Archive of Our Own

Grace felt like he was back on Earth. 

The air was crisp, a light tang of salt coating his tongue as he breathed in fresh air, cold against his bare body. Light goosebumps had begun to dot his skin as night descended, or, at least, the simulated version of night that the Eridians had created for him. His gaze drifted up, glasses perched neatly upon his nose, offering him a clear view of the stars that began to appear across the inky black. They weren’t perfect, by any means. It was near impossible for the Eridians to replicate the night sky on Earth, with the constant movement of the planet and ever shifting stars. 

Despite that, the view was gorgeous.

The Eridians had made the effort to replicate the constellations that flecked the night sky back home, a comfort he didn’t know he craved till now. He often found himself sitting here on the beach, watching as the dome darkened and the simulated stars came to life. Rocky would often join him, and Grace would take the time to explain whatever constellation greeted them that night. 

It wasn’t real, he knew that, but it was close enough that he felt at ease. The dark twilight exterior helped shield the faint xenonite glare he could see during the daytime, where panels criss-crossed and met, keeping his atmosphere inside his dome, and Erid’s atmosphere outside. 

Water sloshed close to his feet, waves creeping closer towards the shore. He sometimes couldn’t believe how much the Eridians had done for him. Imitating high tide for him was something he hadn’t even requested, yet they had done anyway. He really didn’t know what he had done to deserve it. 

Well.

He did. But he didn’t feel like it warranted how well they were treating him. He had voiced this to Rocky once, which had been a mistake, if the hour long berating he had received was any indication. 

Maybe he could try making something for the Eridians who worked on his dome. Something meaningful? He’d have to think about it. 

The air turned colder, wind whipping across his skin. He huddled into the warmth of his cardigan, the material soft to the touch despite being frayed from the long years spent travelling across the vast expanse of space. He was waiting for Rocky, who, despite being back on his home planet, insisted he watch Grace sleep. Grace had protested at first, arguing that Rocky should be with his mate, not stuck watching him sleep every night. His complaints had fallen on deaf ears. Or deaf carapace, he supposed. 

He would never tell Rocky he was actually relieved the Eridian insisted on staying with him each night. He’d gotten used to having his friend right there by his side, he wasn’t sure how he’d feel without him. How he’d feel not having Rocky to comfort him when a nightmare or bad memory struck.

He smiled to himself.

He was truly lucky to have Rocky.

Eventually, the chill caught up to him, so he gathered his belongings and rose to his feet, arms stretching wide above his head as he stood. With one final glance towards the glistening night sky, he made his way back towards the house, its xenonite windows reflecting the stars from its perch atop the hill. He admired the sight for a moment, eyes trailing the unique architecture and pointed appearance of the cozy structure. With sand crunching beneath his feet, he ambled towards the building, when an uncomfortable tingle raced down the back of his neck, halting him in his steps.

He whipped his head around, eyes frantically darting back and forth across the wide expanse of the dark, empty beach. 

It felt like someone was watching him.

He supposed it wouldn’t be surprising if there technically was someone watching him. There was an entire team of Eridians who managed his dome, all in different groups that handled different aspects of his home, down to the temperature, ocean, sky and other little things that simulated an Earth beach. Yet… This felt different. Maybe someone was doing maintenance inside his dome? 

He shook off the feeling. Perhaps he’d been outside for too long, the deep shadows stretching across the horizon playing tricks on his eyes. 

He continued the short journey towards his home, feet leading him up the steps carved into the cliffside and towards the front door. Upon entering, a rush of warmth filled his bones, breathing out a silent sigh of relief at the sensation. He had missed the simple satisfaction of entering a warm home after being out in the cold, something that his time aboard the Hail Mary had been unable to offer him.

Shedding his cardigan, he draped it atop one of the chairs in the lounge, already knowing Rocky would berate him for leaving it ‘hanging around.’ Making his way towards the bathroom, he went to place his towel on the built-in rack fixed to the wall, before pausing. 

He’d left the towel outside on the sand. 

Grace sighed inwardly, teeth nibbling absentmindedly on his lower lip. He wasn’t keen on going back outside now that he was wrapped in the warmth of his home, but he also didn’t want his towel to eventually get swallowed up by the ocean. With a dramatic sigh and dragging feet, he pulled himself back to the front door, swinging it open with more bravado than needed.

He halted, eyes squinting against the dark where his towel lay vacant, that sharp tingle from earlier returning its hold against his spine.

Something was standing above his towel.

No… someone.

They seemed to be observing the towel, claws tapping against the material with what he took as curiosity, pinching it between the appendage.

Was it Rocky? It’d make sense, the Eridian would certainly have something harsh to say about him leaving his stuff laying around. He always had some mean quip to insult his shoddy human memory.

He opened his mouth to defend himself before Rocky could say something snappy, when the figure then moved, stocky legs rising from beneath their carapace and lifting them to their full standing height.

They were tall. Too tall. 

That wasn’t Rocky. 

That strike of panic raced down his neck again, something sharp and primal tightening his limbs as they turned to look at him. They didn’t look like any Eridian he had met up until now. Even in the dark, he could see the sharp points of their carapace, cragged and misshapen unlike the smooth exterior of Rocky’s shell, the colour a variety of oranges and yellows, not dissimilar to the looming mountains adorning a mesa. 

