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"Come to bed!"
"I'm on my way, sheesh!" Grace grumbled, padding softly into the bedroom. The Eridian was already waiting for him, impatiently tapping his feet against the mattress. Grace smirked as as idea formed and he began to walk in slow motion, dragging out his steps to an ungodly slow pace.
"Is Grace broken?"
"Nooooooooo."
"Then get in bed, now, statement!"
"Toooooo ssslllloooowwww."
"Rocky will withhold physical affection." Rocky purred. Grace threw a hand against his chest in mock horror.
"In that case, cannonball!" He shouted, jumping and landing next to Rocky. He sang a shrill note in surprise before the familiar chirps of laughter lit up the room. Grace's own joyous laughter combined into the ruckus as Rocky did a barrel roll purely out of happiness beside him.
He didn't waste much more time after he was laying down, pulling Rocky to his chest like a huge dog, as Rocky began tangling around him. One arm under his pillow, one arm around his waist, one cradling the side of his face with a reverence he still wasn't used to, even after four years on the Hail Mary and six months here. Rocky used to get angry when he jumped on the bed. He was so afraid Grace's bones would snap and that he would cry out in pain the same way he had when he twisted his ankle early on. Now Rocky took it as a sign of growing strength when Grace felt well enough to act out.
"Is Grace comfortable, question?" Rocky spoke up, tapping his cheek twice lightly with his fingers. Grace smiled, looking away from him.
"Very."
He wasn't sure when it happened. Somewhere between the time day Rocky broke free of his ball to drag Grace to Armando, and now. At some point his fascination turned to affection, which turned to friendship, which turned to admiration to the highest. Somewhere along that road, infatuation started. He didn't think that was possible. Maybe it was just limerence, surely. But now he knew better than to say that. Now the feeling was deeper than a strong, sudden, quickly fading crush.
It never faded. That had never happened before. It had been so easy for most humans. Even his brothers found love eventually. If they could do it, surely he could. That's what he kept telling himself anyway. It was safer to think that, less scary. When he was put on the Hail Mary, he was forced to face those demons. He was forced to cope with the fact that he felt… relieved. Wasn't that wrong? To feel so sad to never see earth again, but so happy to never have to make excuses again?
That was before Rocky. He'd had no idea he could feel anything like this. It wasn't like there were many species options on earth. There were hundreds of gender identities and a good handful of mixed sexes, but for him it had never… clicked. With Rocky it wasn't easy. It felt natural. It felt like nothing special at all. It felt like something that didn't need labels, and somehow that was so much less terrifying. The terror came more from the idea of telling him.
"Grace okay, question?"
"Yeah, sorry. Just thinking." He shook his head. Rocky tilted his carapace higher, clicking to see his face better. The lamplight bathed his surface in soft shadows, the warm bulb making him look especially cozy. He couldn't describe it really without human terms. The best way he could compare Rocky's color was the color of the wooden paneling on his grandmothers living room walls when he was six. She had warm lamps too, incandescents. That color had always brought a feeling of safety to his mind.
"What is Grace thinking about?" He asked, fiddling with Grace's shirt between his fingers.
"Mmm, that's a secret."
"Can Rocky know secret?"
"Maybe if you tell me a secret too." He chuckled. Rocky's body stilled, and he hummed after a moment.
"No."
"No? I didn't know you had any more secrets at this point!" He laughed. Rocky's body stilled trilled happily, an obvious internal smile.
"Rocky not tell Grace everything."
"You sure tell Grace most things! Especially when I'm wrong about something, you enjoy that!"
"Enjoy enjoy, fun past time!" Rocky joked along. He nuzzled his head closer to Grace's after a moment, pressing their foreheads together.
"Will watch Grace sleep. You need rest."
"Sleep with me tonight." Grace said quietly. Rocky shook out his carapace in surprise, reeling back to look Grace in the eyes as he giggled at the shock.
"Need to watch sleep! Is dangerous to sleep at same time!"
"Then be dangerous with me, just for one night." He grinned. He could practically see the cogs turning as Rocky measured his giddiness and the risks against each other.
"Grace is feeling well." Rocky said humorously.
"I am! And I wanna share it with you. Besides, you'll wake up way before me. You can watch me sleep when you wake up." He reminded him. Watching the alien try to reason his way out of the idea and failing as he clicked and chirped to watch Grace's face, it was like a drug.
If anything, maybe he'd pick queer as a label. And maybe he'd add polyamory to the mix if he really wanted to. What does falling for an alien make you if not queer? And as for polyamory, after Adrian explained it, it wouldn't leave his mind. Adrian had two other mates. Rocky assumed that may happen and expected it, and was okay with it. He spent night with all of them, surrounded by their warmth and love. The idea of being surrounded by a small group of people who loved him, wanted him safe, wanted him fed and happy, it made his heart soar. Especially picturing Rocky and Adrian as that small group.
"Mmm… fine. Rocky will go to sleep with Grace. Will you wake Rocky if body gets cold?"
"Of course bud. Always. But that won't happen."
"Could happen. Always could."
"Nah. You take your job as my heater way too seriously." Grace reminded him, turning to pull the chain on the lamp. The room became bathed in darkness, but the artificial moon through the window allowed him to see Rocky making his final adjustments in position just fine.
"Is true! Important job. Keep Grace happy." Rocky said proudly.
