set it down before opening it. She widened her eyes and chuckled softly. "Books!" She reached in to find there were a lot of books. Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Witcher and several comic books. "Looks like someone was trying to get rid of these."
"Yeah, they were. I literally saw some people place that box by a garbage bag in an alley. When I noticed it was heavy, I checked it out." Arcee seemed very pleased about it as Saphira grabbed each book to look at the cover. "And the books are still in good condition, so I thought you might like them. And I guess I was right. I am not sure what they are like, so I hope they are a good read for you."
Saphira nodded. "They are. I always wanted to read them..." Saphira sifted through the box and gasped excitedly. "The Silmarillion?! Ooh! Now I know I am really going to have a good time reading!" Arcee chuckled lightly, even though she did not know what Saphira meant. She looked at the box and looked at Optimus. "There is still space for all these books...isn't there?"
Optimus grinned at her and nodded. "Yes. But you might need to figure out how to store the books. I would rather not have that box in my chassis. It looks like it will break quite easily. A good thing that you found it when you did, Arcee."
Arcee nodded. "Yeah, the snow probably would have soaked all of that, and they would not be good. It was a hell of a time bringing it back. But I am glad that it was worth it."
Saphira placed the books down neatly, knowing she would sort them a little later. "These are wonderful, Arcee. I haven't read them, but I know of them. And I think I am going to enjoy spending time reading them." She turned to see Bumblebee holding his hand out with two smaller boxes in his palm. "Thanks, Bee." She grabbed them carefully and placed one down before opening the other. She blinked in surprise to see a small, plastic box with many crafting beads and sequins. The box wasn't full, so someone didn't use it all, but there was enough. She opened the second box to find a roll of wire, ribbon and another small box of sequins. She chuckled. "Thanks, Bee. I guess it was a lucky find."
Bee shrugged. "Kind of...some random tossed them at my tyre three weeks ago." Saphira looked at him in surprise as she had not expected that. "They apparently didn't like me, cause they thought whoever owned a camaro like me is an idiot. They didn't hit me, good thing, but it wasn't expected."
"I see." Saphira definitely could see how it was a lucky find. "Well, thanks. I'm not much of a crafter, but I will definitely find a use for these." She turned to Mirage to see him holding a rectangle box. It was a little flatter, so she didn't know what was in it. She hummed as she grabbed it, raising an eyebrow when she felt some weight. "Hmm...I wonder what this is..."
"Something we could do together, I think." Mirage shrugged, as he was not sure.
Saphira lifts the box and was surprised to see a chess set inside. She opened the chess box to see all the pieces and board were inside, making her quite happy. "And all of the pieces are inside. Yes, we can definitely do this together. Chess...well, I don't actually know how to play." She shrugged with a chuckle. "But I see the instructions are still here."
Mirage grinned as he was thrilled. "Wonderful! I wasn't sure if that was possible. Oh! And one more thing!" He picked up another box and held it out to Saphira. She chuckled, placing the chess board down to grab it. "I hope you won't mind, since they will be like little keepsakes for you."
Saphira opened the box, and she was surprised. She found four, toy cars inside. And they were all in good condition. A red motorcycle, a silver Porsche, yellow camaro and a blue freightliner truck. They were small, but Saphira almost felt emotional, because these would be reminders of the autobots should they go their separate ways someday. "This is lovely, Mirage. Really, it is lovely. I can see why you got them. But..." She looked at Mirage curiously. "How did you get these? They look brand new."
Mirage shrugged a little. "I got lucky, that's all."
Saphira wondered if that was true or not, but she decided not to answer it. She was very happy with her gifts so far. She looked at the last couple boxes, knowing that Optimus had also brought those for her, even though she already had the bracelet. She thought about grabbing them, but she grabbed Arcee's gift bag first, as she figured that both she and Optimus could open their gifts last. It seemed like the best thing to do.
Arcee was surprised when Saphira picked up the gift bag and brought it to her. "I would have thought you would want to open the gifts Optimus gave you before giving your gift to me."
Saphira smiled at Arcee. "Nah, I think you should get to open yours first. Though I imagine you can kind of guess, based on the paintings I gave Bee and Mirage, but I assure you that I am sure you will love them too. Optimus and I can wait a little longer. He hasn't even gotten his gifts yet."