Could they be a new Eridian working on his dome? Someone here to do a check up on the interior? Checking the xenonite walls to ensure they were holding strong?

Even as he tried rationalizing their appearance, ideas firing one after another, his brain had already supplied him with the answer. Grace was always informed prior to anyone entering the dome, especially if it was somebody new. (Unless it was Rocky or Adrien, they ambled in and out of the place as they pleased.) 

Even from this distance, Grace could feel them watching, observing, learning, claws tapping against the sand.

No, this was a stranger. An intruder.

A heavy leg moved forward, body shifting as they took a step towards him.

Grace hurriedly slammed the front door shut, the sharp noise startling him into action as his breath began to pick up, heart fluttering in a panicked rhythm inside his chest. He had never been afraid of the Eridians. Not once did he feel unsafe, or like they would hurt him. They treated him with a sort of reverence, a respect towards the one who helped save their planet, and one of their own. Were there Eridians who felt differently? Who didn’t want him here? Who wanted to hurt him?

He thought about how Earth would treat Rocky had he brought him back to his home. How nations would fight to have the only sentient alien in their own greedy hands, blind to said aliens own wants and needs, driven by their own insatiable curiosity. 

Maybe that’s what this was. An Eridian driven by their own need to know. Somehow, that didn’t make Grace feel any better. Curiosity was just as dangerous as plain old hatred.

Moving quickly through the home, he hurried towards his bedroom, feet scrabbling unsteadily against the wooden floor as he ducked around the corner and out of sight. He then felt a rush of stupidity. He couldn’t just hide. Even inside tucked behind walls, the Eridian would have a clear view of him no matter what. The panic settled like a cold stone in his stomach, the weight heavy and uncomfortable as dread crawled its way up his spine, leaving him frozen against the wall.

Tap, tap, tap.

His breath went still. 

A faint creaking then met his ears, deafeningly loud in the otherwise silent house. They had opened the front door. 

For an Eridian so large, they were remarkably quiet as they entered his home, large claws clicking almost indecipherably across the wooden floor as they moved. He could hear quiet clicks as they observed the room around them, tap, tap, claws tracing along his belongings to view them better. 

“Human Grace?” 

His back went ramrod straight, sweat beginning to gather uncomfortably on his skin. Stumbling, he backed himself further into his room, shadows wrapping around his ankles like chains keeping him tethered in the dark, fighting against the urge to run.

A dark shadow crossed the threshold of the bedroom entrance, looming ominously in the quiet space like it was waiting for permission to come inside, before the Eridian finally entered. 

If Eridians could smile, Grace thought they would be. Their entire body shifted upwards in barely contained excitement, three legs tapping against the floor in haphazard movements like they couldn’t stop themselves from trying to observe Grace as well as they could from where they were standing, carapace trilling up and down.

“Grace!”

Grace took another unsteady step back, muscles strung taut as his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. “Um. Hi.” He greeted intelligently, his own choked off voice barely registering through the discomfort. “Who… are you? Exactly?” 

His response seemed to greatly excite them, two arms making small jazz hands as they continued to clack rhythmically against the ground. They must’ve taken his response as an unspoken invitation to come closer, a huge orange body lumbering across the room to where he was cowered beside the bed.

“I am ♩♫♪♫♩! Very excited to meet human Grace, much interest in alien creature, have been wanting to meet for a long time!” 

They were far too close now, body towering at least a foot above Grace. From this view, he could see their xenonite suit shimmering against their body, the workmanship messier compared to the sleek ones Rocky and the rest of the team managing his dome wore. That feeling of dread grew. 

“How did you…” He took another step back as they approached closer, one of their thick arms shifting nearer to him than comfortable. “How did you get in here?” 

Every word he spoke seemed to further captivate them, their entire body now swaying back and forth like they couldn’t contain the onslaught of emotions crashing over their carapace, not dissimilar to an uncontrolled smile or laugh. 

“Human voice is so fascinating! I learn human speech to understand Grace.” Their arms had moved to press against the ground either side of him, carapace shifting mere inches from his face like they simply couldn’t get close enough. “I plan for many cycles on how to enter, security around dome very tight, very annoying. One section finally less guarded, allow me to enter without being seen!”

Grace wasn’t sure how to respond, so he just laughed awkwardly. “Oh. Wow. Okay.” 

Before he could think of something else to say, the Eridian raised a crooked claw, tracing it curiously across the expanse of his calf, the xenonite suit barely maintaining the heat that rolled off their body. Grace jolted back, the back of his legs hitting the bedside table behind him with a loud clutter. This caused the Eridian to perk up in surprise at his jerky movement, another claw reaching out to prod at his arm. 

“Human is so soft, and squishy! How are you protected without an outer shell?” They began to grow more confident in their movements, a third claw rising to wrap itself around his hip, feeling along the dense bone there. Their grip was too tight, clearly unaware of their own strength.

Grace was so overcome with sheer discomfort he found himself struggling to speak, his tongue a useless weight in his mouth as he floundered for words.

If he moved even slightly wrong, this Eridian could kill him in a heartbeat, by accident or not. “H-hey-” he finally protested, flattening himself as far as he could against the table behind him. “Can you let go of me?” 

They seemed to pause at that, claws stilling. Maybe he could get through to them? “Grace kept away from public. Hoarded by scientists. By Rocky. Not fair.” They resumed their invasive movements, now shifting up his forearm to pinch at the skin over his elbow. “Deserve to know, deserve to learn, deserve to hear.”

