Chapter Text
Grace's life on Erid had been perfectly perfect.
Well, at least that's what Rocky might think.
As they got closer to Erid, Grace had been incredibly sick. The packaged food stock on Mary was never intended to last for more than three years, making it difficult for Grace to be his usual cheery self when the days seemed longer and harder.
Rocky would often sit by Grace's leg as he would randomly fall asleep in what he called his 'personal space area', which was really just his workplace. Rocky was no idiot.
Grace explained that sleep was also another human way for him to gain energy back if food couldn't do it. Rocky understood, there were merciless nights where he had to succumb to sleep with no one to watch over him so his body could function back to normal.
When they had finally reached Erid, Grace was as frail as a pebble. He had to resort to eating Taumoeba, and the late nights spent figuring out whether that microorganism was edible and could fill him up at least had worked.
Although, it wasn't efficient.
It wasn't long before Grace started spitting out his own blood. From what Rocky's own personal portable thinking machine had stated, Grace had gotten old sicknesses from the dawn of human history like scurvy and beriberi.
Rocky had refused any meetings or important interviews with fellow Eridians, ushering them instead to grab Erid's most devoted scientists, biologists and engineers. Grace had come back to Rocky, leaving his homeworld long behind him to help him. When Rocky was assured that he would go through a long painful death like his crew, Grace fixed it.
And Rocky would do anything to make it known that his sacrifice would be reciprocated.
The scientists on Erid had immediately gotten to work, prioritizing food and nutrients to keep his Grace alive. Meanwhile, engineers and biologists had partnered together to build Grace's very own biodome.
Rocky fixed.
Everything was set to Grace's preferences to assure his comfort. Erid had even given Grace his old teaching position to educate pebbles on humanity and science. He was Erid's saviour after all.
But something was missing.
Rocky had noticed how Grace's usual tics would be to bite the branches of his glasses when he got really focused or fidget with silly little objects like that stupid basketball that he kept throwing on Rocky's xenonite ball. But lately, Grace's tics had turned to be more...
Rocky clicked. How to say...
Physical.
If Rocky had to search up the meaning of clingy on his 'computer', a picture of Grace would appear.
That's how bad it was.
With everything that had happened to the both of them, Rocky and Grace were inseparable. And with what Rocky had witnessed when they had first gotten to Erid, their closeness only became more apparent. At first, Rocky had tolerated his human's clinginess bit by bit. It started with a prolonged nap hug which Grace called 'cuddling'.
Rocky called it torture when Grace had drooled on his suit.
Now he could tolerate his human's lightweight limbs on him but the saliva was a huge no. Why was he always leaking? Inefficient human design. Rocky shook his carapace in dissatisfaction.
Rocky wasn't new to Grace's way of behaving. When he had first gotten used to the biodome, Rocky saw how quickly he'd gotten back to his feet. Although, as much as his life had gotten better with his new home, the nightmares worsened, leading to Rocky being called out by guards near the biodome in the middle of the day. Rocky was more than happy to help. He'd do anything for his human after all.
There was one thing Rocky had taken note of regarding Grace's body language whenever touch was involved. He would absolutely fumble on the spot. Head pats, hugs and even as far as 'fist bumps', Grace's touch would linger longer than usual and Rocky absolutely noticed the way his shoulders would relax and the blood flow in his arteries would slow. Grace seemed absolutely touch starved in a way that other Eridians would assume they both were mates if they kept it going.
So Rocky put his portable Earth thinking machine to use and got to researching.
Rocky knew the basics of humans living. Food, water and entertainment, the list goes on. That's all a human needed to be entertained and to stay alive. Rocky had proceeded with his research, most of the sites repeating the same thing.
Food, water, shelter, air—well obviously? Rocky scrolled through every single one until one caught his eye.
Human touch.
Sure, humans can live with pets, keeping them busy and assuring companionship. But human touch can do all the work by itself! It is crucial for humans to have this biological necessity as it keeps them thriving and even goes as far as—
That's it! Rocky found exactly what he'd been searching for. Rocky elevated his three claws into the air and jumped around near his sleepy Grace. Human touch was what Grace needed.
But how would he be able to make a human or even replicate the softness of Grace's skin? Rocky was no human scientist or even an Erid biologist, what did he know about making a human body or just, like, making bodies? Rocky shook his carapace in disappointment, there was no way he could—
Yeah no, wait, he definitely could.
