At least Ivan had thought he was fully awake. Soon after gazing into that familiar face, the man had slipped in and out of consciousness. Occasionally he was jostled awake and he felt a comforting touch on his shoulder. Eventually, he would slip back into the blackness. Eventually, he did slowly awaken to the sound of music. Country music to be exact.

"Is he awake?" one of the voices asked softly.

"I don't know. He's been kinda waking up then passing back out for a while."

"Keep him warm back there, alright?" the soft voice called again. Ivan could make out that the soft voice was coming from the front seat of a large vehicle. The heater must have been cranked because the Russian felt warm for what felt like the first time and it was almost too much for him. He blinked a few times and went to rub his eyes, fighting a blanket on the way that restricted his movement. He was forced wide awake when the truck went over a large hole.

"Sorry about that!" the driver called back. Ivan blinked some more before he looked out the window to his right. The dirt road felt familiar, as did the forest that still surrounded him. He looked to his left and was met face to face with Alfred who was adorned with a sheepish smile. Ivan's chest felt tight and he was overcome with relief. Tears started to blur his vision and grasped at the American to make sure he was really there.

"You are alright, you are safe," Ivan repeated as he felt all over Alfred's face.

"Yeah man," Alfred sad with a chuckle. "I'm safe and so are you." Alfred held either side of the other man's face and searched his eyes. He gently thumbed over Ivan's tears, wiping them away. Alfred brought his face closer slowly. He glanced at Ivan's lips, then back at his eyes before closing the distance between them. Warm, chapped lips meeting made the truck cabin feel hotter than it already was. Ivan couldn't help but cry harder as he kissed Alfred back.

"Hey," Alfred whispered as he parted from Ivan. "Let's calm down a little, we don't want you hurt any more than when we found you." Ivan looked down at his chest. There was pressure around his chest from a bandage that he assumed Alfred had wrapped around him underneath a plain white t-shirt. Ivan gingerly touched his chest and winced at the soreness. As he did this, Alfred had reached for the blanket and brought it back around the Russian's shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, Alfred. I thought I lost you," Ivan started but Alfred shook his head.

"Don't be. Mattie found me that night and I had to convince him to help me bring you back."

"The others probably thing worse of me," Ivan muttered, his face downcast. "I cannot blame them. I did the wrong thing by kidnapping you."

"Mattie and I set them straight," Alfred reassured. He placed a hand on Ivan's back and gently rubbed it in circular motions. "The most important thing is that I forgive you, Ivan."

Ivan looked up at Alfred, half in shock, half relieved, "you do?"

Alfred nodded and pulled Ivan in for a hug, "you bet, buddy." Ivan relished in the American's affection as if he couldn't get close enough. Once again, he could feel Alfred's heat next to his own and he felt at peace. Most of all, he felt safe.

"I'm glad everything's worked out for you guys but the others are kinda upset," Matthew said from the front seat. He strained to be heard over the radio. Alfred reached over the back of the front bench seat and adjusted the volume of the radio. "Thanks, Alfie. What I'm saying is that the others are really upset."

"I bet. We've been gone for so long! They couldn't live without me!" Alfred boasted with a huge grin a hearty chuckle. Matthew rolled his eyes.

"Did you guys see that bomb go off while you were hiking?"

"Yes!" Ivan exclaimed, escaping Alfred's hold as he poked his head into the front of the truck cabin. "Why did it go off?"

"I don't know. The others think you two set off a sensor maybe?"

Alfred shrugged at his brother's answer, "however weak that answer is, I'm glad we're all safe." Alfred slipped an around Ivan as the Russian got comfortable in the back seat again.

"We're all glad to get you two back," Mattie commented, just barely louder than the sappy country ballad playing. Ivan leaned into Alfred's grasp and Alfred rested his head on Ivan's shoulder.

"Don't leave me again," Ivan whispered. "I won't," Alfred reassured then he lifted his head slightly to give Ivan's face a gentle peck. "I'll be by your side even if the whole world detonates."

A/N:: i'm back to end it all. thanks, my dudes