"And I am quite willing to be the last to receive my gifts, so you should get to enjoy opening yours, Arcee." The femme was happy, and she relaxed. Arcee couldn't remember the last time she had received a gift. "Hopefully you can figure out where to store it as well, Arcee." She hadn't thought of that, and hummed, looking at Optimus for a moment before she seemed to have an idea. "Though we have time to figure that out."
Saphira was nodding in agreement, watching as Arcee finally pulled out the two paintings that Saphira had made for her. The femme smiled as she looked at the two images curiously, knowing that she was getting something similar. And the first image she saw was a painting of Arcee's full form and motorcycle form, a very beautiful, photogenic image that Arcee almost thought was real. In this image, Saphira painted Arcee standing by a mountain with a sunrise in the background with multiple golden clouds. It was beautiful.
Arcee looked at the second image, smiling to see an image of herself and Saphira sitting beside each other by the river with big smiles on their faces. Arcee was touched, as they would do this sometimes when Saphira needed to speak to her about something. And Arcee found herself enjoying those moments. And the words painted on the side of the painting solidified how Saphira saw her. Big Sister.
Arcee knelt down and hugged Saphira gently, making the girl chuckle softly. "Thanks, Saphira. I do need reminding there is still good in my life, so this is nice to have as a reminder. Especially since you see me as a big sister. I hope I am doing a good job." Saphira nodded affirmatively and Arcee lets the girl go. "Maybe we can ditch the boys later and have a day out just the two of us."
"Sounds like an idea." Saphira grabbed the last gift bag and turned towards Optimus. He was holding the last two gifts for her, and she walked over to him with the last bag. She held the bag up and Optimus lowered his hand so she could place the bag the bag in his palm. She turned to take the two boxes in Optimus's left hand, looking at them when a smile and looked at Optimus. "You already got me a nice bracelet, I'm curious to see what are inside these boxes."
Optimus smiled at her as he was amused. "I am sure you will like them." He looked at the gift bag Saphira had placed in his palm. "You should open yours first, Saphira. I am more than happy to wait patiently to open my gifts." He did notice that there were three paintings inside his gift bag, instead of two like the others, so he was definitely curious about them.
Saphira did want Optimus to open his first, but she was happy to open his gifts. She placed one box down for a moment to open the box that was a little larger than her hand. She did think it was another jewellery piece, but she was surprised to find a red, hard cover journal with empty pages. The pages themselves did look like they were a little worn, as the edges were yellow from age. But there was no writing or drawing inside the journal at all. And there was floral patterns carved around the edges of the hard cover of the journal too. It was absolutely beautiful.
"Ooh! Wow. This is beautiful!" Saphira held the journal in her hands. She looked at Optimus with a smile. "I guess I am filling my diary quite full at the moment, so I was bound to need another one of these." She looked back at the journal, finding herself mesmerized by the cover itself. She wondered how much it would have been. "I love it! Thanks, Optimus!"
"I am pleased. I know you have your diary, but I figured this journal could be about your time with us. One that you will treasure. The journal looked like a book that would hold secrets, and I knew you would like it." Saphira giggled a little as she hugged the journal against her, and Optimus was glad he found it. "I am not sure why it was thrown, but the journal was sitting on top of a cardboard box by a book shop."
"It's possible because it was getting old and no one would want to buy it. The pages..." Saphira pointed at the yellow colour of the edges of the paper. "Show this book is old. It has not been written in, but clearly, the owner decided it was time to toss it. It probably was worth fifty dollars at least before this. Now it would be worth, maybe, a dollar. But it's beautiful."
"Makes it seem aged enough that someone may believe to have come from a different time." Saphira nodded in agreement and looked at the second box. She definitely found it interesting on where the autobots found these items. She knew they were lucky finds, but it also wasn't surprising, given that the city was a large city with a lot of people. And random, useful items can be found from time to time. Optimus looked at the second box as she opened it. "I hope you like that one. It fell from a truck I was following on the freeway."
Saphira looked at him in surprise. "You must have picked it up when you drove over it." He nodded and she lifts the top, widening her eyes in surprise. "Um...was there any logo on the truck you were driving behind?"
"Not that I could see. It seemed like a plain truck. I am not sure what that is, but I think you would like it." Optimus observed as Saphira stared at the item in surprise. "Do you not like it?"
"I do...but..." Saphira was staring at a glass box containing items that looked like they were from a tribe from South America. They were clearly old, and it was possible they had been found. "Um, this looks like something that is meant to be brought to a museum." She looked at Optimus with a smile. "Thanks, but this probably was in a truck heading to the museum. This must have fallen out by mistake."
