Requested by Ecto-1, who had an awesome screen name and taste in fictional cars.
Pairing: Cheetor/Tigatron
"So, a Gladiolus is supposed to represent strength of character," Cheetor explained, fingers carefully weaving various stems together. "And Hyacinths show sincerity."
Tigatron nodded slightly, watching the smaller feline. He was mildly distressed by how thoughtlessly Cheetor simply plucked the flowers, then began twisting their bodies together in a tangled rope, but his chatter nullified him somewhat. The kid had no disrespect for nature, just appreciation, and apparently a creative view point.
"And a Larkspur is for a beautiful spirit!," the cub declared, then held out the completed flower crown in his hands. "I think that describes Airazor perfectly!"
"Very true," Tigatron smiled, taking the crown and placing it with the others. He wasn't certain if his young friend actually intended to give them to their other crew members. He got the feeling Dinobot wouldn't be pleased by the fact his crown had a pink coloured flower woven in, something called a Rhododendron, along with Calla lilies and Magnolias.
"Alright, now for yours!" Tigatron groaned, though in good nature. The cub grinned and shoved him with a pede, and the older mech made an exaggerated cry as he pretended to be mortally wounded, falling onto his back. "Wait here, I'll be right back!"
The striped feline pushed himself back up, watching Cheetor scamper off into the brush. Left alone in the clearing, Tigatron sighed and appreciated the moment of peace. Sitting in the woods was a regular pass time for him. Occasionally, he'd be joined by his team, though Rattrap very rarely went out willingly. Optimus would sit nearby and read, or Rhinox would take a nap on a soft patch of grass. Airazor would sit and have conversations with him, and Dinobot would sit a distance away to meditate. He supposed they took comfort in his presence while they were in the wilderness. Alone, they'd feel vulnerable to attacks or complications, but they would still crave solitude. No fault of theirs, everyone needed time to themselves. Tigatron was quiet, and more often than not hard to detect, but they knew he always had their backs. They could be virtually alone, while not being completely lonesome.
Cheetor, however, seemed to feel that Tigatron was the lonely one. He was always excited to see him, and could happily keep him company for hours. The older mech wasn't bothered by it, and he indulged the cub as much as possible. They'd even play games, like tag or hide and seek. Silly little pass times to keep a cheerful boy's spirits up. Because Primus knew someone had to be perky in such a harsh time.
"Back!," the cub called, but Tigatron didn't flinch. He'd heard his footsteps running towards him. He looked up to smile warmly at Cheetor, who grinned right back with a bundle of flowers in his arms. The smaller feline marched back over and sat in front of his friend, gently laying the bouquet out flat on the ground between them. "Alright, so," Cheetor began, sifting through the pile. "Iris flowers represent inspiration, because you pour out heaps of that!"
"I suppose that was a compliment," Tigatron chuckled, resting his cheek on his fist.
"It was, I swear!," Cheetor exclaimed, looking up from his work with a frown. Tigatron waved a hand for him to go on, silently apologising for interrupting. "Right, Lisianthus because you're a very calming person to be around." The striped mech smiled, but didn't voice the observation that Cheetor was never calm. "And... hold on, I gotta get the thorns off." He placed the unfinished crown on his knee, picking up a pink rose from the bunch. He retrieved a small knife from his subspace, and carefully sliced off the thorns. Tigatron raised an optic ridge, watching just how dexterous the cub was.
"What does a pink rose mean?," he asked, reaching out to pick up another flower and twiddling it between his fingers.
"Uh, admiration," the younger mech mumbled. "Because... well, you're definitely worth admiring, big cat!" Cheetor looked him straight in the optic, and let a bright grin burst across his face, etched with embarrassment. "You're just really cool!" Tigatron blinked slowly, watching the metal under those freckles turn slightly pink. The spotted feline went back to work, but his companion continued staring at him. He managed to de-thorn four roses and add them to the crown.
Then, he sat up on his knees and placed the crown on Tigatron's head. His helm and audials made it sit lopsided, but Cheetor thought that just made it look more comfortable.
He sat back down, beaming. Tigatron smiled slightly, then looked down at the flower he still had in his hand. He held it up to Cheetor. "What does this one represent?"
"Oh, that's a yellow Tulip. It means... um..." He squirmed on the spot. "Well it means... like, you're hopelessly in love."
"Ah," Tigatron rumbled. "I see." Cheetor nodded, and made that grin again. It dropped as Tigatron leaned forward, and placed the Tulip behind his pointed audial.
They sat there quietly, looking at each other and the flowers. Then Cheetor's grin returned and he shifted to face away from Tigatron, then lay back to rest the back of his helm on the tiger's chest, his crossed legs pillowing his back. They grinned at each other, admiring the flowers on one another's helms. Then Tigatron nodded his head to the other flower crowns. "If you manage to get those on Dinobot and Rattrap's heads, please take a picture for me."