Okay, never mind, this Eridian was crazy. He was trapped alone with a psycho. Great. 

“I’m sure we could… Organize something?” He began to argue feebly, eyes now tracing past the Eridian and towards the open door he could see leading outside. 

A plan was beginning to form in his mind. He didn’t make it all this way just to accidentally be squashed beneath a curious Eridian. Rocky would kill him.

They ignored him in favour of continuing their curious trail across his body. “Like a visitor type thing, you know? Eridians come visit and… talk. To me. No need for breaking in.” He laughed awkwardly, which only made them trill in delight at the sound.

His eyes darted back towards the door, where he could see the ocean sloshing peacefully against the beach beyond. Eridians couldn’t swim. They were far too heavy to float above the water, so their bodies naturally sunk like, well… a rock. If he could make it to the ocean, he could throw himself into the water and swim away where this Eridian couldn’t catch him, and wait for Rocky or at least someone to arrive.

Not the most graceful or well thought out plan, but he was panicking, dammit, it was the best he could think of. 

The stranger seemed to ponder over Grace’s idea, a claw running in an absent circle over his shoulder, far too close to his neck for comfort. “Talk is not same as touch.” That claw inched its way over one of the veins popping out from his neck, tracing over it delicately, “humans so fragile, can hear everything inside. Without a carapace, how easily does a human's body crack open?”

Okay, yeah, he’d heard enough. 

With the elegance of a fumbling chicken, he pulled his head away from the claw about to apparently stab his neck, his free leg rising to stomp as hard as he could down on the one still holding his calf. Crud, that hurt! 

He must have caught the Eridian by surprise with his abrupt movement, their hold loosening ever so slightly, just enough for him to slip out from their obtrusive hold and run.

He wasn’t as fast as he was back on Earth. Not with the heavier gravity and his rapidly aging body. That didn’t stop him from pumping his legs as hard as he could push them however, feet scrabbling for purchase across the wooden surface of his home as he skidded out into the lounge, careening towards the open front door.

He heard a high pitched warble behind him, indecipherable over the blood pumping in his ears, a loud thud followed by something falling and crashing to the ground ringing out from behind him. 

He was being chased. Perfect. Just fine and dandy. 

Reaching the front door, Grace shot out of the house, nimble legs carrying him down the steps etched into the cliffside, making a beeline for the beach just beyond.

“Grace!” The Eridian warbled, notes disjointed as they raced to catch up to him. “Why is Grace running? Please, do not run!”

Their footsteps were deafeningly loud against the otherwise silent beach, heavy footfalls thudding like thunder across the sand as they raced to catch him. Grace was beginning to regret not running more back home, he sure would have benefited from it now. How could he not have predicted he’d be running away from a seven foot tall rock? Silly old me.

He reached the final step, one short burst across the sand would lead him to the safety of the water. His foot then got caught, tugging harshly against the final step, sending him careening to the ground faster than his brain could catch up with. His hands scraped painfully against the sandy ground as he fell, small grains no doubt imbedding themselves into the soft skin on his palms. 

A shadow fell over him then, two huge orange arms landing either side of his head with a sharp clack of rock against sand. He squirmed, palms scrabbling painfully against the ground beneath him as he shuffled backwards, feet kicking desperately to free himself of the arms encasing themselves around his frame. The Eridian tried to keep him there, growing frantic in their movements and almost stomping on his leg with one of their heavy claws. They were warbling in notes too incoherent for him to understand, the occasional word of “Stop!” and, “be still!” Making it through the cacophony of sound.

Miraculously, he managed to free himself of the encased legs that had crowded him by wedging himself out of a gap between their arms, muscles bunching beneath him as he scrambled back to his feet. His hands stung.

He kept moving. The water was so close, glistening calmly against the night sky as waves lapped gently at the shore, a complete disposition to the scene happening just beyond its peaceful embrace. 

He leapt into the inky black, feet instantly encased by the calm water, his shoes drenched in mere seconds. It wrapped itself hungrily around his legs, ice cold against his skin as it lapped eagerly at his body, the waves beckoning them into their freezing yet safe embrace. Water continued to splash up around him as he waded deeper into the depths, now sloshing around his waist, almost deep enough for him to start properly swimming.

Yes! I’m gonna make it!

He felt the sharp tug at his leg first before the pain. The Eridian had finally caught up, following him into the shallow depths of the water, grabbing one his legs in their claws and pulling. 

He fell instantly, no match for the sheer strength of the Eridian behind him as his body tumbled uselessly into the water, devoured by its heavy pull. Water rushed towards his face, filling his mouth and nose with its salty grasp as he struggled to regain balance, the pain in his leg beginning to radiate outwards as he struggled feebly against the weight keeping him pinned.

He could feel himself being tugged, wet sand scraping uncomfortably against his cheek as he was dragged, the ocean continuing to rush around him as he struggled and fought against an impossible grip. He tried to scream, to shout for help, anything, but the water surrounding his frame drowned out any noise he made and washed it back into the emptiness beyond.. 

Oh god, am I going to drown?

Of all the ways Grace suspected he might meet his inevitable demise, drowning was not one of them. How ironic, he would die in the ocean created just for him.

Blessedly, his head breached the surface, mouth gaping open to breath in a large lungful of air, eyes blinking rapidly to clear his burning vision.