"I see...the door actually swung open when it fell out. The drivers did pull over, but I did pick up the item before they noticed." Optimus frowned a little as he realized this was bad. "Does that make me a thief?"
"Not really. You didn't know what this is. It looks like from a tribe from South America. Maybe the Amazon or Peru somewhere." Inside the box were tools that would have been used for hunting. And a sculpture of a jaguar in a laying position. "And the museums are closed until after the new year. I might see if there's a particular chance of a reward for it, but we will have to take it to a museum."
"Which museum?" Mirage asked curiously as he leaned down to look at it. "I know there are many in this city, so you are going to have to figure out which museum it should go to. Otherwise, they may take you for a fool."
Saphira would have to think about it. "I'll need to think on which museum to bring this to. But don't feel bad, Optimus. You did not know, and it is okay. I would love these things, but these are real items from real tribes. At least I have this beautiful bracelet and journal."
Optimus still felt bad finding something that was not meant to be Saphira's. At least there was a way to remedy it. "Yes, I am glad that you have those." He looked at the gift bag in his hand and gently held it to grab the three paintings. "Now it is my turn to see what you have gotten me, Saphira."
Saphira smiled as she put the glass box back inside the cardboard box as Optimus carefully pulled the three paintings out. Laying the three paintings in his palms, Optimus noticed these ones were different to what Saphira had painted the others. Except one. The painting in question was a painting of Optimus standing, looking up at a night sky with fireflies around him on the grass, and the aurora lights up in the sky. She had painted him with a longing expression, and Optimus's smile softened, knowing why she had painted it. And she had painted the word Leader on it as well. And it seemed that she did not paint herself into the picture like she had the others. Optimus really appreciated it.
The second painting was of Optimus and Saphira. In this painting, Saphira had painted the two of them standing by the river. Optimus saw the painting was of Saphira standing by the edge of the river, with Optimus kneeling and reaching his hand out to her, and her expression looking at him with surprise and happiness, knowing that he cared about her. Optimus knew that moment had impacted Saphira deeply, and he was glad she painted it to cherish it.
And the third, and finally picture, was something that intrigued Optimus. It was an image Saphira had painted of him and her sitting underneath a tree on a hill, watching a sunset. Around them were wildflowers, and Saphira had painted herself wearing a soft, pink, sundress that seemed to blanket around her body. And the two of them were smiling as they look at the sunset. Optimus also noticed that Saphira had painted his hand resting on the ground, with her hand resting on top. Optimus did not know how to feel, but it intrigued him.
"These are lovely. I am not sure how you paint them to look almost like an actual photo, but these are wonderful!" Optimus looked at her with an appreciative expression. "I will cherish these for a long time." Saphira was blushing as she was glad he liked them. He hummed softly and looked back at the images. "I see there is something painted in these images that are not painted in the images you gave the others. And I can't put my finger on it."
Saphira chuckled as her blush deepened a little. "I know...but I am glad they turned out so beautifully." She stared at the images for a moment before looking away. "And that's gifts done. I'm starving!" Mirage let out a light laugh as Saphira walked away from Optimus over to her portable cook top so she could make herself something. "I should have eaten first, but I will do that now. After..." She glanced at a nearby window as she thought about what they could do. "Hmm, if the weather stays like this, maybe we can go do something."
"Sounds like a plan!" Mirage clicked his fingers happily as he knew that was a good idea. "I honestly forgot that you would want to eat. We definitely won't hold you back. Least the eggs will be good enough to cook."
Saphira nodded as she grabbed some eggs to make an omelette with, adding some herbs and cheese to make it tastier. Saphira was very happy with how today has gone so far. And the autobots loved their gifts. She was glad the paintings turned out so well, even when she had been sick. Saphira did notice that Optimus was mulling over the paintings she had given him while she cooked and ate her food. She didn't know what he was thinking, but he was definitely thinking deeply about something, and he seemed to be happy.
And she did make sure that the items meant for a museum was stored safely, so the box would not be destroyed and she could return them to a museum safely. She hoped they would not get her into trouble. When she had finished her food, the weather began to turn for the worst again, forcing them to remain in doors for the rest of Christmas day. Saphira was okay with that, as Saphira offered to read out one of the books Arcee had given her. They were happy about that, and Saphira picked The Magician's Nephew to start with. She was excited to read the books anyway, so it was good and helped to pass the last bit of time of Christmas day.