Kione felt like she was going to be sick by the time they got back to the base. Her ribs burned like fire, her nose hurt, her eyes hurt, her leg hurt, and on top of that; she couldn't get over the feeling of moving something that wasn't a part of her body again, but someone else's. Uso's. Just to even think that was mind-blowing. The titan was at least trying his best; he'd already figured out how to calm her raging headache, and was now working on the pain in her ribs. He was also very comforting to her, talkign to her calmly, helping her with the controls she couldn't move... The strange sensation of someone in the back of her mind who cared wanting to make her cry. Uso understood this was overwhelming, and gave her space, which she was grateful for.
By the time the four had staggered back to base and gotten into airlock, Ryan came sprinting over to meet them with medical, worry laced across his face. Kione and Colton disembarked, him prying his helmet off and waving the medical over to her instead. A confusing gesture, but one she appreciated, shutting her eyes until she heard Ryan's voice. Opening them, she could see the short rifleman holding the taller man by the cheeks, apparently stressed.
"Are you and Nini okay? You're bleeding, what-"
"I'm fine, Nate. 'Tis but a scratch. Hehe, ow..." Colton winced, bending over a little bit. Ryan's worry became thicker, him squirming under the other man's arm and helping him limp off to med bay.
Some tech quickly ran over to attend to the titans, Kiona feeling Uso stressed out and snapping an arm out to grab one of the techs, her face serious.
"Hey, listen, if Uso tells you not to do something, you don't. Wait till I get back here, he's a very important prototype in testing."
"Yes ma'am," The tech broke away, her sighing and looking up to see Uso looming over her, clearly worried.
"Are you alright, pilot?" His voice rang out, deep, yet inexperienced.
"Looks like she suffered from a concussion but we don't have to tools here to check, otherwise she's fine as far as we can tell." A medic chimed in. Uso looked more worried, Kione smiling comfortingly.
"Looks like I gotta split for a bit, bud. It's okay, I'll be right back. I promise."
"Okay…"
Kione never felt as much anxiety as she did now while she was carried off to med bay in order to keep her from using her swollen leg, an eye on Uso the whole time. He never left the link, standing at the threshold of being there and trespassing, worried sick. Like a puppy who knew he couldn't be on the couch, but never ceased to stare at you with those longing eyes.
God, medical better do this quick.
Four hours, Three minutes, Twenty-Nine seconds.
That was the exact time it had been since Uso's teacher… his friend… his pilot, had been taken out of his sight. The techs had come and gone, doing what repairs and cleans they could, but they said his chassis was so confusing, some fixes would have to wait till they were back on base. He didn't mind, their hands felt foreign, rough, like Hartz.
Kione had a soft touch when she worked on him, the same for when she piloted. She didn't jam things around, like Hartz when he first tried to link. Everything about her was graceful, despite how jarring he translated it to be.
He wondered if all Titans had this problem, obsessing over their pilots like this. He turned to the Unit he's fought alongside, NINI-5531, wondering if he should ask them. She was a pretty Northstar titan with a pearly white paint job, and a sharp-toothed grin of a decal across the front. She had crouched into a wait position, watching him curiously. Uncomfortably, he wondered for how long she'd been watching him.
"Is something wrong, Unit Uso?" That voice sounded awfully familiar, but he realized it was a common voice used by the AIs, and nodded.
"I am worried about my pilot."
"Mmm, honeymoon fever."
"I… beg your pardon?"
"Protocol 3 is a very influencing program, especially after a pilot-titan pair link and the pilot is immediately injured. You'll feel better when she's back."
"I see… are you not worried about your pilot?"
"I am, but I know Rifleman Ryan will take care of him when I cannot. So he will be fine."
Uos paused, looking over, "I do not understand."
"Rifleman Ryan and my Pilot Colton are a couple. A pair. Lovers."
Nini's words made him ponder, trying to figure out what she meant. "Please elaborate."
"Hmmm… well, I suppose the easiest explanation would be their 'Love' program is maxed out for each other."
"Love." Uso blinked, looking down, searching for the definition. It seemed so familiar, the concept she was speaking of… Why? "What is love?"
"You are a very curious titan."
"I am a learning AI. I was made to seek answers, not know them."
Nini's optical shuttered, "It is when one being puts another being before themselves, so much so they would perish for them, even if there were ways to avoid such an outcome. Humans are know to be this way, and more. They can share their lives together, sometimes until death."