“Humans are strangely fast!” Grace realized with a detached horror that the Eridian was laughing, if the light chittering was anything to go by. They were enjoying this. 

Grace was aware that Eridians were, at their core, predators. Not dissimilar to humans, they were at the top of their food chain and hunted for their meals. It was wonderful to know Grace’s flight instincts proved to be enjoyable for the Eridian, just what he was looking for. 

Now free of the shallow waters, he was rolled onto his back atop the sand, waves continuing to lap at the side of his body with their freezing claws, climbing and receding like his rapidly imposing doom. 

He felt impossibly small, leg pulsing with pain and skin numbing over from the cold making itself at home around his body. The Eridian had encased him again, this time they were more tactful about it, legs bound tight like his own personally crafted cage. Not that he could have run anymore if he tried. If he tried swimming with the state his leg was in, he was sure he’d drown. Would that be a nicer sentence than whatever was about to happen to him? 

He didn’t have long to ponder over this thought as a heavy arm settled itself uncomfortably across his legs, causing him to shout out in pain at the sharp contact with his injured leg. 

“Grace is hurt? How? Barely even grab, barely even pull, fascinating!” 

“Get off-” He gasped, squirming despite having nowhere to go, “get off of me!” 

They seemed to tut at him, like a mother scolding their child. “You will run again, no? I just have so many questions, and things I wish to learn!” They bounced above him in excitement, uncaring to the terror sending his heart beating in a rapid trance in his chest. 

Their rocky body leaned down so they were hovering just above his chest, two more claws coming down to latch onto his biceps. “The human heart is incredibly quick, is it always that fast? Everything moving so quickly, so rapidly, so much to keep up with at once!” 

He tried to say something. He begged his mouth to open, to shout, to scream for help, to do literally anything, but he was completely frozen. It’s like his brain had decided it had had enough and packed its belongings to go elsewhere, leaving its fleshy corpse to lie vacantly in its wake. Like it didn’t want to be here to watch its body get flattened beneath the impossible weight above it.

The only thing Grace could helplessly think at that moment was that he wished Rocky was here.

  ⟡ ★ ⟡ ★ ⟡ ★ ⟡ 

Rocky wished he was with Grace.

Instead, he was stuck in a never ending thrum that seemed to be running itself in circles. He wasn’t even really sure why he was needed. A lot of the thrums he was made to attend seemed to go that way ever since he got home. Sure, he was the saviour of their entire planet and sure, he had incredibly valuable information and knowledge to share that nobody else had access to, but he also had his human to go watch sleep. He would argue that was significantly more important. 

When they had first arrived back on Erid, and Grace was strong enough to finally move about on his own, he had tried arguing with Rocky about watching him sleep, claiming he was ‘fine on his own.’ Of course, Grace’s rapid heartbeat and sweaty skin had told him otherwise. Grace should know by now it was impossible to lie to him.

He’d heard the word ‘codependent’ thrown around more often than not, but elected not to think about it. So what if the pair struggled to be apart for long periods of time? They had been literally attached at the hip for about five earth years and had gone through something only the pair of them could understand. Rocky needed Grace as much as Grace needed Rocky. 

Which was why this thrum needed to end so he could go see him. A low hum from beside him broke his attention away from his troubled thinking, Adrien, his mate, easily sensing his growing impatience. They were always the more reasonable between the pair, keeping Rocky level headed in moments like these. 

“Are we all in agreement?” The gathered Eridians all hummed, tones harmonizing as the thrum finally, finally came to a blessed end. 

Rocky was flying out of there in record time with barely even a farewell, ignoring the displeased squawks that followed after his departure. Was it rude? Maybe. Did he care? No. Being the saviour of the planet had some benefits, like being able to leave useless, boring, waste of time thrums in an improper manner. Nobody could truly stay mad at him for long.

Adrien trailed after him with a barely contained sigh, their vents puffing as they watched Rocky scramble down the long, intricately woven tunnels that connected their cities together. 

“I don’t know why you’re always so worried.” They began, catching up to the frenzied Eridian, their longer legs allowing them to keep up easily with his smaller frame. 

Rocky huffed in annoyance, taking a sharp turn left and almost ramming into Adrien in the process. “Is this another ‘you’re too codependent’ speech?” He didn’t slow down despite his mates' irritated trills, continuing to follow. 

“That’s not where I was going, no.” They fell into step beside him, “you know I care just as much about the human as you do. So I recognize that he doesn’t need you constantly staring and watching him.” 

Rocky stayed silent, continuing his frenzied trek with his mate following closely beside him. “Is being by his side constantly more for him, or more for you?”

He finally stopped, claws skidding loudly across the rocky surface of the tunnels as he whirled around to face Adrien, carapace shifted low in displeasure. “He needs someone to watch him sleep.”

“And you will. Grace will understand if you are a few ♩♫♫ late.” 

“I shouldn’t be a few minutes late. Thrum lasts too long, it's a waste of my time.” He tapped an irritated claw on the ground, body shifting back and forth in agitated waves, “why do I need to be present for the thickness of the sand in Grace’s dome? Grace already says it’s perfect, yet we spend many hours talking back and forth about it. Don’t tell me you weren’t also bored.” 

