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"Humans can't feel EM fields, can they?" Arcee asks. That seems like a strange question to ask unprovoked. In fact, it doesn't even sound like a question. She leans back on the mezzanine railing to your right.
"EM fields?"
"I guess that gives me my answer." She turns to look at you fully. "Cybertronians emit and can sense electromagnetic fields. It's used as a nonverbal form of short range communication."
She reads the unasked question on your face: That's neat, but what does it have to do with me?
"I wasn't sure if I should bring this up but-," she glances behind you to where the kids and Bee are absorbed in a video game at the back of the loft-like space. "Bumblebee has been trying to use EM fields to flirt with you."
"He has?" you can feel your brain short circuit for a moment. Bumblebee. Flirting with you.
You're suddenly quite glad that Miko likes the TV volume high.
"I only noticed it recently but I get the feeling he's been at it for a while."
"Well that... certainly explains some things." Like the sad, frustrated faces you'd noticed him making when you didn't understand his beeping or the fact that he was always the first bot to offer to drive you anywhere.
"He's overcompensating for not having a voice box. Honestly, if you were closer to his size he'd probably have tried chirnolinguistics - hand speaking."
You take a moment to soak that in. Inter-species romance wasn't something that had crossed your mind before now.
"What was he trying to say? Was it cute flirting or gross flirting?" you blurt out in a rush.
Arcee laughs loud enough that you're afraid it will attract someone's attention, even with the TV blaring.
"That's what you're worried about? Bee's young but he's not obnoxious like human men."
That's true.
"So it's not like... catcalling, right?"
"Catcalling? I have no idea what that is but EM fields don't have words. It's hard to explain to someone who's never felt it. It's like...projecting a feeling or emotion - like a wave. When I felt Bumblebee's EM field yesterday he was emoting... I'm not sure there's a word for it in English. Confidence, maybe. Or determination. And he was trying to let you know that he thinks you're cute."
That's it? That's so tame. It's also very... Bumblebee. Of course he'd be cutesy.
"You want me to talk to him? Tell him to knock it off? Honestly, he should know better. He's not a sparkling." She snorts and rolls her eyes.
"No! No, but thanks for the offer." You hate how rushed it comes out. Arcee raises a metal eyebrow and looks over at you fully.
"You sure?" her eyes scan your face. "This is his problem, not yours."
"Yeah, I - I think I might want to talk to him myself."