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Grace shivered, wrapping his cardigan closer to himself. He and Rocky were close to Erid, and Grace had found that the set temperature Mary had at a usually lovely 72 degrees Fahrenheit was a bit cold for him, now that he could see and feel his hips and ribs and knees through tight-stretched skin. Grace’s stomach felt knotted up, but the ache of constant hunger from starvation had dimmed from stabbing to just a dull, back-of-the-brain reminder of his poor eating habits.
Did they still technically have enough taumoeba to keep him feeling full, even with its terrible nutritional value? Yes, but it tasted terrible, and as Grace always tried explaining to Rocky, the eating experience was very important to humans, sometimes even more important than eating less texturally-enjoyable or flavorful foods in favor of tastier, more feel-good foods that definitely did not make any of our stomachs feel very well-fed.
So, Grace found himself staring at the computer screens instead of actually doing anything productive, leaned back in the pilot’s seat against the 1.5 Gs his body had grown accustomed to in the past years. Some days were better than others on how well his brain did against the constant aches and pains of starvation, weakened joints, scurvy, shingles, poor blood pressure, and certainly more that Armando had yet to officially diagnose him with. God, dying slowly in space sucked.
The familiar skittering noise that clambered up the xenonite tunnels behind him helped put away any more unnecessary exstitential thoughts for awhile, though.
“Hey, Rock. We seem to only be about a week out from Erid now, so—” As Grace turned, he paused, staring.
“What is Grace problem, question?”
“Whatcha, uh… whatcha got there, pal?” Standing in his usual spot in the xenonite tunnel beside the pilot’s seat, Rocky seemed to be wearing.. a sweater. It had sleeves, and covered most of his carapace, except for the top and bottoms, and seemed to be made of a densely-woven fabric.
“Rocky wearing Eridian clothing.”
“Yeah, I see that. Why?”
Rocky’s carapace shifts slightly, his front claws clicking together.
“Rocky… need to get used to wearing clothing again, statement. Common on Erid.”
“Oh, alright then. Like your celebration outfit? This one seems a lot less jingly, though.” If Grace didn’t know him so well, he might’ve missed how Rocky’s limbs ever-so-slightly shrank in on himself, like he was shy or embarrassed.
“No. Normal clothes. Like Grace clothes.”
“Okay…” He says slowly. “But you haven’t done this before. So it has to be for some reason.”
Rocky’s claws click together again.
“Like Rocky said, clothes common on Erid, like common on Earth. Rocky alone for long long long time. Clothes restrict movement. Then Grace find me. Grace does not seem bothered, so…”
Grace stared at him. “Rocky. Buddy.”
“Yes, question?”
“Have you just been— naked, this whole time?”
“Yes, statement. Rocky wear no clothes, mean Rocky naked. Grace sleep enough? Dumb dumb dumb question.”
“No, I mean— yes, Rock, I got enough sleep, I know you haven’t been wearing clothes, but I thought that was normal for Eridians!”
“So? Miscommunication. Not problem, statement.”
“Rocky! I think there’s a big difference between “my alien friend doesn’t wear clothes because his culture doesn’t have any,” and “I’ve been living alone with a nudist alien for years!” You know that!”
“No, Rocky know nothing.”
He denies firmly.
“Also, new word. What mean?”
“What, nudist? It’s— a word for someone who prefers to be naked. Another word for naked is “nude,” hence “nudist.” And don’t change the subject, I can see you’re nervous.”
“Rocky not nervous, statement.”
He denies again, even as his limbs shrink towards his carapace again.
“Rock, we’ve been living together for years, I know when you’re lying.”
Rocky shrinks on himself again, this time less in denial and more like a pout, sinking closer to the ground.
“Grace upset, question?”
“Well— no, I… I’m not upset, its just… weird to find out I’ve been seeing you naked this whole time. How would you have felt if I had been wandering around butt-naked for years and all of a sudden started wearing my clothes?”
“Rocky feel fine. Can hear Grace’s body under clothes, anyway.”
“You’re looking under my clothes?!”
“Can’t help! Human squishy and loud. Can hear your heart, but thought I could not hear your skin, question? Grace dumb dumb dumb.”
Grace groans, letting his glasses hang from one ear as he scrubs his hands over his face. “Okay, just— can we not bring up I’ve been seeing you naked for our entire friendship when we make it to Erid? Or, like, ever again?”
“Rocky stay quiet,”
Rocky promises.
“Eridians would find it weird Rocky do that, too. Embarrass embarrass embarrass. Adrian like to tease.”
Grace snorts. “Adrian must be very patient, to put up with your nonsense.”
“Silly. Adrian like hearing my carapace. Rocky beautiful.”
“Yeah, well, bud, you can keep all that beauty between you and Adrian now, okay? I’m not gonna be the home wrecker of your marriage ‘cause I’ve been living with you while you were exclusively naked.”
“Adrian would not mind. Likely. But Rocky agree agree agree. Drop topic now, question?”
“Drop topic now forever, statement.”