Erid was much more advanced than Earth's standards, from what Grace had told him and what Rocky had seen, obviously. Although, just by seeing Mary's structure, it wasn't difficult to understand if Rocky tried to deconstruct it.
It wasn't hard for Rocky to accommodate himself to Earth's technology. In fact, he called it pebble-like knowledge when he had first gotten to the ship. Rocky was able to make a screen converter into a noise converter. And then Rocky formed tiny pieces of xenonite to act like a ball and he was the one who was able to make carapace tight xenonite suits.
Adrian was the number one reason for all of the things surrounding Grace, Adrian had helped create the biodome, the sand, the portable water, hell, even the food. Ever since Rocky had come back to Erid, the newest technologies had never failed to amaze him. Adrian this and Adrian that.
Rocky knew exactly who to contact.
"What? What for?" Adrian signaled the nearby scientists to leave as he approached Rocky. The room was empty except for the both of them.
"Think! If Adrian can make a human body for Grace, Grace would be totally forever happy, happy, happy." Rocky jumped all over the place.
Adrian set down what appeared to be Grace's new food request of having what they called berries. Adrian slightly jumped at the feeling of his mate climbing all over him as he let out high notes of happiness. An old habit of his that Adrian had always adored.
Rocky skittered on top of Adrian's carapace. "And Grace will never have to be sad again—"
"Calm down, beloved. You are acting like a pebble." Adrian hummed in a low note with a hint of fondness in his voice, lowering his carapace so his bigger teal-like claws could grab his mate.
Rocky let out a miserable warble of notes as he was held in Adrian's arms and softly put back on the floor. "It would be a big surprise for Grace. Grace would love love love."
"What about Rocky, question?"
Rocky stopped pacing, leaning his carapace to the side in confusion, another human tic he had learned from Grace.
Adrian repeated. "How would you do it."
"Being human is not as easy as you think. It requires a lot of effort and care Eridians do not have." Adrian went to grab a piece of hard-like material from where he could carve information.
"Being a human does not sound so hard. Rocky is sure of it." Rocky was sure as hell not of it.
Rocky clicked and thought. "One head, four limbs and a human conscience." That should be enough to identify as a human, right?
Adrian kept quiet for a moment, acknowledging his mate's uneasy, unsure behaviour. He knew him like the back of his claw and let out a low hum like a sigh. Refusing to make his Rocky any more uneasy, he pressed a claw firmly onto the material in his hand. "I'll have the scientist team look after this."
"We'll start with the easy part. What color do you want your eyes to be?"
Rocky let out high notes of contentment. "Rocky already planned everything! Look! Look!"
As human months went by, Grace seemed to be growing more and more, from what Rocky called, touchy. If it wasn't bad before then it was definitely bad now. The head pats and cuddling had evolved to Grace sitting on his carapace and going wherever the wind—or well wherever Rocky took him.
Grace wasn't heavy anyway, he was lightweight to Rocky, the problem was that this act wasn't seen between normal friends and had quite the effect on Eridians working for Grace.
Gossipy shits.
Rocky also had little time to go back to his and Adrian's nest. Grace's biodome was basically his new home now as he had his own little nest near Grace's bed.
And it would be ready for Rocky to test today.
The hiss of the depressurizing room and the mechanical opening of the door alarmed the Eridians near as Rocky entered the laboratory. He was greeted by many 'Hello Saviour Rocky!' with awe-struck scientists and biologists as he passed by. Rocky held his carapace high, can't a guy be prideful? He did save their stars after all. Rocky strutted over to Adrian who seemed to busy himself with some kind of flora.
"Adrian?" Rocky let out soft notes as he rubbed his carapace on his mate's back.
Adrian weakly replied to the affection. Rocky could tell that the idea of his had made him incredibly tired. Months and months of preparation and staying up all night, knowing that he would come back to an empty nest, had made him exhausted mentally and physically. Rocky's hearts throbbed in guilt as Adrian led him to one of the other chambers. The mechanical doors opened once more for the both of them.
The engineers working nearby gave high notes of welcome to both Adrian and Rocky and left to give them privacy.
As the doors shut by themselves, Rocky took it all in. It was a replica of a human room, one that Rocky had spent weeks searching and adjusting to his liking. Rocky had asked for it to be dull yet with a hint of color so he wouldn't be as overwhelmed as if he were in a rainbow room. Well, it was actually Adrian's suggestion, something about color exposure, but Rocky had a part in it.