Adrien had the audacity to laugh lightly at him, reaching out to rub a claw lightly over his leg in a comforting gesture. “Yes, but I’m just better at hiding it. I think you offended Stephanie with your constant fidgeting and lack of response,” Adrian continued to rub light circles upon his rocky exterior, claws tracing over the gem embedded into him that signified their bond, “they take their job of perfecting Earth sand very seriously.” 

“Still a waste of my time.” 

Adrien sighed, releasing his leg. “You’ve got more meetings on your schedule, you know. I know you don’t pay any attention to the thrums you are summoned to.” At Rocky’s agitated stance they cut him off before he could begin to protest, “however, I will tell them you could not attend today, as you had more important matters to see to.”

Rocky didn’t know what he would do without Adrien. He voiced these thoughts aloud, to which the Eridian wobbled in their equivalent of a smile. “You likely would have cursed another higher up for something nonsensical.” 

“That was not nonsensical.” 

“You told them the dome needed to be a foot taller otherwise Grace would not feel comfortable.”

“This is reasonable.” 

“And yet you judge Stephanie for her obsession with earth sand.”

“Who’s side are you on?”

Adrien chittered in amusement again, fondness leaking through the harmonies in their song. It hadn’t been easy when Rocky had first returned home with Grace in tow, hanging on the precipice of life and death as starvation and malnutrition threatened to take him away from Rocky at any second. Adrien had struggled to understand their mate’s obsession over the fleshy creature at first, who did nothing but leak out of their absurd amount of holes and cling to Rocky like a newborn pebble. 

But, after the human had healed and slowly returned more to his usual self, Adrien had come to grow fond of the strange alien. The pair often spent hours together discussing scientific theories or sharing information about their respective worlds, intrigued to share information and learn from one another. After particularly long days of perusing the beach the Eridians had created for him, Adrien would sometimes carry the human home to save him the trouble of walking on unsteady legs, easily able to hold him with two arms due to their larger size. 

So, yes. Adrien could understand Rocky’s desperation, but only to an extent. They would never truly understand the unbreakable bond the pair had intricately woven together in space.

“Go and see Grace,” they ushered finally, Rocky already turning to leave with a relieved sigh of their vents, “but please don’t go rushing so rudely out of a thrum again, I can only apologize on your behalf so many times.”

Rocky hummed slowly, seeming to consider this before ultimately turning back towards the tunnel, already heaving himself away in large strides, “yes, of course, I’ll behave, goodbye my love!” 

He was gone before Adrien could respond.

It didn’t take long for Rocky to reach Grace’s dome, vents puffing out warm air as he skidded to a stop, relief washing over his carapace as he finally approached his friends home. 

However, as Rocky neared the entrance to Grace’s dome, he noticed that something felt off. He couldn’t quite place what it was. Had the environmental team included a new weather cycle into the dome? They had been discussing how to implement lighting and thunder into the rain weather cycles they fluctuated between, something that Grace spoke fondly of as enjoying back on Earth. 

But no, it was quiet. Hurrying his footsteps, Rocky entered the airlock, shimmying with the flexible xenonite suit until it was encased snugly over his body, the gravity around him lowering. The atmosphere around him shifted to what Grace needed to live comfortably, oxygen flooding the space and the cold breeze of his preferred temperature washing over his suit. 

Finally, after what felt like forever, he stepped out into the dome. 

With nothing blocking his senses and the wide, open expanse of the beach now open before him, Rocky knew what was wrong immediately. He felt something in his brain shut off, ordering one strict directive like a robot with an order. 

In a flash of brown, he went flying across the beach, kicking up sand and leaving heavy indents in the ground as he ran, five limbs carrying him across the wide stretch of the dome in mere moments. He could hear it clearly now. Hear them. Could feel the vibrations of an unfamiliar body stomping like a pebble in the sand, the pulsing of blood through veins, a heart skittering like a caged rabbit desperate for an escape.

Someone was hurting his human. His Grace. 

Grace had once described common descriptions humans often used to describe rage, after one of their many nights spent reading human fiction. It made no sense to him at first, because it, well… didn’t make sense. 

But in that moment, Rocky found he understood.

He heard red.

Throwing all caution to the wind, Rocky albeit flung himself at the intruder who had trapped Grace beneath their long, sharply pointed legs, a sharp trill escaping him that didn’t even sound like his own voice. The stranger, who had been too entranced by the human beneath him to be aware of their surroundings, was thrown off of Grace with such force, their carapace cracked loudly as it slammed into their xenonite shell, sending them rolling across the sand in a heavy heap. 

Arching his body, Rocky raised his back leg in a menacing stance, positioning himself directly above Grace who was lying still, too still beneath him. His entire being shook, fury so all encompassing he was struggling to keep himself level headed against the being before him.

The other Eridian stumbled dazedly in the sand, a claw holding their cracked carapace as they rose unsteadily to their feet. They were more than double Rocky’s size, easily towering over his smaller than average build, similar to Adrien's height. That didn’t deter Rocky. Didn’t even make him flinch. He didn’t care how big or small his opponent was, he would not let anybody touch Grace. 

“Saviour.. Rocky.” They warbled unsteadily, eventually finding their footing. “What a surprise. An honour!”

Rocky could not believe what he was hearing. Were they trying to suck up to him? With pleasantries?

“Get away from here. Now.” 

