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Shifts at the Icon Hospital were long and draining, any normal doctor's wits would constantly at their end working there. It takes a very special bot like Ratchet to handle the stress of working on an operating table every day. However, even special bots so accustomed to staying cool and steady under unending stress need to relax and decompress.
Ratchet transformed from his vehicle mode before entering the apartment building where he and his conjunx lived. There were days that he envied Orion, Ratchet thought as he began to climb the stairs to their apartment. Being an archivist was stressful as well, he was sure of it, but it was mostly passive work. Memorizing texts, protecting history and fiction, ensuring the freedom of knowledge to all who seek it, engaging in debates of ethics and being a political correspondent. Surely, it was exhausting, but Orion didn't carry the weight of lives on his shoulders. Not yet, anyways.
The doctor opened the door to his home, looking to see his life partner on their sofa with a datapad in hand quickly jotting words down. Orion's blue lit eyes rose from his work to meet Ratchet's, seemingly glowing brighter as a smile came to his face plate.
"Welcome home, friend." Orion cooed in his deep calming voice.
Ratchet physically felt his body relax in reaction to that sweet voice. Man, that voice. That voice was like a honey trap for cyberbadgers. It was like sugar water to botterflies. Medicine to sore audials.
The ambulance nodded towards his roomate. "Pax." It was blunt, but they both knew that it carried a hidden emotion. Ratchet spent all day at work behind an impenetrable emotional barrier and Orion knew it took a while for that wall to give way. What good was an emotional surgeon?
As Ratchet opened his subspaces and started unloading paperwork, supplies, and his lunch carrier, placing it all on the closest open table, Orion silently opened his arms and invited Ratchet in. The doctor found such an invitation impossible to resist, closing his subspaces and seating himself beside Orion, letting the archivist embrace him. All it took was that touch and Ratchet felt all of his worries melt away.
There was silence between them as Orion let the other decompress and unravel in his arms. Those sturdy loving arms. Arms that have gripped Ratchet so tight out of love and protection. Orion gently rubbed his servos against Ratchet's back, making calming circular motions. Those servos that, in the past, have gripped his cheeks so tight in a passionate kiss. Those servos Ratchet loved to kiss the knuckle joints of. Those servos he loved to hold in his own and follow to the ends of the universe.
"Tomorrow is your day off, yes?" Orion asked in a hushed tone.
"Yeah. First day in weeks. I would like to just rest."
"Well, I've requested the day off as well. I figured you'd want someone to take care of you for a day."
Ratchet looked up, his eyes meeting Orion's again as his smile grew larger. "That's really sweet of you, but you didn't need to–"
Orion raised a finger, placing it over Ratchet's mouth. "Allow me this once to pamper you, dear."
Once again, Ratchet seemingly melted in Orion's arms, nesting his head between the archivist's neck and shoulder. "Thank you, my love."
Gentle kisses were peppered against his neck as Ratchet's engine let out a low pleased rumble. Those soft liplettes Ratchet couldn't resist staring at as Orion spoke. A kind, comforting, inviting mouth which emitted that beautiful voice.
They sat like that for a while, it felt like hours. In silence, appreciating each other's presence and energy. Sparks danced in their housings, yearning to be closer and to embrace one another in an act of love and comfort. Sparks yearning to merge and become one. The urge to crawl into the other's shell, never close enough, always yearning to be closer, until they were one.
The peace was finally interrupted when Orion opened his intake to speak.
"Would you like something to eat? A bath?"
The medic, on the edge of sleep now from the much needed peace, chuckled.
"You're determined to pamper me, huh?"
"Of course. You work so hard, you worry me sometimes. Let me care for you like you care for others."
"Orion." Ratchet sighed before placing a kiss on the other's cheek. "I would love a drink and a bath. Only if you joined me, of course."
The archivist hummed in acknowledgement and moved to get up… However, his love was still gripping him tight.
"Dear, I need to stand and walk in order to get you a drink."
"Carry me." Ratchet teased, placing another kiss on Orion's neck.
Orion huffed and smiled as he securely wrapped his arms around Ratchet, hoisting him up with all his strength, yet it seemed like it took little effort. Ratchet, in turn, wrapped his legs around Orion's waist. The doctor knew he wasn't a light mech, but his partner wasn't just a scrawny book nerd.
"There you go! Happy?"
Ratchet swiftly pressed a quick kiss to Orion's lips before grinning wide.
"I knew you could lift this old bucket of bolts."
A deep chuckle came from Orion's chassis before he moved to place a kiss on Ratchet's cheek. "You don't seem any older than the day I met you."
"There's no need to flatter me, you big hunk of molten metal. We're definitely not the kids we used to be."
"Oh, it couldn't have been that long ago. Only a few thousand solar cycles, no?"
"We've been together for nearly a million." Ratchet sounded almost offended at his partner's dismissive teasing.
"Really?" Another kiss was placed on Ratchet's face. "I guess time flies when you're having fun."
An orange hand gently slapped Orion's audial fin, resulting in a boyish giggle from the big rig. "Will you stop with the jokes? You're supposed to be pampering me."
"Oh so you want to be pampered now?"
"Maybe." The medic pondered.
Maybe Orion understood his struggle as a medical professional. Orion sure as the pit was extremely intelligent, but he had something even Ratchet lacked some knowledge of; emotional intelligence. His lover understood not only how to make an overstressed and overworked mech relax, but he also knew how to heal his heart.
"Maybe I want some healing attention."
A huge grin came across Orion's face as he turned and headed towards their washroom. "It's my turn to play doctor, then, and I'm prescribing you a well earned spa treatment."
Their lips met once more.
Ratchet prayed that Orion knew that he would follow him to the end of time.