For the past three human weeks Ivan spent wandering around the barn area carefully. His scanner in his hands and his little robots by his feet. He's been working on the first part of his mission, basic gathering. His little bots have been running about, scouting as well as bringing him back random little rocks and to scan just in case they are something important. They aren't but it doesn't stop Ivan from smiling at their attempts.

He has few elements bottled up, but not as many as he would like. His ship is still not in good condition to haul samples or even fly properly. According to N.A.T. there is a lot more little technical damage that will need specific repairs and will take longer. Ivan groaned at that answer but there is nothing he could do for the moment.

Ivan opens his eyes to the very early morning. It's nearly still dark outside, the sun barely rising. He dragged some of the hay into his ship to line his sleeping area making it more comfy than he anticipated. He rubs at his lesser eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the darkness, closing his sensitive ones once able. He pauses at the door when he hears something odd.

"Hold still little guy I'm almost done," He hears Alfred laugh, softer than he thought possible. The human is always loud. Alfred has been a constant, showing up everyday and asking him questions, trying to see if they can help with the repairs, a no from N.A.T., or even with the ship things, a no from K.A.T. so Alfred spent their time following Ivan around and asking about his planet. The questions aren't necessarily annoying, but there are a lot of them. Ivan knows very little about his human host.

He peeks out of the doorway to see what is going on. Alfred is a few steps away, sitting sideways with the little bots surrounding them. The littlest bot R. is in front of the Earthling, shaking slightly as it usually does. The back panel on it's head is open and a few wires are sticking out. Alfred has a metal stick in their mouth and a few other random scattered tools around them.

"Just a few more things buddy," Alfred reassures, their words slightly slurred with the object between their teeth. R. makes a nervous clicking noise.

"Will it work?" T.'s robotic voice asks as quietly as it can. Alfred smiles at the bot quickly.

"Let's hope so." Ivan watches the human work, their fingers twisting carefully inside R.'s head. He's not sure how long Alfred has been working, and he's not sure how long he watches, but too soon it seems Alfred is closing up R.'s head with a hopeful nod of their head.

"Let's see if that works yeah?" They ask the bot and R. looks up at them. Ivan tilts his head to the side when they all start cheering softly. Alfred pats the bot affectionately and Ivan approaches.

"What did you do?" Alfred smiles up at him then back down to R. who is looking happier.

"Notice anything..?" Alfred nudges him playfully. Ivan nearly glares at R. trying to figure out what is new. E. and T. hug the other happily.

"No more shake!" They say. Ivan can feel a smile stretch across his face. He kneels down to place a gentle hand on R.'s head.

"Very good little one," He says. R. chirps happily, then the three robots take off outside to scout the area as is their job. Ivan looks up to Alfred who is smiling fondly at where they made their exit. Ivan grabs one of their hands gently.

"How did you do that?" Alfred snaps their eyes down, a new coloration coming to their cheeks. They laugh awkwardly and begin picking up the small tools they used.

"I do some computer technical stuff in school, it's what I'm getting a degree in. Had to build a robot for a project," They says simply. Ivan squeezes their hand to keep them from getting up.

"No work today, only questions about you," Ivan tells Alfred. For a moment longer than he's ever seen the human is speechless. Alfred snickers softly and drops from his knees to sit comfortably.

"What you want to know about me?" They ask and Ivan is thankful for the opportunity. He moves to sit as well with his legs underneath him, still holding gently to Alfred's hand though the human does not seem to mind.

"First, what gender would you say you are?" To say Ivan has been wondering is a little bit of an understatement. People on his planet have many genders, he didn't want to make an accidental guess at Alfred's.

"I'm a boy," Alfred shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly. "What are you? Just so I know." Ivan hums at the question, not really figuring Alfred would have to wonder.

"I am a male by your terms," He says. Alfred nods his head,, now eyeing their hands together. Ivan is not so sure what is wrong with it. Alfred always invaded his personal space. He figures doing something like this would be more acceptable on Earth.

"You're really warm," Alfred says. Ivan giggles shortly at the statement.

"I am actually very cold. Your planet is cold." Ivan narrows his eyes to Alfred laughing when the human perks up.

"That's reminds me!" Alfred twists around, pulling his hand free of Ivan's causing the other to look down at his hand dumbly. Of course he knew he held the human's hand, but it didn't feel this empty when he wasn't before. His confusion increases when Alfred hands him a cloth bundle.

"To cover your gills," Alfred smiles and unfolds the item. Ivan sits perfectly still as the human wraps it around his neck, his gills shuddering at the new warmth provided to them. Ivan runs his hands over the object, playing with the ends of it with a small smile on his face.

"Thank you," He says. Alfred laughs and stands, holding out his hand for Ivan to take.

"Come on let's walk around a little bit, getting tired of sitting," The human sticks his tongue out for effect. Ivan takes his hand happily. Alfred pulls him partially up and they walk outside the barn. The sun is coming up now for sure. The little bots are whizzing around, every so often bumping into each other. Alfred leads Ivan away from them all and into the trees.

"So you have a family?" Ivan asks. Alfred nods his head, carefully walking around a fallen tree branch with Ivan right behind him.

"Yeah my brother and mom and dad." Ivan drags his fingers over a the trunks of the trees, admiring the roughness beneath his fingers. Alfred pops out from one side, partially hiding behind it.

"What about you?" His blue eyes are warm and inviting. Ivan smiles at him with a a small hum.

"No family, just others," He informs. Alfred makes an upset face but does not question farther. For that Ivan is thankful. His planet is run on DNA and knowledge, producing offspring in chambers. Every generation getting stronger and smarter than the last.

"What's your favorite color?" Ivan has to stare the human for a second at the new question. Alfred stares back then nudges him.

"Come on, what color do you like the most," He clarifies. Ivan furrows his brows, the misunderstanding now clarified.

"I like sky colors, blue and black mostly," He says, hoping his answer will suffice. Alfred nods his head so Ivan hopes it works.

"Why do you want to help my mission?" Ivan steps purposefully on a branch, listening to the way it snaps under his boot. Alfred sniffs and rubs at his nose.

"How cool would it be to say I helped an alien do something?"

"What if take you back to my home to dissect you?" Ivan looks up at the human, his jaw now dropped in disbelief. Alfred puts a hand to his chest and gasps like he's been wounded somehow.

"Rude!" He shouts. Ivan giggles at the answer, taking subtle note at the distance Alfred now has between them.

"I will not harm friends," Ivan drops down to runs his finger's through the grass. Alfred kneels down next to him.

"You consider me a friend?" Alfred's tone makes Ivan's lesser heart pound. He glances at the human with their bright blue eyes. He smiles at them.

"You help me with no expectation of anything in return. That makes you friend in my rules," Ivan giggles and then flops to his back to see the sky. There are no clouds. Alfred drops too, putting his head next to Ivan's.

"How many stars are there?"

"Too many for your numeric system to count," Ivan replies quickly. Alfred bursts out laughing and for what Ivan isn't sure but he's a little happy he could make the human laugh so.