They flinched back at his voice, no doubt shocked to hear such an inflection from the smaller Eridian. They slowly managed to regain their composure, rising to their full height on wobbly legs. “I just wanted to observe the human. Get to see it for myself. You all keep it contained and away from us all, how is this fair?” 

“Fair? Fair?” 

He took a heavy step towards them, steam beginning to rise out of his carapace with the sheer onslaught of emotions raging through his body. “You scare him, hurt him, almost kill him, and you want to argue about it being fair?”

The stranger lowered their carapace, position settled into a glare. Rocky was by no means a violent Eridian. In fact, before his journey to space, he always preferred to use his song rather than his claws to settle arguments. Yet, as the other Eridian spread their legs, claws flexing, asking for a fight, Rocky found that any and all thoughts of peace were thrown violently out the window.

He lunged. 

Their bodies collided with a sharp snap! Of rock against rock, echoing across the landscape as they tussled violently in the sand, xenonite shells clashing. The larger Eridian tried using their large size to pin Rocky down with flailing legs but he was too quick for them. He skittered around their claws and used his own weight's momentum to leap up onto their body, hooking himself into the parts of their carapace that he knew were more sensitive and fragile. They warbled in pain as his claws dug into where their legs connected to their carapace, aiming another set of flared claws where he had cracked through the rocky shell and slamming into it with all his might, uncaring if their xenonite shell broke and left them exposed to the dangerous atmosphere outside. 

They threw their body around haphazardly, desperate to throw him off, before eventually managing to grab ahold of two of Rocky’s limbs, swinging their body in a circle to hurl him off and onto the ground. He skidded along the sand, trilling out a tone of irritation as he whirled around to leap back at them, only for a pair of arms to suddenly grab hold of him, pulling him to an abrupt stop. 

“Let go!” He screamed out in rage, the rest of his legs scrabbling to return to the fight. He needed to see them immobile, knocked out, dead.

“Rocky! Stop!” 

He grew frantic, words almost illegible beneath the overlapping notes slurring his speech. “They need to pay! Let me go!” 

A rush of bodies went by him then, dozens of Eridians flooding the beach in a cacophony of noise. “Rocky!” It’s like the voice calling his name was under the water coating the beach, trying and failing to gain his attention. “It’s over! The security team has it handled!” They loosened their grip slightly on his arms as he strained to move, “Grace needs you.” 

Grace.

The fight suddenly drowned from his body in a rush of fear for his friend, the Eridian holding onto his arms finally releasing him. No longer giving the intruder his attention, Rocky shifted his focus back to his human.

He wasn’t where he had left him. 

With a few frantic clicks to the ground, it didn’t take long to locate him. He had pulled himself a little further up the beach, behind a rock not far from where the tussle had happened. A few Eridians hung around his body, trying to communicate so they could help, but Grace was flinching back, his heart beating so fast Rocky feared it would burst from his chest. 

He approached quickly, skidding around the rock, sending the small group skittering to get out of his way.

“Leave.” He demanded coldly, addressing the group. 

“Rocky, he is hurt. We must treat him as soon as possible-”

“I said leave!” 

They glanced at each other, hesitant, but finally listened, knowing they couldn’t say or do anything to change Rocky’s mind. They receded from the pair, giving Grace the space he so clearly needed.

Rocky approached carefully despite how badly he wanted to just grab Grace and hold him against his carapace. There had been a few times in the past Grace had been in a similar state to this, and sudden movements only made things worse. 

“Grace?” he began, keeping his voice quiet and soft, “It’s Rocky.” He settled himself just by his legs, hovering hesitantly.

With a few quick taps, Rocky was quick to see the wrongness in his leg, the shivering of his skin and the droplets of water that were clinging to his freezing frame. His entire body was strung taut, blood rushing and heart beating faster than he’d ever heard it. He couldn’t help but think his human would snap at any moment.

“...Rock?” 

A wash of pure relief flooded over his carapace at the shaky exhale of his humans voice, body lowering as he came towards Grace. “Grace!” His xenonite suit brushed against his legs, “It’s okay, Grace. I am here. You are safe.” 

Slowly, carefully, he lifted a claw towards Grace’s face, dabbing away the tears that had begun to gather in his eyes. “I won’t let anyone hurt you again.” 

Like a puppet with its strings cut loose, Grace jerkily curled himself inwards towards Rocky’s body, arms wrapping tightly around his frame as a terrified sob tore its way out of his throat. 

Rocky instantly returned the embrace, arms wrapping themselves securely around his frame whilst a clawed hand rested itself in Grace’s wet hair, rubbing soft circles into his scalp. He trilled softly, not dissimilar to a purr, warm vibrations that he knew Grace liked. 

He could faintly hear the other Eridians just beyond the rock they were sheltered behind finally escorting the intruder away from the dome, the large group exiting in a timely fashion. A few had lingered, their want to help palpable by the soft clicking of their carapace, but eventually they too left the dome. Rocky wouldn’t let anyone get near Grace.

He wasn’t sure how long the pair stayed there in the sand, bodies huddled as close as they could get. Grace’s legs had curled around Rocky’s, face tucked away in his carapace like he could meld himself against the xenonite barrier and hide himself from the world beyond.

Despite the heat Rocky’s body let off, Grace was shivering violently, no doubt from the freezing droplets of water still racing in rivulets over his skin and his water logged clothes clinging tightly to him. 

“Grace,” Rocky trilled softly, stilling the comforting rubbing on his claws, “we must get you inside.”

