Foreword:A couple of months ago, I felt like doing a writing challenge. I found a challenge list on a website somewhere and decided that it would be one phrase/word for one pairing. 15 phrases/words, 15 drabbles, 15 pairings. So here are the results. Maybe one day I'll change the title of the collection from 'Transformers Slash Drabbles' to something catchier. Who knows.

Warnings: Slash, obviously. In some cases, it's just implied, in others, it's all out. Nothing too bad; hints at robo-sex at the most. Hopefully everyone's IC as much as possible. Also, I guess most of them could be considered fluff. There are probably about three that you could maybe consider to be angsty, if you think about it real, real hard.

Pairings: You'll have to look at the individual chapters to see for yourself. Come on. I'll tell you before the drabble starts anyway.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy what I've cobbled together. I sure had fun writing it.

----------

Word #1 – Apricot
Pairing: Ratchet/Sunstreaker

The scratch on Sunstreaker's left side was about two meters long and had taken a lot of the paint off. "And I just got a new paintjob last month!" he moaned as Ratchet approached him with a welder and a suitably-sized spraycan.

"It's not so bad, Sunstreaker. You were due in for a touch-up this week anyway." Ratchet soothed, testing the flame on the welder.

"Yeah, but this scratch. I hardly wanted anyone to see me like this."

"Not even Sideswipe?"

"He knows how I feel about it." Sunstreaker seemed to shift somewhat uncomfortably. Ratchet noticed this, but shrugged it off. He didn't really... well, get the whole fuss about Sunstreaker's paint and whatnot. He was fine just the way he was, fancy deco or not. "You won't tell anyone about this, will you, Ratchet?"

"Nah, you're safe with me. I don't really see what telling the others about your little crash-off-a-cliff would do, in any case." It was an indirect question.

"... I guess it's a pride thing."

"Makes sense." Ratchet shrugged and had finished patching the nasty-looking gash up. "Transform for me, I want to see how you look."

Sunstreaker did so, also staring at the thin line where Ratchet had carefully mended him. No matter how many times he had messed up, Ratchet could always be counted on to fix him up, and do a darn good job of it too. "Thanks." he said, genuinely appreciating Ratchet's work.

"I'm not done yet, Sunstreaker. Although..."

"What?"

"I can only find this other colour. It's slightly darker than what you've got now. Sorry, but I'm out of what I usually use on you."

"Oh. It's ok." Sunstreaker transformed. The 'pride thing' was more important than what shade of yellow or orange or whatever Ratchet was going to spray him with was.

"Out of interest, what is that colour called?"

"Uh," Ratchet rotated the can to read the name. "'Apricot'."

"That's a weird name for a colour."

"It's some kind of fruit humans eat. I think that's what Spike said. There you go," Ratchet stopped spraying and Sunstreaker transformed back into his robot mode, surveying his new paintjob. "Pretty as a picture."

"Wait,pretty?" His circuits sparked a little and he silently thanked Primus that he was unable to, as the humans put it, blush. That's the word he believed they used when one of them turned red in embarrassment.

"It's just an expression." Ratchet backed down quickly, but Sunstreaker smiled.

"Nah, I enjoy the odd compliment."

"From me?"

Yeah. Who would've thought? "Hey, I've got to be nice to our world-class medic and fixer-upper, right?"

Ratchet laughed happily. Obviously, he took that as a compliment. "Right."

END