When Adrian had asked which color he preferred the most for his room, Rocky had said the color that sounded most beautiful to him.
Sacramento.
It was a deep, deep beautiful green. It was almost identical to Earth's flora, and it came from a moment where Grace had explicitly explained how the cedar color that Rocky carried reminded him of the dirt and soil on his home.
Rocky had kept in his human room a tiny collection of xenonite trinkets, ones he had made with Grace of various Earth animals, his favorite? Spiders, obvious-fucking-ly. They all stood on wall holders in front of his work desk, where all Earth and Erid craftsmanship objects lay.
Rocky's bed didn't really resemble Grace's, it wasn't exactly a nest either, more like a mix of both worlds. On the cushions lay piles of clothing, a protection to keep him warm and also to prevent making Grace uncomfortable. They'd had a talk about it once, it was apparently for privacy...blah blah blah. Human standards or whatsoever. It's not like Eridians didn't wear clothing, so Rocky understood.
Near the exit connecting Rocky's room with Grace's biodome was human machinery, a mini fridge, diverse types of medicine in case of emergencies and support equipment like a cane and a wheelchair. Adrian had specified that it could take up to a month for Rocky to develop his motor skills, that being said if Rocky were to use his avatar every day.
And the most captivating part of all to Rocky were the two separate tubes, separating his desk and his bed. One was much smaller and darker in lighting than the taller and transparent one.
Adrian clicked one of the light switches on the wall, and the transparent tube showed a quick flash of light.
It was Rocky's avatar.
Rocky's human form was more sunbathed than Grace's. His skin color was a cool bronze littered with tattoos replicating the ones on his carapace. They were dark and circled around his stocky arms and hands, a few of them colored blue, much darker than he'd preferred, to keep a part of his mate with him.
Rocky's hair was dark grey with lighter strands of streaks. He had slight wrinkles, a human feature people got when they grew older. If Rocky translated his age into human age, he would be around his late forties. Rocky vibrated in contentment.
"The initial transforming process should take about twelve Earth hours. The team and I have double, if not triple, checked your human's vitals and they have once synchronized perfectly with yours, so strokes and death are off the list."
Rocky stopped tapping on the tube to get a better look and stilled. Strokes and what now?
"To prevent starvation and dehydration that could lead to death, the team will send loads of..." Adrian shook his carapace in disgust. "food...to Grace's nest."
"But the surprise will be revealed—"
"I've made it clear to the others not to reveal this surprise of yours. We will simply say that we've overmade and mismeasured the quantity necessary for Grace's daily meals." Adrian interrupted him.
Adrian continued in a softer tone. "Grace will surely understand and is not wasteful, so he will take the batch with ease."
Rocky was so, so, so lucky he had Adrian.
Adrian shifted through the multiple metal carving plates where all information resided.
"I deem you haven't forgotten the steps, question?"
"I haven't." Rocky had remembered it as clear as day, he would be sent into some kind of coma as he entered one of the darker tubes.
As soon as the transformation would begin, ammonium would be discarded through the vents and be replaced with dioxygen, meaning that Adrian would forcefully have to leave the room. That would take an estimated hour.
Rocky would enter a phase of nothingness, while his consciousness would slowly morph into his avatar's body. The process was said to take precisely four human hours.
The remaining hours were where Adrian would come in with his xenonite-tight suit to clean and keep watch on Rocky's now human body.
And within the last hour, boom, Rocky wakes up.
Adrian hummed. "Very well. All database and important cell information have been transferred to Armando, in case of any emergencies the right amount of medicine will be prescribed to you with caution."
"How will I feel when I wake up, question."
"Symptoms upon waking up may include...overstimulation due to loudness, labored breathing leading to panic attacks, distress and disorientation, a heavy-like feeling due to gravity change, nausea and immediate shock...leading to potential heart attacks and so death. But the chances are very low, so do not worry."
Oooooh boy.
"Are you ready, Rocky?"
Rocky hesitated as the door of the much shorter tube opened, fresh ammonium hitting his face. Adrian could sense his mate's uncertainty and lowered his carapace to Rocky who leaned into the touch. "Adrian will keep watch. Always."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you. Words of great appreciation." Rocky rubbed his carapace on Adrian's once more before leaning away.
It is go time.
