Work Text:
“You really think that it determines the weather? Humans are crazy.”
“Rocky, we do not think a groundhog can change the weather.”
“Does not change humans being crazy.” Rocky replied.
Grace shook his head and turned his attention back to his movie, Rocky found Grace’s way of watching movies to be entertaining, and very weird. Halfway through the trip to Erid, Grace had a nervous breakdown, which had properly freaked out Rocky leading to Rocky forcing Grace into something familiar, a schedule.
The Hail Mary had been automatically tracking the amount of time it had been since it had left Earth. Rocky had, in an attempt to try to give Grace a sense of familiarity, been keeping track of when it would be back on Earth and he would force Grace to do what he would normally do.
This resulted in Rocky discovering humans loved movies that were set during the same time that they were living in. This was also how Rocky learned that humans think a rodent determines what their next few weeks could be like. Rocky’s mind couldn't help but wander.
“Your movie is boring.” Rocky says, it's mostly how he feels but he was still saying it to get a reaction from his companion.
“You get bored easily.”
“How could one focus on the groundhog movie when we are so close to home?”
Grace let out a sigh and paused his movie, “Are you thinking about Adrian again?”
Rocky was silent for a moment, Rocky had always been thinking about their mate. Thinking about them was the only thing that he could do while alone at Tau Ceti. All Rocky had been thinking about, for longer his alien friend had been alive, was Adrian.
“Yes, how can I not think of Adrian when we are so close to them?”
“We are twelve days away from arriving at Erid, you won’t have to wait long.”
“Ugh, I now understand the impatience that humans always have.” Rocky says as he begins to pace around his ammonia filled space. A space, in which he would get to bid adieu to when everyone on Erid would finally get their act together.
A few days ago when Grace and Rocky first managed to establish contact with Erid they were greeted by extremely terrified and excited by an alien ship cruising into their system. They had success fully causing every Eridian to worry of what aliens cruising into their home might entail before learning that a member of the crew sent out by the Eridians was on it.
Rocky being the only Eridian on the ship had caused many questions to arise. That conversation he had with those on Erid had been…rough. Explaining to those who had access to the comms that he watched his crew slowly pass, while some of the people monitoring the comms had been spouses and family to Rocky’s old crew, pained Rocky deeply.
Gaining communication had also yet to quell a deep fear instilled in Rocky, the fear that Adrian had moved on. The fear that all those years yearning for Adrian would be in vain and that they had moved on, whether it be Adrian not loving him anymore or them moving onto another Eridan. And his fears were made worse by them restricting who he and Grace would be able to interact with and Adrian, being a civilian, couldn't speak with Rocky to tell them how they felt about their partner leaving them for fifty years. He had no idea of what Adrian thought of him.
“Rocky, you’ll be alright no matter what happens, you know that right?” Rocky was silent for a moment, “Right?”
“Yes, Grace I know, just keep playing the groundhog movie.” Rocky sat down trying to stay still, it was annoying to have to wait for so long to get to see Adrian because of Erid trying to get the space elevator functioning after not using it for fifty years. Rocky had to allow himself to relax and slip into his and Grace’s old routine of watching his holiday movies. The movie Grace was so entranced with had a man stuck living the same day, it sounded like a typical human idea. A thought struck Rocky as he watched the movie finish through his texture camera.
“What did Phil give Rita at the end of the movie?” Grace, who had a huge smile plastered on his face, turned to his friend.
“I’ve mentioned what flowers are to you right?”
“Yes, but why did he give it to her?” Rocky asked.
“Well, some humans give flowers as gifts to their partner, especially when it is a special occasion, like 𐐚𐐰𐑊𐐲𐑌𐐻𐐴𐑌'𐐯𐑅 day or the couple’s anniversary.” Rocky was caught off guard from hearing an unfamiliar word, they were way less common after spending four years trapped together.
“What was word before day?”
“Oh,” Grace says a little surprised, “Guess I haven't talked about it before, 𐐚𐐰𐑊𐐲𐑌𐐻𐐴𐑌'𐐯𐑅 day is a day where couples typically give each other gifts and spend time with each other.”
“That sounds very sweet,” Rocky found most human holidays to be more on the odd side but this was one of the few that he liked the sound of, “When do you celebrate?”
“February 14th.”
Rocky tilted his carapace towards Grace, “You are saying the day we arrive is Valentine’s day?”
“I guess it is, I mean I never really kept track of it back home, but I…Rocky?” Grace was not expecting this friend to be bouncing off the walls as he confirmed Rocky’s question and was taken aback by him pacing excitedly around his space.
“Grace, I have an idea we need to start working on it now!” Rocky shouted as he scurried away to grab supplies.
一一一一一一一一一一一一一一一一一一一一
Adrian had not been this anxious since fifty years ago when Rocky left. Him finally coming home was a miracle, a miracle they had been waiting a long time for.
Adrian had been pacing all day waiting for this moment that everyone had told them to be patient for. They heard a noise from above, they knew what it was, the space elevator bringing down what they had missed.
They stood for a few moments when they saw him. It felt like a hallucination or a dream or something that was a lie. But it wasn't, it was Rocky.
“ADRIAN!” They heard the voice shout out, they couldn't believe it was real. It was the beautiful voice of Rocky calling them. They barreled towards Rocky.
Adrian tried to find words as they pressed their carapace into Rocky, but none came. They didn’t need words luckily, the only thing that they needed was Rocky. They heard the sweet sound of a laugh come from Rocky.
“I’m never leaving you again no matter what happens.”
“I’ll make sure you stay true to that promise if it's the last thing I ever do, Rocky.” Adrian said as they took Rocky’s hand squeezing it tight.
“Adrian, may I give you something?” Rocky says letting out a few more high pitched notes than they would like to admit.
“Oh what have you done now?”
“Humans, they, oh they have told you what humans are right?”
“Yes Rocky they have.”
“Humans have a tradition where they, well they, on a special day-”
“Oh, come on darling, say it.”
Rocky hurriedly grabbed something from his tool bet, he held out a beautifully crafted xenonite rose.
“Will you be my Valentine?”