FANDOM: Animated
CHARACTER OR PAIRING: Optimus Prime/Sentinel Prime
PROMPT: Botany
RATING: G (save for a little gay)
REQUESTED BY: beebot

___________________________

"What is this organic... slag!?"

Sentinel Prime was gaping in horror and disgust as he stepped into what he thought was just an average chemical laboratory. No, rather, it was a newly remodeled green house. It was warm from the lights overhead, tables lined with numerous plants of all type and origin. It was mostly green, but there was a rainbow of color shattered around the lab.

Optimus Prime rose his head, looking over a row of yellow fennel. "Sentinel," he said, surprised. "What are you doing in here?"

Sentinel flailed a purple datapad. "Optimus!" he snapped. "This is your doing, isn't it?"

"Can't take all the credit," Optimus smirked. The blue Prime scowled, not expecting such a reply. "No, Perceptor here fitted this laboratory as a green house. My team and I just supplied the flowers."

Sentinel gaped. "Perceptor!? I thought he was a genius and yet he's stupid enough--"

"Look, if you still think all organics are poisonous and dangerous, you're wrong," Optimus sighed. He gestured the big chin Prime over. "For example, these flowers--they're called Foeniculum vulgare. Or simply 'fennel.' They're absolutely harmless." He gently batted at a tiny cluster of yellow petals.

Sentinel just snorted. "Look, I've got better and more important things to do than sit here and admire some organic sludge," he spat. He tapped the datapad to his chest. "Me being a member of the Elite Guard and everything."

Optimus shrugged. "Well, Perceptor left me in charge while he's gone," he informed. He was not going to bite into that taunt. "He'll be back in about ten kliks or so." He extended his hand. "If you're too... uncomfortable being in here, instead of waiting you can give the 'pad to me and I'll pass it along."

"I-It's not a matter of discomfort!" Sentinel huffed. "And no, no. It was assigned to me. Don't try and weasel your way into my good graces."

"Well, all right then," Optimus replied. "I guess you'll just have to wait for him. In here. Or, maybe, you can go stand out in the hall." With that, he smiled ever so sweetly and turned back to the fennel flowers.

Sentinel felt like he had been slapped across the face. How dare Optimus imply he was scared of a bunch of flowers! Hell no! "What's so great about these things anyway!?" he demanded and marched forward into the rows of plants. He stopped and turned to the nearest plant, a giant Venus flytrap. "They're... ugly."

"Not all of them are the prettiest," Optimus chuckled, "but they each serve a purpose."

"And that would be what? And why does Cybertron not have any if they're so important?"

"On Earth, they can provide oxygen or supply pollen for--" Optimus paused, optics blinking when Sentinel started poking at the huge flytrap with the datapad, face twisted in disgust. "Sentinel, I wouldn't do that. Perceptor modified that Venus flytrap and from what he told me, it's quite--"

Sentinel snorted. He continued prodding the plant. "I'm not afraid of something so--" But then the plant opened its large mouth and clamped shut around both datapad and Sentinel's hand. The blue 'bot squealed loudly and started jumping up and down, hand flailing. But the plant had a good grasp on it and refused to let go.

"Slag slag slag!" Sentinel cried. "Get it off!"

Optimus was first struck with surprise then amusement. He couldn't help but smirk, stifling laughter. "Y-Yeah okay, just--just relax..." he chuckled as Sentinel bounced from one foot to the other. Optimus carefully sunk a hand under the sucking plant and began tickling it. The Venus flytrap slowly opened its mouth and its little leaves were shaking. The moment it opened its mouth, Sentinel yanked out his hand, huffing and puffing and shivering. "I named her Audrey II from an Earth movie. She's ticklish under her, uh, 'chin.'"

"Destroy that Pitspawn thing!" Sentinel squeaked, dropping the datapad. "Primus, I've been contaminated! My hand is going to rot off, isn't it!? I need to get to quarantine fast! Fast!"

But that's when Optimus grabbed his flailing hand, yanked it forward and pressed a kiss to its top. Sentinel's big jaw dropped. A second later, Optimus stood back, still holding his superior's hand. "See? Everything's okay," he chuckled. He then reached forward and wiggled a finger under Sentinel's chin. "As the humans say, 'I kissed your boo-boo all better.'"

"S-Slag you O-Optimus!"

A/N: I am a huge fag for flower symbolism; fennel mean "worthy of praise." Also, the name Audrey II comes from Little Shop of Horrors.