Rocky stepped into the tube and sat in the most comfortable way he could, the door shut in on itself and Adrian watched as his mate's form stilled as if he were sleeping. Rocky's vision darkened as alarms rang in his mind. Depressurization progress, all members must leave now. Depressurization progress, all members must leave...
Rocky drifted into nothingness.
. . .
Rocky was insanely cold.
And disgustingly, remarkably slimy.
Rocky's body shivered and involuntarily scrunched in on itself. The gooeyness of his skin was insanely uncomfortable as it stretched between his limbs. He didn't try to open his eyes yet, yet he still saw some kind of blackish dark grey. Do human bodies still see color even when their eyelids are closed? Real inefficient.
Rocky shivered once more, he tried to move his arms yet they felt incredibly heavy, or maybe it was just him being frail and weak. The feeling came from everywhere, he could tell he was on the floor and on his side by the cold air passing by his left side.
A deep vibration settled and rumbled throughout his body beside him yet he couldn't make out what it was.
"Fluids...removed...movement...detected."
Rocky's teeth began to clack on their own until a hard-like arm curled around his shivering chest. The heat radiating off the rock-like pillar instantly stopped his chattering. Warmth warmth warmth. Rocky made an effort to lean the best he could and some miscoordinated type of note came out as he did so.
Rocky did not like that.
The warmth of it was like some radiator. The numbers multiplied by two and before Rocky knew it, he was lifted carefully by three separate arms as if he weighed nothing and settled into an emptiness of cushions. The thrum continued once more, Rocky focused on the noise yet it felt like it wasn't enough.
"Cognitive memory...later." Three claws traced his spine back and forth. Rocky could bizarrely feel some kind of déjà vu whenever he would sleep, he would either awake to Adrian tracing his carvings with a singular claw or by his lovely songs. He—
Adrian! God it was Adrian!
Rocky let out more aesthetically unappealing notes as he forced himself to at least open his eyes, but they felt so heavy on him all he could do was get his eyelashes to flutter.
Between his eyelashes he could see the faint blur and outline of his room. Shapes and sizes resembling the same as his Eridian vision...except with color. Rocky made an effort and fully opened his eyes. God, now he could understand why Grace was so keen on sight.
Although he was sure Adrian had requested for the lights to be dim so he could adjust at his own pace, it wasn't hard to notice just how colorful his room seemed to him.
A low vibrational hum behind him shook him out of it.
Adrian.
Rocky always used to point and ask which color certain things were when they were on Mary and even when they came onto Erid. Color exposure was necessary to humans, it helped identify the wrong and right things in nature, as bright things were bad and dark indicated good. Something about survival norms, Rocky knew it all but didn't think too much about it. Man did it hurt to even think.
"Rocky, question?"
Rocky pushed his mate's arms weakly, eager to sit up and look at his partner.
"Careful...hurt...bad."
Okay, so Rocky got half of that.
He expected this to happen anyways. Human brains were mushy and stupid, late night reads on his computer had made him realize just how idiotic humans are. If the Earth is flat then Grace is straight and they both knew that was a lie. He was grateful he'd met Grace and not some flat Earth thinker. Kudos for that.
Rocky opened his mouth to try and speak but was stopped by the feeling of a muscle brushing his teeth. Saliva pooled from the area and Rocky felt utterly disgusting. Poor Grace, is this what he lives with every day? Rocky shut his mouth to swallow and opened it back up, clacking his teeth together in a repeated motion.
Another vibration resonated deep through his body.
Rocky let out a hum less coordinated than his mate's in response. It felt groggy and heavy. Rocky reached a hand up to his throat, feeling the vibrations as he repeated the sound nonstop. Adrian laughed in soft notes.
"...Like...okay...question?"
Yeah okay, he still didn't understand. Looks like the 'pebble talk' was going to come in handy. Rocky felt embarrassed but it was only to communicate with Adrian and be understood. Unless.
Rocky rapidly turned his head around only to be met with a piercing blue. Adrian honked in response at the fast movement. "...Slow..."
He was...by human standards, very very very tall and large. Rocky's jaw opened as his pupils darted to every inch of Adrian's carapace.
He was incredibly beautiful to look at.
Rocky's vision wasn't exactly pitch perfect per se. He still had a slight double vision, he would need to wear glasses like Grace—speaking of, where were his glasses? That didn't matter for now, his partner was right in front of him and now he could totally understand Grace's first impression of Adrian when they had first met.
