Chapter Text
You didn’t see Ryland Grace when he got home.
Probably because you went to him.
Which means you woke up on your ship, a sentient rock hovering over you and chirping. You try to move, fear raking over your heart and body, but you can’t seem to get your body to move. There’s more chirping, this one more hurried. You close your eyes, the lights are harsh against everything.
Move, please.
You knew it was a long shot, but you’re on Erid, you’re on a foreign planet. At least you can relax knowing they won’t kill you.
Why did you go to Erid again?
More chirping, you close your eyes. Think. Move. Something.
“Alright Rock, what did you... want to...” A familiar voice says and you open your eyes.
Against the harsh lighting there’s a man with glasses and blonde hair and blue eyes and he looks like he’s surprised to see you.
Ah, right. Ryland Grace.
The man who insisted he was going to marry you and then got shot into space against his will. You wouldn’t want to come home either.
“Nice to see you, far-sighted.” You mutter, coughing a little at how parched your mouth feels. More chirping from beside you. Your body, at least, has remembered how to move. “Sorry to drop in like this...”
You gesture to the skin tight suit you’re in, with one, very feeble hand. He just stares at you. You’re not sure how he feels. It’s making you worried
“I can, uh... Well I can’t go back to Earth I don’t think but I can... I don’t know...” You feel yourself tripping around your words. Ryland Grace is right in front of you and you can’t tell if he’s upset you’re here.
”I didn’t want to wait to see you any longer,” You admit muttering the words a little. Your legs still won’t work enough to sit up, but Ryland doesn’t seem to care.
He’s still just staring at you.
“Ryland- for the love of all that is good in life would you please say something.” You try, feeling your entire body heat up in a panic. Had you done something wrong? Had you wound up in purgatory? Are you hallucinating in your coma? You sit up, finally, fidgeting with you hands. “I missed you and I didn’t- I couldn’t-”
He cuts you off by wrapping you in a hug. Laughing a little bit. You’re caught off guard, but only for a couple seconds. You wrap your arms around him. He’s shaking, you’re exhausted (the coma was just about the worst sleep you’ve ever had. 10/10 do not recommend) and you can barely pull him off of you to see his blue eyes well with tears.
“Ryland-”
“I missed you too,” He says. Voice filled with so much emotion you feel yourself starting to cry too. “I’m sorry I stopped responding. I’m sorry I kept missing coffee. I’m sorry I didn’t tell-”
You shake your head, brushing the tears away with the pads of your thumbs. He melts into the touch. “I- did Earth get... The Beatles they made it?”
“Well the band’s still broken up but your messages got through,” You smile before you realize something. “Oh I uh- hold on.”
You stand and shuffle past the rock... What was his name? Rocky? That’s what Grace had called him in the logs... and you’d seen every log you could get your hands on.
“Scuse’ me Rocky,” You mutter, smiling when a few more happy chirps fill the air. You can see why Grace likes it here. Grace seems a little shocked that you know his friends name.
You open a drawer and there’s a two pins of snickerdoodle cookies. You’d made them before the trip.
“I come baring cookies?” You say softly and Grace laughs. Sniffling as he stands and wraps you in another hug. You laugh too, if only because it’s Ryland and he’s here and you’d missed him.
“Oh I also...” You pull away again but this time Ryland clings to you like you’re a lifeline. Arm around your waist, the other tracing lines into the arm holding two enamel pins that had traveled a while in space.
“I’m not sure how you still feel about it it’s been... so many years but I...” You set the cookie pins down and open the boxes haphazardly. They’re simple bands, a teachers salary didn’t exactly afford fancy diamond rings but Grace still laughs again, brushing the tears away. Rocky chirps again, scuttling around excitedly.
You hear ‘Grace’ and ‘Mate’
You nod, laughing a little.
“Uh, I think I agree with what Rocky said?”
Grace laughs, hands gently cupped around both of yours with the little boxes and rings. “You can understand him?”
You swallow, trying to get around the lump in your throat. “I listened to the logs a bunch.”
Grace laughs and Rocky seems to laugh with him.
“It’s good, that’s good. I’ll... I’ll help you.” He says with a grin, eyes still watery. He looks like he’s going to lose you. He looks like he’s worried he’s dreaming.
“Ryland, I’m not going anywhere.” You say with a smile, putting the rings down. “I spent thirteen years single because I couldn’t get you out of my head and then I demanded they shoot me into space so I could see you again.”
Grace laughs, it’s a watery laugh. How long had he been alone?
“Okay,” He says. Rocky walks over to the two of you and you look at him. Grace is still attached to you like he’s scared he’s going to lose you. But you aren’t particularly annoyed about it.
Rocky chirps a couple of things at you and you look to Grace, more than a little lost.
“I didn’t catch any of that.” You admit.
Grace just smiles and laughs a little. “He says welcome to Erid.”
You smile. “Thanks.”
Rocky chirps a few more things. Grace sighs, you see the tips of his ears tint pink.
“He also says I’m in love with you.” He mutters.
You laugh, a whole hearted laugh. “Well, I can’t say I’m mad about it.”
Rocky chirps again and it seems to be a similar cadence to what he just said... But different.
“What...?”
Grace stares down at his friend before laughing. God, you missed that laugh.
“He says you’re in love with me, too.”
You blink, looking around you... Was it not obvious? Is Ryland Grace still oblivious? You dedicated a book to him and he thinks you don’t love him?
“I took a one way trip through space to live on an unfamiliar planet with you. I brought you cookies. I rewatched your logs more times than I care to admit. I brought you wedding rings and dedicated my book to you. I- did I mention I traveled through space for you?” You say bewildered and Grace grins.
Rocky chirps out a few more words and you hear Grace and Dumb.
“Okay that I understood,” You say and Rocky laughs.
Grace sighs. “I’ll send you back to Earth if you’re gonna take Rocky’s side.”
“No you won’t.” You cross your arms over your chest. “I just got here.”
Grace sighs, resting his forehead against yours like he did on those sleepless nights you had back when you’d been... Kinda sorta dating. He just breathes you in and god did you miss that too.
“Yeah. You’re right. As always.”