Work Text:
Grace is climbing toward the peak of the rock. Simon sat furthest from the shore he could while still being near it, watching Grace make his way back through the same routine he'd made just moments earlier.
It's still foggy, though the light is warmer. Cozier. Grace admitted he'd done it for Simon that morning, albeit clumsily, through fumbled, anxious words. Simon's thankful. He's been nothing but thankful since he arrived on Erid. It's all so much, he's barely processed that the ocean in front of him isn't really. That the rock Grace has returned to isn't home. Simon feels the breeze and knows it could be home.
Rocky is… new.
Simon still feels guilty for nearly swinging a tool at him, but in his defense, Rocky isn't exactly a familiar being to his eye. He chittered at Simon's barely conscious body while the one human sounded back to him. It was bizarre. He feels bad. They got off on the wrong foot is all.
Now, Rocky comes to Simon's side. He nestles into the small pebbles beside the human.
“Simon watch Grace.”
Simon looks over at him. “Yeah. Third time he's jumped off that rock.”
Rocky hums. “Grace bad at listening,” he says. “Rocky tell him not to, but Grace go.”
“Stubborn,” Simon smiles a little. Well, as much as he can with his current facial distortion. “I think all humans are.”
“Simon jump, question?”
“God, no.”
Heights aren’t ideal. Better yet, water isn’t ideal. The very, very opposite. He likes looking at it, seeing the waves, how different the colors fade into one another. It’s blue and it’s beautiful. Being in it is another story.
“Good, good,” Rocky says, almost relieved. “Rocky happy. Grace happy to have friend.”
Simon raises an eyebrow. “Is he?”
“Yeeesss, Grace like Simon friend,” he nods. “A lot, heart is fast.”
Simon huffs. “He lives on caffeine, I think.”
Rocky turns to him. “No understand word.”
“Really?” Simon chuckles. Figured that'd be in his list of learned Grace words by now. “He's just like that, then.”
“Noo, Grace like Simon,” he chitters, “Love.”
“L—Love?” Simon could choke on his own spit. “No. No, he's—what?”
Rocky laughs a little thing. “Yes, yes, Simon ask Grace,” he pushes. “And then mate!”
“Oh, wow,” Simon clears his throat. “I don't. That's not how it works, is it?”
Grace makes a loud noise at the top of the rock, catching both of their attention. He runs across the platform, heading straight down to crash into the water. Each time, he looks just as giddy as before, if not more.
“Is like diving,” Rocky says. “Full of risk, very worth it.”
Simon waits for him to swim up from the bottom. It takes a moment usually, but it's taking even longer now. His mind supplies him with unlikely events; did something get him? Did he miss a step and hit his head? I should help him. Something is in there. Eventually, he comes back up and waves his arms at the two.
Simon lets out a breath he wasn’t aware he’d been holding and waves the one back and Rocky trills loudly, as if he's giving him a lecture on safety.
Simon chuckles at it. “I think he knows his limits.”
Rocky shakes his body or, well. Shakes no. “Grace never listen! Simon never listen either!
“I do,” he mumbles. “Just not about your romance.”
Rocky flails a claw at him, trilling away, but Simon’s a bit fixated on Grace.
It feels like those cheesy romantic comedies Grace showed Simon, where the hot guy comes out of the water, pushing his wet hair back, except this is reality and that is Grace, headed straight for the two sat on the rocky ground.
It makes Simon realize he’s never really seen him shirtless up until this point. He’s not built, exactly. Simon can make out his ribcage just a bit and the V lines that his shorts frame perfectly, but he’s—well, he’s Grace. He’s beautiful.
What? Simon blinks. He didn’t just think that, did he?
Rocky’s romance is ridiculous.
Simon feels ridiculous.
Grace is beside him now, laid out on the baby blue towel. He sighs, a bit exasperated. “I’m getting too old for that,” he says, drying off his face. “Live it up while you can, right?” he adds, smiling at Simon. It’s a bright thing. He’s so bright.
Simon swallows. “Yeah, right,” he nods. “Absolutely. Not for me, though.”
Grace puts his hands up in a faux defense pose.
“See, see, Simon listen,” Rocky says. “Grace? Never listen.”
“Well, I’m alive, aren’t I?” Grace says.
Simon chuckles. Then, Grace shakes his head like a wet animal, getting the cold water on Simon. “Augh, come on,” Simon groans dramatically, “I said it’s not for me—”
“Oh, it’s not?” Grace says. He pulls him in by looping his arm around his shoulders, rubbing his knuckles lightly on his head.
Simon grunts. Being this close is—it’s—Grace lets go of him as quickly as he pulled him in.
“That’s a noogie.” he says.
“And now I’m wet.” Simon mutters.
He doesn’t really mind, he’s barely wet at all. More damp than anything.
… and he sort of wishes he was close again.
Fuck.