Chapter Text
"Come on, Grace," Rocky pleaded, gripping on tight to one of Grace's legs with two of his own.
"No," Grace whined, using his claws to grip into anything he could, grasping at the plush fabrics that made up his nest. "Noooooo."
"It's time for you to get up and moving," Adrian called from the other room, getting themselves ready to go back to work - it was imperative now that Grace was up and moving that his human body was still stable. They didn't trust anyone else to oversee it - it was their job alone. "I know you're just content with playing in the nest and with the xenonite, but you have to move around the house too."
"Noooooo!"
"Adrian. A little help please?" Rocky asked, attempting to drag Grace out of his nest and failing.
Grace was fighting against Rocky's every move, gripping tightly to the blankets and pillows that made up his nest, his bed, and the one place he didn't want to leave. It was cozy. It was warm. It had xenonite, his new favorite fidget toy. It had everything he needed when Rocky and Adrian joined him.
It was to Rocky's chagrin that he discovered that since Grace was an Eridian now that his body was much heavier than Rocky was used to, coming somewhere close to 700 Earthen pounds, slightly smaller and lighter than Rocky and much smaller and lighter than Adrian. He didn't like that he couldn't pick up his friend anymore whenever he wanted to, carry him around with ease. Now only Adrian could move Grace like a pebble.
"I pulled him out yesterday. It's your turn, my melody," Adrian reminded gently, watching the chaos that was Rocky fighting Grace to get out of the nest - a mix of limbs and curse words from Rocky as Grace tangled himself deeper into the fabrics that surrounded him.
"Oh come on, Grace!" Rocky shouted, believing his friend was acting more like a pebble than a fully grown adult. "You're an adult! You know better than this!"
"I'm only 40!" Grace snapped back. "Technically, I'd be a pebble!"
"Technically," Rocky argued, "you're a pain in my ass! Out of the nest, goddammit!"
A mix of angry squeaks and chirps emanated from the nest as Adrian watched. It was a losing battle on both ends somehow - they weren't entirely sure how, but neither Grace nor Rocky was winning, locked in a standstill until one of them caved.
"Grace," Adrian called gently, deciding to have mercy on Rocky. "If you get out, I'll get you some more xenonite to play with."
Immediately, Grace snatched the offer, letting go of the blankets, sending him and Rocky flying backwards onto the floor.
Grace, somehow living up to his name for once, managed to land on his legs, stabilizing himself on the floor as he fidgeted happily, tapping his claws and legs, at the idea of getting more xenonite.
Rocky, on the other hand, was not as fortunate, landing on his carapace in a pile of rubble. Grace tried to help him up, but Rocky chittered at him angrily and forced him to go over to Adrian while he got himself settled.
"So, I can have more when you get back?" Grace chirped happily to Adrian, letting Rocky sort himself out, his body vibrating with excitement.
Xenonite had been his latest interest, a complete and utter fascination with the odd material overtaking him and his science geared brain, so he gladly accepted Adrian's offer for more of the material, running out of it quickly from his use of it so often.
"Yes," Adrian responded, petting Grace's carapace gently. "I'll bring you back more when I get home."
Both they and Rocky had a soft spot for Grace, always wanting to be in contact with him. His carapace was unblemished, smooth and soft expect for a few small scrapes and dents from falls, like a pebble's carapace would be while it was extremely young. They couldn't help themselves from loving him.
"Ow," Rocky groaned softly, pushing himself up from the floor slowly. "Yeah, just give him a gift for being a little shit," he muttered to himself. "Good job, Adrian. Definitely not teaching him that fighting me will get him more xenonite."
"What was that?" They asked, continuing to run a claw over Grace's carapace gently as he trilled in excitement.
"Nothing," Rocky corrected himself quickly.
An angry Adrian was nothing to scoff at, especially considering their size - striking fear into even the most hardened of Eridians. Rocky knew they'd never hurt him or Grace, but he never liked seeing his mate upset either. It was best to talk with them about it later, when Grace slept and it was just them.
"That's what I thought," they tutted. "Well, he's out of the nest and I have to go to work today. I'll see you both when I get home. Rocky, please be patient with him. Grace, please, please be good for Rocky. Please."
"No promises," Grace chuckled.
He'd been a menace since figuring out how to move his body better and speak, especially to Rocky. It was all in good fun, never really getting the chance to mess around with his friend in the ways that he could now, but Rocky didn't always appreciate it.
This was the man, or Eridian now, that called someone a staggering waste of carbon and fought what he disagreed with at every available opportunity, no matter who or what it was. He was a hellion through and through and it gave Rocky a headache most days.
"Bye!" Adrian waved, giving both Grace and Rocky a gentle nuzzle before they left, leaving the two friends alone in the house.
Watching them leave, Grace slowly crept closer and closer back to his nest, hoping that he could settle down in it before Rocky noticed.
"Oh no you don't!" Rocky snapped at him, making Grace's whole steam system freeze in place. "We're practicing movement still. You can play with the xenonite later."
"Darn it," Grace sighed lightly, backing away from the nest, impatiently waiting until he could play with his xenonite again.
He enjoyed picking on Rocky, but he could tell that his friend was getting sick of it. He'd try his best to be a bit nicer and listen to what Rocky was asking him to do. It was only fun to pick on Rocky until it pissed Rocky off, then it was just mean.