Grace's eyes fell shut too soon. He tried to stay awake for a bit, to watch the Eridian still in his arms. It always felt like a privilege, ever since the day Rocky almost died on the Hail Mary. It was so important to them to have a sleep watcher. It was the highest trust. To know he could do that, be that, it was intoxicating. He had to sleep at some point though, and he pulled him closer as sleep tugged at his consciousness.
"You do keep me happy. More than you know." Grace admitted in the darkness.
The morning welcomed Grace like a hug. The room was bathed in a gold light from the window, and the warmth from Rocky next to him wanted to pull him back under. The Eridian was perfectly still in his arms, save for the gentle rumblings of his vents. Was he just waking up too? That meant he'd gone to sleep twice, and trusted Grace enough to do that. Grace smiled and lifted a sleep-warm hand to feel over the xenonite separating them. Even through it, he was so pleasantly warm.
"Is beautiful." Grace hummed, voice rough with sleep. Rocky purred a questioning note, not bothering with words just yet as his vents puffed up for a long moment, then abruptly down. A yawn. As if he couldn't get more cute. Grace was doomed.
"What is?" Rocky asked, tapping his arm twice in question. Grace wasn't entirely sure he even was fully awake as the words slipped from his lips.
"You."
"Grace feel good still!" Rocky exclaimed, practically vibrating through a full body shake with nervousness on his tone. "Why, question?"
"I… I don't know. It's nothing." He shook his head.
He'd almost let this rush of vitamins and energy get to him. He needed to slow down. Rocky had a mate for god sake. And just because he liked Eridians, clearly, that didn't mean Rocky liked him. Rocky staying over was purely out of habit, research, protection, and to keep Grace company on a new alien world. Rocky hummed, thinking as well as he could with the sleep still clouding his mind.
"Rocky is ready to tell secret."
"What secret? From last night? You don't have to Rock, it was a joke." Grace chuckled. Rocky fidgetted his hands together for a moment.
"Want to. Am ready."
"Okay, hey I'm here to listen. No judgment, you can tell me anything."
"Is Grace sure?" Rocky asked quietly.
"Yeah bud, always. Hey you saved my life, there's pretty much nothing you could say to me that would be weird." grace promised. Rocky nodded, readying himself for a few moments.
"Grace is… need word."
"What word?"
"Beauty, but more." He whistled. Grace felt his cheeks go red so fast that he could almost hear the rush of blood in his ears. Grace was feeling bold today, but clearly Rocky was feeling bolder. Hah, boulder.
"Oh! Uhm… hah, some people say gorgeous? That's usually the bigger version of beauty." Grace swallowed nervously.
"Need word for… precious."
"Ahh… why?" Grace asked nervously. Rocky trilled and leaned down, looking away from him. He wasn't… no, he couldn't be. Rocky didn't get nervous around him. Did he?
"Adored. Or cherished. Or treasured." Grace answered finally. Rocky purred, leaning in to knock his head against Grace's again.
"Rocky like this one. Grace is… gorgeous treasured. If Grace liked name." Rocky said quietly. Grace finally met his 'eyes', looking directly towards his carapace face as he clicked and chirped to see Grace's face next to his. Why were words suddenly so hard? Why did it feel like they were tripping over a cliffs edge they couldn't come back from? No, he was reading into things. He was seeing what he wanted to see. He had to be… right?
"I-I'm not… I'm not like you Rock. Does that bother you?"
"No. Grace is gorgeous, treasured mate."
"Whoa bud. Mate?" Grace questioned, heart hammering in his chest. So not reading into things then. Rocky was- he- liked him? Or loved him? Or wanted to start at the very least. Oh god. Rocky loved him.
"Mmmm… yes." Rocky said, hesitating for a moment.
"This is something we should talk about." Grace whispered, trying to contain his excitement.
"Grace unhappy, disgust, angry?"
"No! No Rock, never. It's just- you have Adrian. Are you… are you sure you're-"
"Have spoken to Adrian many time. Adrian love my idea. Grace heart beating fast. Grace happy here. Rocky notice. Rocky want… selfishness. Can Rocky have selfishness? Is selfishness wrong for humans, question?"
"Not always. What uh… what do you selfishly want?" Grace asked. He could already tell what the answer was going to be and a smile was tugging at his lips. Again the Eridian hesitated, but this time Grace grabbed one of his hands, pulling it to his own face. To hell with normal, to hell with labels and expectations. He wasn't going back to earth any time soon.
"You."
Grace smiled, the stinging wetness already threatening to spill from his eyes. He pulled Rocky as close as he could, butting his head against the Eridians carapace as Rocky purred like a pleased cat.
"Will you have me?" Rocky asked.
"Yeah, yeah I'd love that." He smiled widely. He couldn't resist it for another moment, and pressed a kiss to Rocky's xenonite covered forehead. The Eridian squealed in a frequency akin to a phone vibration mixed with microphone feedback.
"Is human affection?!" Rocky asked. When Grace could only laugh, Rocky began leaving light taps all across Grace's arms and shoulders, chest, back, and face, everywhere he could reach.
"Rocky affection back."
"It's called a kiss."
"Oh, okay, understand. Rocky kiss back." He nodded, pressing his hand to Grace's lips. Grace kissed his palm, cradling it there and not letting it go.
"I am so glad I lived."
"Am so glad I lived at same time as you."