"Ho-ly scrap." Orion shivered, hugging himself tight as another chilly breeze hit. "It's really cold tonight."

"You don't need to walk me home, Orion. It's too cold out, go home." Ratchet's denta chattered. This is just what he needed- a frigid night after five hours of exhausting work. Fan-fragging-tastic.

The archivist smiled, despite his shaking and shivering. "I want to, Ratch." He draped an arm around the medic and pulled him closer as they walked, causing a blush to come to Ratchet's cheeks. "It's the least I can do."

When they finally made it to Ratchet's housing unit and got inside, it was extremely dark, and had gotten even more cold, much to their dismay. Immediately Ratchet turned up the heater and fetched two energon cubes, as Orion sat down on the couch.

"I'd be a disgrace to all medics alike if I let you walk home this late, and when it's this cold." Ratchet muttered as he handed the archivist one of the cubes. "Stay here tonight."

Orion took a sip of the cube, his gaze tangled with Ratchet's. "...If that's alright..."

The medic smiled and sat beside him. "So... about Megatronus?"

"What about him?"

"How did you two meet?"

Orion thought for a moment. "Well... I was becoming concerned with the present corruption, it was worrying me... then I watched one of his matches... his words were so inspiring, and... I guess I introduced myself, and we became friends." He smiled. "He's such a good mech."

Giving a slight nod and sipping his cube, Ratchet lowered his gaze to his lap. Megatronus didn't seem all that great to him, but he couldn't say that to Orion...

"So... tell me about yourself. What's your favorite color?" Orion gained his gaze back; the archivist wore a playful smile.

The medic raised an optic ridge. "Uh... malachite green.. why?"

"Mine's teal." Orion said with a peppy tone. "What do you like to do?"

"Research." Ratchet replied, crossing his arms. "But you already knew that."

"Aww, Ratch, you gotta work with me here!"

"Alright, alright. I like to read, decode complex encryptions, and fix things. There, happy?" The medic gave in, beginning to smile, which only got Orion more worked up.

"Seeeee? Conversation is fun!" Orion laughed, trying to secretly sneak his arm around Ratchet, which the medic noticed immediately. The archivist merely winked, once again making Ratchet blush. This made Orion laugh again. "I love it when you blush."

"Way to make it uncomfortable, Orio-"

Ratchet was cut off when Orion kissed him, wrapping both arms around his waist and hips. The medic jumped a little at first, before cupping Orion's cheeks and falling into it, relaxing in the archivist's warm and soothing embrace. After around twenty seconds, one of Orion's servos drifted down and slid over the medic's aft, which earned him a glare.

"O-Orion..." Ratchet growled in warning.

"Whaaaaaat?" Orion teased, before returning his lips to the medic's. Ratchet didn't resist, only let his own servos trail down and wrap around Orion's neck cabling, pulling closer. The archivist held him close, one arm around his waist and the other remaining on his aft (knowing Ratchet would snap at him for it) and deepened the kiss, becoming a bit more passionate and fierce.

Then a voice rang from Ratchet's com link. ::Ratchet? You there?:: The medic pulled away and raised a digit to his audio receptor to reply, ignoring the whine of protest from Orion. "Nightdaze, what is it?"

::I've been told to inform you that tomorrow you'll be working all day, but the following day, you will have off.::

"Alright, thank you Nightdaze-- Orion, knock it off." Ratchet snapped at Orion, who had began to stroke his aft with his thumb, grinning at Ratchet mischievously.

::Huh?::

"Don't worry about it. Thank you, goodbye."

The line was cut.

Sighing, Ratchet stood up from the couch and retrieved a blanket. "You can sleep on the couch." He handed Orion the blanket.

"Awww!" Orion pouted.

"I'm sorry... I have to work tomorrow..."

"It's alright." Orion laid down on the couch and threw the blanket over himself, before quickly finishing off the energon cube. "Goodnight, Ratch."

"Goodnight." Ratchet switched off the light and headed to his berthroom.

~~

"I was just walking, right? And then this uh... this huge scraplet came out and... uh..... bit me in the aft!" The femme rambled, her fake story not even a little convincing as she explained the claw marks on her aft to Ratchet. "And uh... yeah. That's what happened."

Ratchet rubbed his forehead, stiffling a groan. "Miss, that isn't even the littlest bit believable. Just tell me what happened, so I can treat you."

The femme sighed and looked away, cheeks pink with embarrassment. "I... was interfacing with my mate and he got a little rough... sorry I lied..."

"That's better. I'll send you home with some bandages, and cleaning supplies. Clean and dress it twice a day, alright?" Ratchet handed her a kit, which she took timidly.

"Th-Thank you..." She murmured, before hurrying out of his office.

"So glad Orion doesn't have claws..." Ratchet muttered, remembering Orion's servo on his aft. "That'd be a nightmare..."

Knock knock!

"Come in." The medic cleared the medical berth of a couple data pads and set them on his desk.

A tall, grey mech with intense blue optics stepped in. "Oh, it's you!" He exclaimed when his gaze rested upon Ratchet.

"Megatronus!" Ratchet jumped at the sight of the gladiator, who's armor was dented, scratched and dirty. "What brings you here?"

Megatronus sat down on the medical berth. "I'm having my meeting with the council soon, and if I look like this," Ratchet looked at his filthy armor, "I wouldn't be taken seriously. Could you possibly bang out the dents and scuffs?"

"Of course." Ratchet grabbed some supplies and set them down beside the large mech. "Win yet another match today?"

"Mm. Always do." The gladiator smiled, as the medic began to work.

"I bet Orion was thrilled."

"He always is."

Ratchet smiled and continued. "Orion's a great mech."

"That he is..." Megatronus gazed at the ground. "That he is..."

~~

"Greetings, Ratchet." Alpha Trion nodded to the medic as he entered the doors of Iacon.

"Hello, Alpha Trion." Ratchet smiled. "Is Orion here?"

The wise mech nodded again. "Indeed. Isle 16."

"Thank you, sir." Immediately Ratchet was in the direction of isle sixteen, his spark yearning for a certain archivist.

When he found him, Orion was talking to someone on his com link.

"Th-Thank you! I'll be there! See you later." Orion said excitedly, before cutting the line and noticing Ratchet. "Ratch! Guess what?" He didn't give the medic time to answer. "Megatronus has invited me to go with him when he meets with the high council!"

"Th-That's great!" Ratchet laughed, and Orion beamed. "I'm so happy for you!"

Orion wrapped an arm around Ratchet's waist and kissed him, before running to a cart of datapads and quickly putting them on the shelf. "I better hurry up and finish my shift so I can get home early to pack."

Wearing a smile, Ratchet strode over and began to help in putting the datapads away. After about a minute he stopped for a second, and looked at Orion. "How long will you be gone?"

Orion looked back at him, noting the medic's sad tone. "A few days... It won't be long."

The medic stared at him skeptically.

Smiling, Orion stepped up to him, cupping his cheek gently. "I promise I won't be gone long... I can't just leave you for large amounts of time, my Princess."

"Orion you said you wouldn't call me Princess!"

The archivist laughed. "How can I help it? Your my princess."

Ratchet rolled his optics. "Ha ha, Orion." He was pulled into a hug, which he snuggled into, and relaxed. Orion wouldn't be gone long. Everything was going to be fine.