Ivan taps at his control panel easily, typing out a journal log and a status update report on his mission. He's only missing four elements now and N.A.T.'s repairs on the ship are nearly complete, working on only minor rebuilding to put the ship all back together. She had time to stop and work with K.A.T. on finding the proper setting to house the elements in the proper temperature when they do eventually leave.

Ivan's throat feels tight and not for lack of air this time. He hasn't brought up leaving with Alfred yet and the thought is plaguing him. He has to return. The general of his planet is expecting him too with this new information. He can't just never return. The people of his plant might think something happened to him or that he's been brainwashed, possibly causing a war between the two planets. That would be horrendous.

He closes all his eyes tight and open the lesser ones to Alfred at the barn door. His lesser heart pounds and he almost goes to the human in a welcome distraction but Alfred approaches N.A.T., getting the technician's attention before Ivan has a chance to leave the ship. He stares through the front shield, watching as Alfred slowly approaches N.A.T. He pushes a few buttons silently, trying to pick up on their conversation as much as he can.

"It could work?" Alfred offers up a sheepish smile on his face. N.A.T. glares hard at him then huffs, taking a seat on a metal piece they pulled off earlier. Alfred comes just a slight bit closer, dropping a small container of tools at his feet. He gazes at the minimal wires exposed on the front of their head.

"There's got to be something missing," He mutters out, bending down to look under the robots mouth area. Ivan tilts his head too, trying to see what the human might be looking for. Alfred sighs and stands, putting his hands on his hips dramatically.

"Is there a way I can see inside there or-" His words are cut off when N.A.T. reaches their hands up and clicks a button under their chin, splitting their face in two and pulling them apart. Alfred has to take a deep breath before continuing with slightly shaky hands.

"I'm looking for a missing wire, or a frayed one," He says aloud, either for his own nerves or N.A.T.'s' Ivan isn't too sure. The human leans closer, kneeling down and tilting N.A.T.'s head this way and that to try and see better. He reaches a hand in and feels around, earning him a soft hiss from the robot.

"Invasive," It mutters and Alfred grimaces.

"I'm sorry," He says but doesn't stop prying. N.A.T. doesn't stop him. The human shuffles on the ground to the back, gently pushing the liquid metal hair out of his way. N.A.T. moves suddenly, piling the hair like attachments on the top of their head and tying it up with a spare wire piece. Then the back of their head splits just like the front, letting the parts be expose for Alfred to see better.

"Thank you," Alfred says. N.A.T. says nothing. The human takes a tool from their case and uses it to help move wires around.

"There has to be something connected to your mouth and intelligence function," He mutters. Ivan represses his urge to sigh too loudly. None on his planet have been able to figure out what is technically 'wrong' with his technician, let alone get close enough for N.A.T. to trust them. Ivan doesn't particularly think they need fixing. Alfred hasn't given up though after half an hour of searching and now, Ivan is almost rooting for him to be able to see something the people of his planet couldn't even with only two eyes.

Alfred shifts and N.A.T. shifts with him, sitting up a bit more and moving another panel on their head to let the human in deeper. Alfred stops dramatically and gets another tool, moving more wires out of his way before bouncing in his spot.

"There's an open slot here buried underneath all the others," He puts a little tag in N.A.T.'s head to mark the spot then moves back to the front. He bends awkwardly fiddling his fingers underneath the mouth area. Ivan is dumbstruck.

"There are none near here though, maybe it doesn't connect here?" While talking Alfred moves back to the back of N.A.T.'s head. He prods a little more, then squeaks.

"These wires all have a second attached to it, so you're missing two wires?" He says incredulously, nearly just talking to himself aloud. N.A.T. hums at his words.

"Fixable?" They ask almost hopeful. Alfred makes a thinking noise, then scratches at his head.

"If I have the right things, and find the right spots, maybe?" He offers a reassuring smile though at this point with their face split, N.A.T. can't see it. Alfred scoots his container closer and Ivan has completely forgotten his task.

"So this wire here connects here," Alfred makes a small motion, tapping at the open hole in NAT's head The robot nods and Alfred nearly drops his stuff at the action.

"Okay I'm going to take your hand and place it on my knee, two taps yes, one tap no, because if you move while I'm doing something, electrocution or short circuiting might happen." Alfred takes N.A.T.'s hand and Ivan thinks his technician might stab the human. Instead N.A.T. lets the motion happen, tapping twice in understanding.

"Cool," Alfred says and continues on. He bites his lip as he wiggles a wire inside the robot's head. N.A.T.'s hand twitches a few times but no sudden jerks thankfully.

"So that wire goes there, but where does it attach?" The human twists his head about, nearly turning upside down to see different areas. He moves to the front and moves his fingers atop N.A.T.'s exposed head wires.

