A/N: I didn't mean to continue this, but I got a challenge from a friend who wanted me to write a sweet drabble with this pairing, including a beach, moonlight and a cat. Since I'd already written a thing with them on a beach I simply kind of continued it. It can be read separately as well. Just some fluff.


This, Ratchet mused, was definitely the most relaxed he'd felt in a long time. The fire was sparkling merrily in front of him, and the hand that was slowly stroking his forehead made him sigh contently. He had no idea how long he'd been lying with his head in Prowl's lap, just enjoying the soft touch, and he found he had no real desire to check his chronometer to find out. Time was non-existing, all that mattered was the closeness and warmth he felt emanating from the other.

Of course, he knew it wouldn't last forever; soon they would have to get up and get back to the Ark, and tomorrow would be a day like any other, with the same work as always. But for now he was perfectly content where he was, letting Prowl stroke away all his tension as he softly moved his hand over his helm, across his forehead, occasionally sliding up along one sharp edge of his chevron.

Feeling so at peace with everything, it took him a moment to realise when Prowl had stopped caressing him. Lifting his head slightly from where it rested he twisted his neck to look at Prowl, who was sitting all tense, hand lifted mid-air, a look of uttermost concentration on his face.

"Prowl, wha–"

"Shh." Prowl lifted a finger to silence him, still staring off into nowhere. Ratchet frowned, turning up the sensitivity on his audios, wondering what Prowl might have heard. He could make out the soft lapping of the waves as they met the beach, the crackle of the fire in front of them, the soft sounds of some kind of insect or something around them, as well as the soft humming of Prowl's systems close by. Nothing out of the ordinary, and he was just about to tell Prowl that when a scream echoed from far away.

"There!" Prowl said. "What's that? Do you think someone might be in need of our help?" His whole body was tense, ready to spring to action at any moment. Ratchet however simply gave a short laugh, earning a scalding look from Prowl.

"Relax, Prowl... no one is in trouble. It's just a cougar."

"A what?" Prowl looked so clueless Ratchet had to laugh again at the expression that was gracing the other's face. Twisting around he planted a hand on the beach and heaved himself up from Prowl's lap to better see his partner.

"Primus, for having lived here on this planet for as long as you have, you really don't know anything about its wildlife, do you?" he said as he sat up and made himself comfortable next to Prowl, who scowled at him.

"Well, forgive me if I've had better things to do with my time. Like, maybe, you know, doing my job?"

Ratchet barked out a small laugh again, pulling the other close.

"I know, I know, I'm just teasing you."

"So..." Prowl said after a moment of silence, "it's an animal making that noise?" He relaxed slightly against Ratchet's bigger bulk, placing a hand on his windshield, although Ratchet could feel he was still rather tense. Ratchet nodded, and he felt Prowl hesitating before continuing. "It's not... dangerous, is it?"

Ratchet looked down at him, surprised.

"Dangerous? No... Well, maybe to humans, but not to us. It's like a big cat, actually." He hesitated for a moment. "You do know what cats are, right?"

"Considering I almost ran one over yesterday, yes," Prowl deadpanned. "Those things are everywhere; I don't know how people can stand having them around."

"Well, they seem to be rather nice pets. In fact..." Ratchet trailed off, an evil grin forming on his face.

"Yes?" Prowl prompted.

"In fact," Ratchet continued, "you remind me of one."

That made Prowl sit up straight, looking at his partner as if he'd just turned pink.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, they're sneaky, beautiful, graceful, and agile, and deadly when in the mood... and yet, all you have to do is scratch them in the right place and they turn into a purring pool of cuddliness." Ratchet grinned at Prowl who was just staring at him, mouth agape.

"I– I'm not like that!" Prowl said. "I do not purr simply because you scratch me!"

Ratchet laughed at the indignant tone. "Oh, but you do!" Stretching out with he grabbed Prowl and yanked him up against his chest, ignoring the small yelp of surprise from the other as he found himself suddenly sitting nested in Ratchet's lap, back flush against the bigger mech's chest, wide arms wrapped around him just beneath his door wings, keeping him in place. "See what happens if I do... this," Ratchet said with a grin as he tightened his grip with one arm around the struggling mech, and gently dragged his fingers under Prowl's bumper.

"I... Ratch, this is unfair!" Prowl said, but he stopped squirming and leaned his head backwards to rest on Ratchet's shoulder. "This isn't... fair..."

"All is fair in love and war," Ratchet murmured against the white helmet. He kept on softly moving his fingers in circles underneath Prowl's bumper, and smiled inwardly as he was rewarded by the sound of an engine starting up, sending soft vibrations through both their frames.

"See?" he said, keeping up the motion and ignoring the half-hearted mutters from Prowl. "Just like a cat."

Prowl simply muttered something Ratchet couldn't catch, but he did relax, allowing Ratchet to loosen his grip around his midsection.

"What's that, love?" Ratchet asked as he moved his now freed hand to softly trace one of Prowl's headlights.

"You... you better not stop what you're doing", Prowl answered, sounding almost sleepy. Ratchet was not surprised; he knew perfectly well how relaxing his touches were to his partner. And Prowl was surely in need of just as much stress-release as himself. Their work usually took up almost all of their time, and it wasn't often they could just sit and relax and enjoy each other's company.

"Hey, Prowl?" Ratchet asked, hand hovering above a headlight.

"Yes?" came the somewhat sleepy answer.

"Do you think they would miss us terribly if we suddenly went AWOL, for, I don't know, a week or so?"

Prowl chuckled, the deep sound sending vibrations to Ratchet. "We would be returning to a disaster area. Can you imagine poor Prime trying to deal with everything from Jazz's crazy party ideas to Wheeljack's even crazier experiments?"

"Heh. Yeah. Would be fun though."

"Up until we get back and have to fix everything, that is," Prowl said in a dry voice. "Not to mention the punishment we would receive for leaving without cause."

"Well, there's always a catch," Ratchet said, resuming his attention to Prowl's headlight, earning him a deep satisfied sigh from his partner. He lazily watched his own finger slowly caress the headlight, taking in the way the glow from the slowly dying fire reflected on Prowl's body. A small sound further off along the beach made him look up, and he gently shook Prowl who had almost fallen into recharge.

"Look," he whispered, pointing to the large feline that had appeared on a cliff, silhouetted against the moon.

"Hmm?" Prowl said. "Oh... is that the cougar?" Ratchet nodded, as Prowl looked pensive. For a long moment neither of them said anything, both mechs simply watching the animal in silence.

"You know..." Prowl finally said, "It's a pretty animal." He turned his head, looking at Ratchet, grinning slightly. "I hereby give you permission to compare me to one of those any time you like."

Ratchet laughed. "You got it, love."

His fingers once again found their way beneath Prowl's bumper, and soon a purring engine drowned out all other sounds on the beach.