"Death?" Uso looked up, blinking, "What is death?"
"When a human ceases to exist; when they no long breath, move, speak, or think; their life-force leave their bodies, and their hearts no longer beat: That is Death."
"Death sounds very bad, I would hope humans would stay away from that."
"Death is not optional, Unit Uso."
The build-a-bot's Ai ground to a halt, staring at Nini intensely. His emotional processor was flooded with an emotion he recognized when Hartz and Asaka were trying to take him, one that made him want to run away and hide. Fear. Fear of.
"Explain."
"Humans are not like us. Humans grow old, or are injured beyond repair in battle. The red liquid, blood, that is their life source. If they lose too much, they will shut down permanently. If they grow too old, they will shut down permanently. If they take a bullet to the head, or a crushed by a titan," Nini rotated her optical, "They die. That is the way of the humans."
Uso felt that feeling double, triple, building up inside him like some sort of cannon, waiting to go off. He started to shake, stepping away from Nini.
"No... No, I don't want Kione to die. S-Stop lying to me, that isn't funny."
"Why would I lie? See for yourself, Learning AI, the database knows all."
"It's not funny!"
"I agree, it's not, Uso. But it's the way of life."
"What's going on out here?"
The two titans looked over to see that the three humans had returned. Colton was wearing a large bandage around his waist, and Kione was in a small chair on wheels, seemingly resting her body but in a mobile way. She seemed worried, but her brown eyes still had those golden flecks.
Those beautiful eyes…
"Uso?" Kione wanted to get up out of this chair, to run to him, but she was much too drugged up to do so, "What's wrong? I could feel you freaking out from down the h-" She didn't get too far into the sentence before the massive titan had crouched as far down as he could before her, his frame shaking as he looked at her in the eyes… and gently pushed the glass of his optical to her forehead. The shaking stopped, but Kione felt her cheeks instantly get hot.
"I was worried about you, Pilot... You were gone for a very long time."
"Well, I needed some pain meds, and Colton needed some stitches," She chuckled waveringly, looking over at the two men. Her face twisted when she saw the cute-struck looks, Ryan mouthing a soft 'aww!' and the other laughing when she flipped them off. "Are you sure everything's okay?"
There was a long pause, followed by a nod, "Yes, Pilot. It is now."
Kione was sure everyone could see the pinkness of her cheeks, and she could have swore she heard Nini take a picture.
It was only a few days before the three were sent back to Demeter Base; Ryan and Colton more than ecstatic to be off that planet finally. Kione stayed as close as she could to Uso during that waiting time, slowly helping each other adjust to having another person that hovered on the edge of their conscience. It was difficult, but useful: they had already learned how to communicate that way, and he preferred that method, much to her humor.
Uso stepped off the transports to immediately see Smith waiting for them, a very worried look on his face. Kione winced.
Oh no, I hope he doesn't get mad about the damages.
He'll be understanding, pilot. It's alright.
Kione took a deep breath, sliding down the side of the titan and approaching the Master Tech nervously, holding her piloting helmet under her arm. Smith's eyes trailed down to it, then up to Uso's damages.
"What happened?"
"ABC Ambush. Pilot Colton and Unit Nini required Assistance." Uso had answered on his own accord, but it did not startle her like it startled Smith, "I rushed to help, and Pilot Kione arrive just in time before I was terminated."
"We... We had to emergency link." Kione said softly, "It was the only way Colt was going to get out of there alive; his Northstar had been hit and she was running full power to keep heat in the cockpit when it was breached-"
Smith's eyes darted back down to the pilot, a sudden look scaring her, a look of anger. Uso must have felt it because he reached down and pulled her out of the tech's arm-reach by the jumpkit. The tech's face changed and she almost laughed at the confusion, but was too nervous to actually do so. His anger returned.
"You idiot! You didn't wipe your last link, you could have died!"
"She almost did," Colton had passed by, hearing the conversation, ignoring the death-glare from the much shorter pilot, "Nini's sensors picked up that her heartbeat stopped for a full minute."
"A whole- Jesus Christ, Sola! Come on, we need to get you to a fucking scanner." Smith reached out to grab her arm but was cut of when a giant hand was put between them, both looking up to see Uso's vents had flared. "Whatthe-"
"Uso?" Kione squeaked, feel a pure wave of something she understood as defensiveness radiate through the link, the titan looked down and quickly drawing back his hand.