By Eridian beauty standards, Adrian had the looks and the sound of it all. He had a slight dégradé of turquoise to a lighter shade of blue, he was smooth like jade. Rocky's eyes dilated. Was the room getting brighter? Must've been the light system.
Rocky lifted his head, ignoring the ache in his neck as he eyed specks of brown gems on specific surfaces. The ones he had picked cautiously when they had become mates for eternity.
"Adrian." The words came out in such a wobbly way that even Rocky was confused as to what he had said. The r slipped on his tongue making it practically incomprehensible.
He can't even say his mate's name right, how is he ever going to be able to say basic sentences to Grace or anyone for that matter? Rocky huffed which came out more like a grunt.
Thank God that Adrian was always thinking ten steps ahead. As soon as the project of getting a human avatar had started, Adrian had specified that human language was going to be a big part of it. It wasn't exactly the language, Rocky understood 'English' very well. It was the pronunciation.
Eridians had a way to express themselves physically, whether it would be stomping to express frustration, lowering their body for sadness or jazz hands for happiness, it was very easy to tell tone and meaning through physical gestures. Humans were more complicated, they had thousands of gestures and facial expressions to do so.
Despite the differences that humans and Eridians carried, Adrian had told him that, just like people on Earth, some vocal cords would not function as they should, leading them to take 'speech' and behavioral classes, so instead they created what they call 'American Sign Language'.
And so Rocky and Adrian had spent the next time consuming months learning sign language together, mixing and adding Eridian sign language into it as well. It wasn't a permanent situation, more like a temporary fill-in until Rocky would get used to saying rougher sounds.
Rocky pointed to himself, then brought up his other hand and tapped his fists downward lazily. He formed a V near his brown eyes before turning to Adrian.
I can see you.
Adrian shifted, extending a claw and opening it before closing it again.
And?
Rocky opened his left hand in front of his face, pausing for a moment as if drawing strength from the gesture, then closed his fingers near his chin.
Is beautiful!
Adrian shifted Rocky deeper and safely into his arms and let out high-pitched sounds of appreciation. "Rocky can hear Adrian now, question?"
Urghhh my godddd, pebble talk.
Rocky nodded.
Adrian got up slowly and carried Rocky to his bed, setting him down near the edge. "Good, good, good. Rocky doing very good for one human hour only. Amazed."
The tips of Rocky's ears gained color. Was he being talked through it? Adrian could definitely see the blood rushing up to his face.
"Rocky wants to try standing up, question?" Adrian backed away from the mattress and gave him space.
Rocky held himself up with his elbows, looking downward. Adrian must've dressed him up as he was asleep since a pair of black boxers was on him. Something, something privacy.
Rocky gave himself a small push and rapidly gripped onto the sheets beneath him. He noticed how his right leg seemed a tiny bit skinnier than his left. Before Rocky could say anything Adrian beat him to it with...something in his hand.
"Is normal. Like Rocky Eridian body, vitals and ♫ ♩ ♫ did not correlate during making process. Adrian made changes and created high knee braces with engineers using small pieces of xenonite." Adrian carefully placed the object on his mate's lap.
Rocky raised his fingers to cup around the object, it was easily flexible around his hand. He raised his head as Adrian spoke once more.
"Will make better model later. Realized too late."
Adrian took back the knee brace and lifted Rocky's leg to attach the piece. Once finished, Rocky gave a small kick as a test, the xenonite pliated itself easily and hardly jabbed into his soft skin.
Rocky pointed to his chest then placed his middle finger and thumb on his chest and pulled them outward so they touched.
I like!
Now for the walking part. Rocky blew a raspberry. The faster he gets it done, the faster he can see Grace’s smile and feel his touch and—
Rocky stood up.
Adrian honked in surprise as Rocky wobbled onto his side and started falling.
It only took Adrian two steps to immediately let Rocky fall into his arms. "Rocky! Too fragile now, must wait another day—"
Rocky pushed himself off of Adrian with rather too much force to Adrian’s surprise and bumped into his desk, multiple items fell on the floor. He grunted and grabbed onto the desk as support as sharp pain settled on his lower back.
Adrian honked louder this time and held Rocky’s waist. "Slow!"
Rocky grabbed onto the wall, the desk, Adrian, anything to keep himself steady as he walked throughout the room. His legs felt like wet spaghetti on a slippery floor. God he could really use some more limbs to steady himself right now.