"Fine," Grace sighed out, his notes whistling out. "What do we want to do?"
"Adrian wants me to work on movement with you still," Rocky explained. "Apparently, your fine movements still need help, so we're going to play a game to work on it."
"A game?"
~~~
"How the fuck did you get up there?"
"Language," Grace chittered gently, holding back a laugh. "I climbed."
"Well, no shit you climbed," Rocky snapped back. "I mean how did you fit up there?"
"I'm small."
Rocky shook his carapace in disbelief. Of course, Grace would find the smallest spot and curl himself into it, leaving Rocky to try and find him.
"We're playing tag, not hide-and-seek," Rocky admonished him, climbing up the walls to the small space that was slotted in a corner - a tiny hole that could be used for storage, or in this case, storage of one Grace sized Eridian.
"Yes yes yes," Grace agreed, chuckling as he talked, watching Rocky try to get to him. "Tag, but you never said I couldn't hide too."
"Fine. From here on out, no more hiding. I don't want to have to try and get you out if you get stuck in there."
"I'm not going to get stuck."
"That's what you said last time and then Mary had to try and dislodge you from between two walls."
"Hey! We agreed to never bring that up again!"
Rocky just rolled his metaphorical eyes and reached a claw out towards Grace, booping his carapace with a gentle tap.
"You're it now," Rocky stated, scrambling down from the wall as Grace was left to try and push himself from out of his space in the wall.
It was a tight fit to get in and now he was basically stuck trying to get himself out. This was not well thought out and he was regretting his decision - what else was new?
Making small movements, inching himself forward bit by bit, Grace eventually managed to dislodge himself from the hole in the wall, huffing as he popped out of the wall and fell onto the floor below him with a loud, resonating thud.
"Ow…" he groaned out, righting himself on his legs and getting his bearings.
"Took you long enough," Rocky chittered. "Thought I was going to have to get Adrian to pull you out. We'll definitely be patching that hole soon, we don't need you getting stuck."
"Yeah, I made a mistake getting in there," Grace agreed, willing to accept his own failure in decision making - a usual for him still apparently.
"Okay, well, now that you're out," Rocky began, taking off from Grace. "Come get me!"
Invigorated with a new sense of energy, Grace took off like a bullet, racing after Rocky, using the walls to his full advantage as he climbed on them, nearly falling a few times, but getting his footing as he went.
"Get back here!" He called after Rocky, popping himself off of the wall and skittering after his friend.
As they raced around the house, furniture and objects fell, knocked over by Grace and Rocky running into them, but not stopping to pick them up. Their only thoughts were on each other and the game they were playing.
"I'm gonna get you!" He yelled, reaching a claw out for Rocky who was attempting to dodge Grace, cornered with no other option.
Moving himself forward, Grace thought he was going to get Rocky, and he nearly did, until two of his legs managed to tangle themselves in each other, leading him to fall flat on his carapace, skidding to a stop with a screech from his rock body scraping against the floor.
"Oh Grace!" Rocky fretted, coming over to his friend. "That sounded bad. Are you okay?"
"Tag," Grace muttered, tapping Rocky's carapace beside him. "You're it."
Rocky just let out a sigh of relief and adoration. Grace was fine, still his usual self. He hadn't injured himself like he usually did in his human form.
"Why don't we just sit and relax for a bit?" Rocky offered.
"That sounds like a good idea."
~~~
Walking into the house, Adrian gently shut the door behind them. It was eerily quiet for the two balls of energy they had left behind today. It made them suspicious and worried.
"Rocky? Grace?" They called out gently, stepping deeper into the house. "Grace? I have your xenonite I promised."
They worry only grew as they eyed the mess aorund the house, furniture tipped over and decorations knocked off of the wall. It looked like a tornado had come through their house.
"So the crystals give everything power?" Rocky chirped a question.
"Yes!" Grace exclaimed, showing Rocky a xenonite crystal on a string he'd made himself as he walked aorund the room, his arms moving as he sang. "The crystals power the whole city in the movie!"
They were both so enthralled in their conversation that they hadn't noticed Adrian walk into the house, hadn't heard their calls - too wrapped up in their own world, just like they were when Rocky first came to Erid with Grace. Some things never changed.
"We'll have to watch it," Rocky said, clicking his claw together. "It sounds very interesting. What was the name again?"
"It's a Disney movie," Grace explained, settling down next to Rocky, still not noticing Adrian as they settled down as well. "It's called Atlantis: The Lost Empire. It was one of my favorites growing up. I can't believe I forgot to show it to you."
"It sounds very interesting," Adrian chimed in, startling Grace. Rocky didn't flinch - he must have known they were there, just like he always did. "Why don't we watch it tonight?" They offered.
"Really?" Grace vibrated with excitement, getting up and moving around the room.
It had become customary for them to watch some Earth media still, using the screens Rocky had designed. It gave Grace some comfort of Earth and Rocky and Adrian got to learn about Earth culture still. It was a win-win situation all around.
Moving quickly, Grace set everything up, chittering and singing happily like an excited pebble before settling himself between Rocky and Adrian, curled up under their arms as he enjoyed his movie.
It was nice to bring a comfort from his childhood with him to his new form. It made him feel like himself, utterly and completely, while his family held him close, enjoying part of his past with him.