He was silent, body still tucked inwards. Grace had explained the fight, flight and freeze response to him once before during their trip to Erid, something Rocky had struggled to wrap his head around and claimed was a ‘dumb human response to a threat.’ When Rocky had asked what category Grace fell under, he sheepishly said flight, brows pinching as pained silence had overcome him. Yet, lying here in Rocky’s embrace, Grace seemed frozen.

For a moment, Rocky was worried he wouldn’t respond, and he would have to prod him into moving, until he felt a faint nod brush against his carapace. Relieved, he loosened his hold on the shivering human, instead cupping his cold cheeks between warm claws as he lifted his head. 

He rubbed smooth circles into his cheeks, “let’s go home.” 

  ⟡ ★ ⟡ ★ ⟡ ★ ⟡ 

Upon entering, Rocky had scrambled towards the bathroom in a flurry of limbs, leaving Grace standing in the lounge with water dripping from his frame and coating the rug beneath him in a cold puddle. He was shivering, he knew, but he felt more numb than anything. His heart was finally beginning to ease back to a normal pace, the reality of the situation slowly creeping upon him. He had almost died. Again, his mind unhelpfully supplied. What’s another near death experience to add to the list?

Rocky soon returned, head tilting as a claw reached out for Grace to take. Silently, he placed his cold palm into the warmth of his xenonite covered hands, allowing the Eridian to lead him towards the bathroom with slow, steady steps.

Warmth seeped through the open door of the bathroom, a steady rise of steam billowing from the bath that had warm water now sloshing gently inside. Grace felt something flicker in his chest - fondness, perhaps. Eridians didn’t bathe- it wasn’t something they needed to do, yet Rocky instantly knew it was what would help Grace the most right now. 

He moved to take off his shirt, eager to free himself of the cold clinging greedily to his frame, but the material was soaked through, binding itself to his skin with an unyielding grasp. Sensing his struggle, Rocky reached up with careful arms, claws grasping the corners of his shirt. He nudged gently at his arms until he raised them above his head, allowing Rocky to easily slide the shirt off and dispose of it to the side.

Helping him with his pants, he then allowed Rocky to guide him towards the bath, careful of his rapidly bruising leg as he stepped one foot inside the water. The effect was immediate, warmth flooding his skin in sharp but satisfying pinpricks, halting for a moment to adjust to the heat before following with his other leg.

Gingerly, he lowered himself into the tub, hissing out a sigh as he settled against the back of the bath. It felt wonderful. The tension leaked out of his body, muscles unravelling against the relaxing motion of the water against his skin, massaging him gently.

Rocky then came up to stand beside him, claws clicking as he looked over his body, no doubt searching for any wounds he may have missed. 

“I’m okay, Rock.” Grace sighed, head tilting languidly to look at his friend. He was finally able to think and speak clearly now that the adrenaline had left his body, instead leaving him exhausted in its wake.

Rocky shook his head, clicks growing irritated. “Nothing about this is okay.” Before Grace could respond, Rocky reached up with a claw, hovering it close to Grace’s face, a silent invitation. Grace nodded minutely, the claws then resting atop his head, beginning to move in slow, gentle circles. 

Early on during their trip to Erid, Grace had revealed that humans loved to have their heads pet (which Rocky had then promptly compared him to a dog or cat). Almost as soon as he had gotten ahold of the flexible xenonite suit, Rocky loved to run his claws through Grace’s hair and watch him unravel against his gentle touch, something he didn’t know he needed until Rocky had given it to him.

He dug lightly into the sensitive skin of his scalp, claws running through the strands of his wet hair, tugging them lightly before scratching at the skin. Grace always said he would make a great masseuse. 

Two more claws then reached out, carefully taking Grace’s hands in his own which had been clasped tightly together, gently prying them apart. There were still grains of sand embedded into the soft skin on his palms, small rivulets of blood dotting his hands. Rocky tutted, a low hum crooning out of his carapace. With slow, careful movements, he dug out the grains still clinging greedily to Grace, humming low apologies as Grace flinched in pained discomfort.

It was otherwise comfortably silent aside from the light lapping of water and occasional clicks from Rocky. He then finally spoke, claws continuing their gentle carding through his hair whilst the others lowered his palms back into the warmth of the bath. “I am sorry.” 

Huh?

Grace shifted to face him, brows furrowed. “Sorry? For what?” 

“I should have been here.” His carapace shuffled low to the ground, an admission of guilt. “I let you get hurt. This shouldn’t have happened. I shouldn’t have allowed this to happen.”

Grace felt something painful dig into his chest, heavier than the pain in his leg. “Rocky…” He began, reaching a hand to hold onto one of the arms massaging his scalp. “None of this was your fault. There’s no way you could have predicted I’d have a… crazy fan.” 

“Should have known. Should have predicted.” 

Grace shook his head, adamant to prove him wrong. “You have always been there for me. Through everything. The fact that you are here now is all that matters to me.” He tightened his grip on his arm, desperate for Rocky to understand. “None of what happened today is your fault, nor anyone's. Well. Except for the Eridian who attacked me, but I digress.” 

Rocky shifted minutely back and forth where he stood, contemplating Grace’s words like he was struggling to truly believe them. “I will make sure it does not happen again.” He nodded to himself, “will double- no, triple security around the dome. Nobody gets in.” 