Moments after discovering what crawling was and running away from Adrian’s yelling later, Rocky was fully clothed, crossed his arms and sat on the bed. He flexed his brace and kicked his legs, his tool belt jingled with metal tools as he did so. His hair was neatly styled and glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. He could see clearly now.
He’s come to a conclusion.
Much to his efforts, Rocky was absolute dogshit at walking.
Yeah sure he could move his legs around but balance was a no for him. He would need those designed canes and wheelchairs as there was no way a human week or a month could get him back on his feet. Adrian told him numerous times to leave it for later, that Grace was capable of waiting, that Grace would rather—
Blah blah blah.
Maybe it was just Rocky’s pride getting to him. He was Saviour Rocky after all—who was he to take months for walking when he saved the stars? Or maybe it was him being usually totally always right and never particularly wrong. Either way, Rocky was going to fix it and get the job done.
"I want to see Grace." Rocky interrupted, annoyed.
The words were less warbled than when he had first spoken. Adrian’s very interesting rambling, which he should’ve listened to about how much time he needed to get back on his feet, stopped. Rocky had one clear goal in his mind.
Fix the problem, make Grace feel better.
That’s why he’d demanded for this human body after all.
Adrian stomped a foot down. "Is too dangerous. Grace house on cliff. Rocky can’t even walk so can’t climb. What happens when Rocky fall on ♩ ♩ ♫ ♫?"
Rocky stomped back his feet in response.
"Then, Grace will help."
The vents atop of Adrian fluttered open and shut. Rocky was his professional ragebaiter and that was official. "Rocky weigh more. Grace less. Grace can’t save Rocky. Rocky get hurt forever. Rocky avatar can’t be fixed."
Rocky let out an exasperated groan and rapidly pointed between him and Adrian making gestures too fast for Adrian’s understanding.
Rocky and Adrian go to Grace house together. Adrian stick around and help Rocky. Rocky will not die if Adrian is near. Rocky knows since Rocky deeply trusts Adrian.
Adrian held a claw up to signal wait as he only understood half of it.
Rocky continues. Grace has been sad sad sad, but Adrian fix with Rocky idea. He slows up to make something clear.
Adrian deserve recognition for idea and hugs from Grace too.
Adrian backed up, clicking in thinking. Yes him and Grace had been in…what he could classify as good terms. His resentment for Grace and their awful weird closeness was illogical really. They had spent years in space together and Eridians are very social creatures, whatever-the-fuck-they-had was bound to happen one way or another. Adrian is just thankful Grace brought his love back home safely but a part of him wished to spend more time with Rocky and for his work to be recognized instead of just being known by being Erid’s saviour’s mate.
But that was a big, big, big dream.
Rocky spoke once more. "Please, question?" The words were low and quiet on his tongue.
Adrian couldn't say no to that.
"Fine…"
Rocky could feel the edge of his lips morph upwards as his eyes crinkled. A…a smile! He was smiling! He knew he got the hang of it. Well, kinda, since it looked like a grimace.
Rocky spread his arms to hug Adrian as he stepped up. His arms were too small to fully close around Adrian but his mate got the sign of it and hummed. Rocky rubbed his head on Adrian’s xeonite suit and Adrian purred.
Next stop?
Graces house.
. . .
The cold and heavy wind hit Rocky right in the face as they both stepped out of Rocky’s room. Rocky shivered and shifted around, eyes wincing at the amount of light. It wasn’t exactly light light per se, Grace was a sucker for the fog so Rocky could hardly make out certain stuff.
Rocky was on top of Adrian’s carapace after many minutes of fumbling for a place to keep safe. Even though it wasn’t exactly his safest position, Rocky refused to be what Grace calls manhandled. Rocky inhaled deeply, the smell of the beach was well, certainly a smell.
He looked to his right and noticed the ocean. When Rocky had his xeonite suit he would always roll around on the water shore but never too deep. He would sink if he did and Eridians and water never got along. It was quite deadly for them actually. Though he wondered how that would feel on his skin.
He’ll do it later. Maybe with Grace and Adrian.
His heartbeat quickened to the thought of spending time with the both of them.
Adrian continued to walk, sand crunching underneath multiple claws. "Rocky, sitting position is not—"
Rocky draped himself all over Adrian and peeked his head down, which Adrian honked in worry and gently pushed his head back up. "Be still." He warned.
Rocky huffed yet complied. He was pretty sure the team had been their number one spectator at their back and forth bickering. How he missed these moments with Adrian so much.
