SURPRISE!! Another USUK! : Veins and Wires

Morning

"Good morning."

Arthur yawned, blinking to adjust to the sunlight. "Good morning..." Arthur looked up at Alfred, then smiled. "How long have I been asleep?"

Alfred leant down and pressed a gentle kiss to Arthur's forehead. "Seven hours."

"What did you do for the two hours you've been awake?" Arthur circled the metal plate in the middle of Alfred's chest.

"Watched you sleep."

Arthur blinked then looked up at Alfred again. "You just lay here? You didn't have to, Alfred. You could have gone and done something."

The cyborg chuckled, running his fingers through Arthur's hair. "Didn't feel like it. Also didn't want to wake you."

"Your so considerate." Arthur chuckled, then frowned. "However, I miss waking up to see you asleep. I usually woke before you."

"Sorry." Alfred squeezed Arthur and tugged him closer. "I still don't remember anything, either. However, I think my real heart remembers." Arthur smiles softly, running his thumb over the metal plate covering Alfred's electronic heart. "Gilbert said that I was very proud of being American, so he had engraved that on my plate."

The Brit smiled and nodded, tracing the stripes of the American flag. Gilbert had gotten all fifty stars, but they looked more similar to dots than stars. "You were very proud of being American. It was one if the many things I found oddly endearing about you. That and your odd addiction to McDonald cheese burgers." Alfred laughed softly, nuzzling his nose in Arthur's hair. "I loved everything about you. You have no idea how much it hurt to hold you as you died. That month without you, I had thought of how great it would be to see you again, and then when Gilbert reintroduced us, I hurt all over again. You looked and sounded just like you always did, but everything else was different. I didn't want to be anywhere near you. I'm glad I did, though. You're slowly becoming my Alfred again. I was falling in love all over again. Then when I saw those two kissing in the garden while we held hands, it reminded me of how we used to kiss, which then reminded me that you had died. I'm scared, Al. I'm scared that you won't be truly yourself ever again." Tears gathered in Arthur's eyes as he curled against Alfred, closing his eyes.

Alfred gently squeezed Arthur. "I'm going to try the best I can to be as I used to, Arthur. Just for you, okay? I promise I will." Arthur smiled and nodded.

~

"Geez, that plane ride was awful!" Alfred yawned as he waited for his luggage.

Arthur smiled, grabbing his hand. "You didn't sleep that entire ride and you didn't get to move around. Also, you didn't eat. No wonder it was an awful ride. But I got plenty of sleep and I got to move around and snack." Arthur teased Alfred, bringing the taller male to groan and lightly push Arthur. "Don't worry, Al. You'll get to do all that once we get back to HQ."

Alfred nodded, grabbing both their luggages' and the bird before heading out.

Gilbert honked as he waved and grinned. "Hey, guys! How're you! Hurry, hurry, we gotta get back to HQ!" Alfred dumped the luggage in the trunk then sat in the passenger seat, bird cage in his lap. Arthur sat in the back next to a car seat with a fist-chewing baby in it. "Sorry 'bout Alaric! Liz made me take him so she could nap. Anyway, awesome bird!"

Alfred chuckled. "For you."

The Prussian gasped, then laughed. "Sweet! His name's now Gilbird!" Gilbert began to drive once making sure everyone was buckled in and doors were shut.

Arthur leaned forward. "So why do we have to hurry back? Any special reason?"

Gilbert grinned widely. "I have some things I want to install into Alfred's second heart and into his thick noggin!"

Both other men in the car blinked, Arthur unsure.

As if reading Arthur's mind, Gilbert chuckled and spoke again. "Don't worry. It's completely safe." Arthur nodded, but was still unsure. "I'll let you two rest up from the plane ride first, though, so I can check on everything in my lab, return Alaric to Liz, and clean my lab which may take two hours, give or take."

~

"So, Alfred!" Gilbert grinned as Alfred sat down and took off his shirt. "What all happened while you were up in Austria? I heard that the mission went bad and that you struggled to cope with your developing emotions."

Alfred nodded. "Yeah. A lot happened." Gilbert hummed, opening the plate on Alfred's chest. "Everything was going perfectly, then Arthur started going trough emotional distress. He wanted to go alone te next day so he ordered me to stay unless given orders otherwise by Roderich. Arthur did everything correct but he was caught. He was almost raped."

Gilbert frowned, plugging in Alfred's charge. "But you saved him in time, right?"

"Yes. Just before it could happen, and I held Arthur all the way back. He cried for hours. That was the first emotion I felt; anger. Then I.... I kissed Arthur." Gilbert quirked a brow and smirked as he pulled a chair over and sat. "Then after we kissed, there was just a rush of emotions and my head couldn't handle it. We stayed in our dorm the last half of the month while Roderich and other agents tore apart the base."

The Prussian chuckled, leaning back. "So you and Arthur are hitting it off, huh?"

The cyborg shrugged. "Yeah. We got back together. He told me that we were lovers when we were having sex."

"Whoa!" Gilbert burst into laughter and slapped his knee. "No way! You guys are fucking again!?" Gilbert dropped his head as he laughed, trying to calm himself. "I knew I should have stuck lube in your suitcase."

Alfred rolled his eyes. "I'm sure Arthur would have killed you if you did. But I learned more about myself and what I used to be like. I think it's all coming back, but Arthur's happier than he was when we left for the mission."

"Yes." Gilbert nodded, leaning back. "When he was told to go on the mission, he told Antonio he didn't want to go on another mission with you." Alfred frowned, looking down. "But I'm sure that he's changed his mind by now." Alfred nodded. Gilbert stood up and checked the charge. "Kay, so tomorrow, two or three brain surgeons are coming in to help me install these cool do-dads in your head. Don't tell Artie, though. He probably won't like it."

Alfred nodded, unplugging himself. "I'm going to go visit Arthur."