"I... I'm sorry pilot, I have no idea what came over me." Uso tapped his fingers together, Smith looking between them before rolling his eyes and taking the pilot by the upper arm. Kione didn't resist, looking back with even more confusion.
Ah, um... U-Uso, go to your bay, I'll be back soon, I promise.
Please do.
Uso watched her go, that feeling called 'nervousness' coming back to plague his AI. Why was he doing this? Was it actually honeymoon fever, like the other Unit had said? He about jumped from his chassis when he felt a hand pat his calf, looking down to see the rifleman from earlier. Ryan, that was his name, was grinning at him; his bright white teeth and brilliant green eyes quite a sight. Uso felt a tiny emotion of when he normally felt for Kione going through him, his vents relaxing slowly.
"Atta boy."
"...sir?" Uso didn't get an answer as the Rifleman smiled wider and headed after the redheaded pilot. Colton was shaking his head, but he was smiling
...what had he missed?
Kione really didn't expect any visitors, so the appearance of Jack Cooper as she was leaving her scans a few hours later surprised her. He was leaning against one of the walls in the hallways, chewing on a large cigar (which she guessed was from Barker), nodding his head every so often. Must be talking to BT. She wasn't very good at sneaking but he wasn't very good at paying attention, her managing to catch him by surprise with a poke to the hip.
"What are you doing here, Hero?" She teased, him looking over and smiling.
"I came to congratulate you! Uso told us you two linked, about time too!"
"Well, we didn't really have a choice, so I guess it was a now or never decision. Not that I regret it... well, maybe a little bit, these scans were hell."
Jack laughed, pulling a cigar from his pocket and offering it to her. She nodded a thanks, about to stick it into her mouth when she saw the pilot's expression change to an awkward stare into the distance. She froze, then looked where he was looking to lay eyes on Pilot Colton. They were sharing a similar expression, uncertainty thickening, a silent stand off in the middle of a hospital hall.
Oh no. That was her first thought before she quickly spoke up, "Hey Chase, you get those stitches out already?"
"Um... yeah, they just wanted to give me some medi-gel instead... Hey Cooper, how you doing..."
"Good... How are you... and Ryan?" Jack voice was very unlike him, Colton winced.
"...I could be better; and Ryan's... he the same old, happy self." Jack nodded at the reply, the two falling into a deep silence before Kione cleared her throat. The red-head snapped out of it first, pointing. "Should... Should I go...?"
"Um...N-"
"Hold on boys," Briggs voice made them all turn their head, them quickly saluting. She waved at them, "At ease. Just wanted to let you know you three, including Rifleman Ryan and the teams you two boys went with on your missions with have a four-day. Go home, get some rest, go out, I don't care. I just don't want to see you working."
"Yes ma'am."
"Kione," Briggs walked over to the now sweating young pilot, grabbing her rank patch on her shoulder and peeling it off before slapping a new patch in it's place. That surprised Kione, her instantly looking to see the fresh rank on her armor, "I'm moving you up form Second to First Lieutenant, congratulations on the promotion."
"I... wow. Thank you, ma'am."
"Don't mention it. Alright, get to enjoying yourselves. If I see any of you in MCUs or Armor, I'm kicking you off base till the four-day is over." And with that, Briggs was gone. The three slowly came to there senses, looking at each other before Colton cleared his throat.
"So... drinks on me?"
"...well, good thing I drink cheap liquor."
"Fuck you, Jack." Colton grinned, getting a grin right back and Kione sighed silently in relief. Just like old times.
HELLLLOOOOOOOO~
I RETURN FROM THE GRAVE! I'm so sorry I took so long, -distance screaming 'MARCH! MAAARRRCCCHHH!'- I just had life royally fooking me and only last night did I get my writing ass back in gear. Some big things: the plot has really changed between the first chapter in November and now. My RP with the Bestie Kie (it's like, 2.5 million words) has surfaced some new faces who I very much wanted to include in TMH before it's over, SOOOOO it may have gotten a bit long then my originally planned 25 chapters.
I'm SO SORRY you all had to wait this long for an update. Thank you all for over 9000 Views, 65 Followers, 45 Reviews on FanFictiondotNet and almost 1000 views, 43 Kudos, and 52 comments on AO3!
Please, I wanna know, WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE?! WHAT DO YOU WANNA SEE OUT OF TMH? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE OUT OF ME?
TYSM for all your support and love; I love you guys!
-Danii