Rocky deeply exhaled.
It felt like the longest two minutes of his life. The climbing was the hardest part to reach Grace’s house. But with Adrian’s multiple arms it only took a few mere seconds.
Sooo….they were now face to face in front of Graces house.
Adrian stood tall to make sure that Rocky could not be seen.
Rocky tapped his index nervously onto Adrian. An Eridian equivalent to clicking.
"Calm." Adrian softly hummed in singy-like notes. Adrian knew him like the back of his claw—no palm. Oops.
Rocky pointed at the door and placed both hands near his eyes with his index fingers and thumbs pinched together to represent closed eyelids. He flicked his fingers and thumbs apart so to mimic waking up and tilted his head.
Grace awake, question?
Adrian pointed at the door, copied his previous motions and made a thumbs-down.
Grace awake, statement.
Rocky’s heartbeat quickened with the confirmation. It seriously felt like everything was settling on him now. How will Grace react? God, it’s painfully obvious, he’ll cry and cry and cry and be like wow Rocky Adrian you’re like totally amazing and great and I didn’t know you guys sneakily used my cells to create a clone that’s actually really scary.
Ohhhh, boy.
Knock, knock, knock.
Ohhhh, fuck.
Adrian heard a multitude of objects falling and Grace’s heartbeat becoming more apparent with each step he took. He mumbled something underneath his breath.
Rocky fidgeted with his fingers. Now was now or probably never—
A Grace in all his glory opened the door. "If this is about another blood work, I'm really not up for it right—"
",now." Grace’s eyes widened.
Rocky was only able to take a few seconds to look at him before the door slammed shut and panicked yells could be heard from the other side.
Adrian raised a claw to knock once more on the door before Grace slowly opened it again, hand on the doorknob. "Adrian! I was like totally not expecting you."
He held the door wide open now, realization settling in. "Not like I was expecting anyone else—I mean you know I totally don’t mind seeing you, its—"
"I mean that its good to see your face. Its good to," Grace cleared his throat.
"see you yup" Grace mumbled and rubbed his neck awkwardly and shifted around.
Rocky clinched his eyes together as if to he looked at Grace better. He was blond and his hair was all shagged up. Glasses like his sat on the bridge of his nose and he wore his usual sleepwear, which were clothes on Mary. They were…quite unappealing in Rocky’s eyes now that he can see and you know…know color. It hadn’t looked like his usual type of aesthetic at all. "It brings a sense of comfort, you know? That they’re still here with me?" Grace said before.
He hadn’t realized how big the silence was.
"Hello, Grace." Adrian hummed, ignoring Graces previous rambling.
Grace crossed his arms, a soft smile stealing on his face. Grace was beautiful and that was a total understatement. Rocky wanted to feel every crevice on his face, to remember the pattern of his skin beneath his fingertips.
Rocky clicked rapidly on Adrian.
Hurry, hurry, hurry.
"I have a delivery." Adrian lowered himself and upwards opened his arms, claws urging for Rocky to come forward. Grace tilted his head confused at the motion. Adrian being so close to the doorstep made it difficult to see what he was urging at.
"If this is about the food, then I'm totally fine you know. I’ve got enough to last me practically for months." Grace chuckled.
"No. Grace will see." Adrian said unbothered.
Rocky eagerly slumped into Adrian’s arms, two arms gently holding his mates body as he was lowered. The sole of his boots touched the sandy doormat.
"Ta-da." Adrian kept his hold on Rocky’s waist to keep his balance.
Unfortunately, Rocky was an unpredictable twat.
Before grace had even the time to react, Rocky threw himself into Graces arms who happily parted apart. "Grace!"
The wind was kicked out of Grace's chest as he fell backwards, Rocky being dragged. Grace groaned at the heaviness on his chest. Adrian honked in worry and scrambled to enter the house.
"Grace! Grace! Grace." Rocky yelled out in excitement and fumbled back sitting up and stretching Graces cheek with his hands. Humans are so, so, so squishy. The impact left Grace heaving at Rocky's butt being flush against his chest. God was he heavy.
"Rocky! Personal space." Adrian stepped in between the two, lifting Rocky’s collar of his green jumpsuit between claws. It looked hilarious, as if scuffing a kitten.
"Apology, apology, apology." The excitement inside of Rocky’s voice did not leave.
Grace let out a grunt of pain and held his hands on his stomach.
Wait,
Rocky?