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“You ok?” Grace’s voice rumbles out beside you, his body warm beside you as you stir with an uncomfortable groan and shake your head. “What is it?” His hand cups the side of your head as his brows pinch with concern.
“My period.” A soft ah leaves his lips as his hand moves to rub your side. You pull away and get out of bed with a groan, stumbling towards the bathroom to deal with your issue.
“Grace! Grace! Grace! Blood! Blood on bed! Where is female human? Female human dying?” Robky’s voice echoes out, making your eyes roll softly. You hear Ryland moving to change the sheets.
“She’s not dying, Rocky, it’s natural.”
“Blood not natural! Blood bad! Blood means hurt!” You hear Ryland groan, his feet padding softly against the floor. You gently step out of the bathroom, sweatpants, and underwear tucked under your arm. Your legs are bare with a fresh pair of clean underwear hidden beneath Ryland’s oversized sweatshirt. “Female human ok!” Rocky jitters happily as you give a pained smile. Ryland envelopes you in a soft hug, making you hum unhappily.
“What do you need?” His lips meet your temple.
“Heat and to lie down.” You grumble, making his hands drift down to your hips, thumbs massaging the skin softly.
“Rocky heat human?” Both sets of your brows raise, and you pull yourself from Ryland’s embrace to look at the creature.
“What do you mean, buddy?”
“Rocky heat, human! Sit! Sit! Sit! Hurry! Humans slow!” You grumble softly, pull Ryland to sit against part of Rocky’s tunnel, settling your back against his chest. Rocky rolls into the space between your open legs, his rocky form settling against your abdomen, pressing as close as he can through the xenonite ball. Ryland hooks his chin on your shoulder as he watches the alien with an amused gaze.
“What are you doing, Rock?” You mumble, taking and squeezing one of Ryland’s hands as another wave of pain rushes through you. He kisses the skin revealed by the collar of your shirt, lips warm against your skin.
“Rocky heat.” The alien announces, and your eyes widen as his caraphase slowly heats up against you, easing the cramps that run through your body.
“What’s he doing?” Ryland questions, making you take your connected hands and press his knuckles against the xenonite. “Is it helping?”
“Immesley,” you sigh, body relaxing against Ryland’s. Rocky chirps happily, making you smile. Your fingers press into the flexible zenonite panel, letting one of Rocky’s claws grab your finger. “Thank you, Rocky.”
“Rocky happy humans happy.” You nod, letting your head curl against the warmth of Ryland’s neck. “Rocky still does not understand why a female human is in pain.”
“Not it.” You grumble softly, making Ryland grin.
“Female humans have reproductive cycles; they last a month.”
“Reproduction good! Should not cause pain!” Rocky chirps, his claw clutching your finger tighter.
“Well, for humans, the protective inner lining and egg– if they’re not fertilized– shed, and it takes about seven days of the thirty-ish.” Rocky purrs in understanding, gently squeezing your finger.
“Human organs contract?” You nod softly, gently petting Rocky’s other fingers.
“It’s called a uterus,” Rocky repeats the word, and Ryland reaches to add it to the vocabulary in the computer.
“Heat helping, statement.” You nod, smiling as Ryland pulls you tighter against him and kisses your temple.
“It’s helping a lot, buddy… thank you.”
“Grace help, too?”
“Grace is helping a lot.” You turn your head to kiss the blonde man softly, making him hum and clutch your hip.
“Gross!” Rocky chirps, making you pull away with a giggle. “Human mating rituals ugly.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” Ryland mumbles, making you laugh harder.
“Tell Rocky other half!”
“I can assure you that you do not want to hear the other half of it, Rock.” He mumbles, grinning as you continue to giggle.
⌬
After a long day of work in the lab, Ryland stands, stretching with a soft groan and lifting his glasses to rub his eyes before moving to the dormitory area and smiling at the sight of Rocky settled on top of you, his purring loud enough for Ryland to feel it across the room.
He moves to stand beside you, hand drifting to gently cup your cheek as our eyes flutter open. “How’re you feeling?”
“Amazing… I feel like I’ve been bathing in lava all day.” You murmur happily, making the man smile and bend down to kiss your forehead. “Hey, Rocky?” You gently fidget with his claw, waking the alien. “Can you get off for a sec so I can change, and Grace can get in bed?” And unhappy chitter leaves the alien, but he reluctantly moves off your form.
“Rocky likes cuddle.” You pat the ball softly with a grin, groaning as you stand. Ryland watches you closely, handing you another one of his sweatshirts. You hum happily as you take it, leaning forward to kiss the man.
“I love you.”
“Love you more.” He smiles. “Go get ready for bed, and I’ll meet you there.” You move to change and use the restroom before finding Ryland in bed, settling on top of him. His arms come around you, and his lips meet your forehead before Rocky happily skitters back on top of your back, heart flushing through your body.
“Thank you, Rocky.” Happy chirps fill the air before Rocky’s warm body settles into a deep sleep, and Ryland lets out a long sigh, the heat reaching him and making his hand lift to cradle your head.