“Well, triple is probably a bit much.”

“Quadruple.” 

“How about just adding a few extra security measures? I don’t want to take away any more time from the Eridians taking care of me.”

Rocky tutted at him with a light flap of his vents, “how many times must I tell you? Eridians like looking after Grace. It is a great honour for many of them.” If Rocky could roll his eyes, he’s sure he would be right now. “Stupid Grace.” 

Grace huffed out a disbelieving breath, shooting him an incredulous look. “I’m not stupid. I’m thoughtful. Two very different things.” 

“Grace is still traumatized, brain is not functioning properly.” 

“Wow, okay. It hasn’t even been ten minutes.” 

Rocky trilled in faint laughter at him, claws still rubbing soothingly into his skull. 

“Grace is… Feeling better?” 

He nodded, smiling softly down at Rocky. “Yeah. Thanks, pal.” He then bit his lip in thought for a moment. “What will happen to them? The Eridian who broke in?” 

At the mention of the intruder, Rocky stomped a leg against the ground in annoyance. “Will be punished.” 

Grace thought to himself before asking, “like jail?” 

“What is word, question?” 

“Jail. It’s where you send people who have broken the law. Those who have done bad things, I suppose.” 

“Hmm…” Rocky mulled the question over in his head, claws tracing an absentminded circle above his scalp. “Execution.” 

Grace sat up in alarm, water sloshing over the edge of the bath and sending it careening onto Rocky, who chirped in alarm. “Execution?!” He gawked, “that’s a bit far!” 

Rocky seemed indifferent to his horror, “Rocky wants them executed.” He then did the Eridian equivalent of a pout whilst shaking the water off himself. “But they will not allow such a thing. Very unfortunate.”

Grace sighed loudly out in relief, body sagging back against the bath. “Christmas Eve, you scared me. That’s a bit much, pal. I don’t want anyone killed. They were just… Curious.” Even as he said it, he knew he didn’t believe they were just curious. Rocky knew to. He always knew when Grace was lying.

“Curiousity almost kill Grace.” He shook his carapace back and forth, “Rocky promised Grace would be safe here. Rocky will do better.” 

Before Grace could argue once more, Rocky released his claws from his hair, much to his dismay. “Must prepare Grace for bed, or else you’ll fall asleep in the bath. Again.” 

“Oh come on, it was one time.” He argued.

“Grace’s skin become wrinkly, gross, gross, gross.” 

“Pruning is normal!” 

“Disgust.” 

After carefully drying off his body, Grace slipped into fresh, warm clothing, the baggy material of his pajamas hanging comfortably off his frame. As soon as he had changed, Rocky had ushered him towards his bed, hovering around him like a worried hen. It was endearing. 

He sighed as he slipped beneath the covers, carefully adjusting his bruised leg. He was not looking forward to seeing what it would look like in the morning. He was grateful it was nothing more than a bruise, however.

“Grace is comfortable?” Rocky asked tentatively as he crawled up onto the bed with him, hovering above his legs. 

Grace nodded, smiling. “Yeah. Thanks, Rocky.” 

The moon was now high in the sky, spreading its artificial light across the ocean outside his window, the gentle sound of waves lulling Grace’s senses. Rocky inched forwards carefully, legs crawling up either side of Grace’s body until he was hovering just above his chest, the steady heat coming through his xenonite suit warming him to a comfortable temperature.

With two claws, Rocky settled them atop Grace’s stomach before slowly, carefully, beginning to knead them gently into the soft skin there. 

Rocky was always so gentle with him. He felt a tightness clog his throat as Rocky continued gently kneading the plush expanse of his stomach, a low vibrating sound emanating from within his carapace. Grace had once made an offhanded comment that he loved the sound of cats purring and that the low vibrations Rocky sometimes made whilst talking sounded shockingly similar. Neither of them commented on how he had begun to make those sounds more often from then on.

He somehow always knew how to make him feel better. 

Wetness gathered in his eyes, a soft sniffle snagging Rocky’s attention. “Grace?” His kneading quickly stopped, claws hovering uncertainly atop his frame, “your face is leaking! Is Grace okay? Did I hurt you?” 

Grace shook his head, before nodding it, before shaking it again. “No- yes, I’m fine.” He wiped a hand over his eyes, his smile wobbly as he settled his gaze upon Rocky. “I’m good. Really good.” 

If Eridians had eyebrows, he was sure Rocky would be raising his at Grace right about now. “Did Grace get brain damage?” He leaned forward, tapping a claw against Grace’s forehead with a few clicks, “did Grace hit head? Why are you laughing?” 

“I don’t have brain damage.” He grabbed the claw still poking his forehead with both hands, pulling it down so he could look at Rocky properly. “I’m just thinking about how lucky I am, you know?” 

Finally, Rocky lowered his claw, placing it back atop his stomach. “Grace is weird.” 

He laughed wetly, settling back into the warmth of his bed sheets as Rocky continued massaging him gently, the repetitive motion lulling his senses. 

“Rocky watch Grace sleep now.” 

Grace smiled, fondly brushing a hand over the top of his carapace. “Okay. Goodnight, pal.” 

“Goodnight Grace.”

His eyes then fluttered shut, surrounded by warmth and safety, the soft trilling of his friend and the steady pressure on his stomach dragging him into the comfortable depths of unconsciousness. 

“Rocky will keep Grace safe.”