"Do you hate me?" Alfred asks suddenly. N.A.T. taps his leg once and Ivan releases a breath of air he didn't know he held at that question. Alfred smiles happily.

"I don't hate you either, I don't think you care, but I don't. You're pretty cool even when you try to kill me sometimes." Alfred bends down and looks at something new. Then kneels down to reach into N.A.T.'s head and grab the unattached wire.

"Gunna attach it to this open area up top, there are other double wires, and I think this is where it goes. It's easy to miss because most of the wires take up all the spaces, but they are twisted together." Alfred takes a deep breath and pulls out a new wires, making N.A.T. jerk fully.

"I'm putting it back, that was your whole speech I think. Are you okay?" The human asks frantically, twisting wires together as N.A.T. taps his leg repeatedly over and over. He whimpers and puts the wires back with a click. N.A.T. jerks again and stops tapping. Alfred grimaces as the robot puts their head back together, letting down the floating metal hair.

"Oh crap are you okay?" Alfred covers his face, peeking through his fingers and Ivan stands frozen as N.A.T. opens and closes their mouth a few times, making sure their jaw is set together. Ivan panics as they don't speak right away.

"Did it work? I mean, is it all- are you- how do you feel?" Alfred stutters, fidgeting more and more. N.A.T. holds up a hand to him and stands from their seat. Ivan swallows, wondering exactly what Alfred tried to do.

"Liberating," They say gently. Alfred stops freaking, then pouts mightly, crossing his arms with a huff.

"All of that and you're not going to-"

"I did not ask for this," N.A.T. cuts him off and Ivan's jaw drops. K.A.T. appears on a screen next to him, ready to ask him a question but upon taking in his expression doesn't speak. Instead, turns to see what Ivan is gawking at. N.A.T. rubs their spindly arms awkwardly, looking down and away from Alfred though the human perks up.

"And yet you helped me anyway, thank you," And with as many words in a row N.A.T. has ever spoke, the technician returns to working on putting the wing of the ship back together to get it ready to fly again. Alfred smiles proudly to himself, bending down to pick up his small chest of tools and hugs it to him. Ivan runs out of the ship and follows the human out of the barn.

"How did you do that?" He inquires, grabbing Alfred by the wrist to keep him still Alfred rounds on him, blinking his eyes up at him. He then laughs softly.

"I just kind of guessed to be honest," He shrugs awkwardly. Ivan stares at him incredulously.

"The wires missing weren't part of the main system I guess, so scanners didn't pick up on anything being wrong," Alfred shrugs again at his explanation. It makes enough sense. The human tangles their fingers together and pulls Ivan ever so slightly towards the trees. They walk hand in hand together, not saying a word. Ivan's thoughts are racing in different directions. He's lost for one of the first times.

His home planet has always been strict with rules, orderly, not really caring for mistakes. They could tolerate some in the guise of curiosity. His being on earth and meeting Alfred had been a fluke to begin with. If he had just been a little more careful he could have avoided being spotted or crashing at all. Such a thing, such a person messes with his mind so much.

He barely realizes Alfred stopping in front of him. He registers connecting eyes with the human when Alfred bounces to his toes to kiss him. It feels just as nice as the first times. Alfred pulls back with a smile on his face and the emotions within him start to bubble over. Ivan feels tears in his eyes without his consent.

"Sorry, sorry," He mutters out, trying to calm down Alfred's fretting over him at the sudden outburst. He holds the human's hands tight, placing their foreheads together. Ivan swallows down his emotions to try and speak properly.

"I will have to go home eventually," He whispers. Alfred whines at his words, expecting them to an extent but not really happy they came at all. Ivan sniffles again and his gills shudder at trying to get him the appropriate amount of oxygen.

"Do you really have to?" Alfred asks him, wiggling into his space more for a hug. Ivan returns the embrace as well as he can.

"Yes."

"When?" Ivan grits his teeth and the way the human sounds when they ask. Broken and fearful.

"A week or two," Ivan confesses and Alfred rubs at his face, his own tears slipping through. He throws his arms around Ivan's shoulders and hides his face in his neck. Ivan closes his eyes tight to not let any more tears fall, the emotions exhausting him completely. He holds his human close, trying to commit the way he feels to memory.

They stay in the wood for as long as they can. E. comes barreling to them in the evening, telling Ivan to come back and they need him. It's a slow walk, one they both make drag back to the barn. Alfred knows he has to go home, giving Ivan one of those lingering kisses before walking backwards and away.

"That's going to hurt," Ivan jumps at the words coming from N.A.T. His technician raises an metallic eyebrow at him and enters the barn in a cold way. Ivan rubs at his arms and goes to follow. Inside his ship once more he finds all the systems running perfectly and functional. The last thing he has to do is find the last elements, and then he's to go home.


AN: Thank you to SuperLeaf and PK4427 for reviewing~