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It's been months on Erid and Grace was just now starting to feel a sense of safety fall over him. Safety, however, is not always the best thing. Sometimes, with safety nets, comes the reason for them.
It had started just hours into the morning. A creeping feeling that he only vaguely remembered from the start of middle school. Putting his face in his hands, Grace groans loudly. He had forgotten all about this until now. Routinely every 3 months he would give himself the tablet, absent mindedly, and now? He had none.
Taking a deep breath, he wasn't fully sure how to even make them- actually he was totally sure, but the pain rising up was making his brain cloudy. Humans were animals after all. They had heat cycles just as any mammal. But he would be fine removing the organ entirely.
Ryland stopped to think about that. He trusted Rocky to give him open heart surgery.. he wondered if he could give him a full hysterectomy... before he could even start to use logic to theorize, pain was shot through him.
Ffuuddgge how was he supposed to do anything like this? He hated being an omega. Such a stupid thing not to send your only omega crewmate with enough blockers.. then again.. they expected him to be dead by now.
Crawling back into bed, he let the urge to rearrange take over, letting his mind try and ease itself into heat without too much issue. Burrowing himself in the soon to be nest of blankets, Ryland made himself comfortable. It was the only thing he could really do. Part of him was glad that he didn't feel the need to mate like other omegas (despite how quickly this all would be over if he did.)
He's heard of his academic omega peers talking about hooking up with a beta during times like these. It was more efficient for their studies and careers, but last time Grace tried that he felt like crap. It didn't even really have anything to do with his partner at the time. It's not like he was too rough or anything, In fact he enjoyed the dynamic of the scene until the actual penetration happened.. even with his heat he still wasn't able to get off, borderline just laying there cringing those last couple minutes. Now that he thought about it, his neck being bitten was probably the most joy he got out of the entire session. Luckily, it had given his stupid body some relief. The false idea of being bred.. but that was years ago.. many.. many years ago.
Besides, not like it mattered. There wasn't even anyone of the same species around, let alone Betas.
Still.. this didn't stop his head from spiraling into maternal desires. Back in middle school he would gather all of his stuffed animals, keeping them close and safe. It made him feel a lot better.
This was the thing with heats for people like him. You either had to be making pups or take care of them, and Grace- for one, was not interested in the whole "making" aspect.
Even at home, back on Earth he had one of those patented "Heat-Away" bears that most omegas would heat up in the microwave then hump and cuddle, but Grace would hold it like a pup, nestling around it.
It honestly upset him to think about it. I mean come on.. they gave him all this stuff but not the one thing that might be useful during this? Stratt had taken his appendix, she couldn't have just ripped out his uterus too? Was that too much to ask?
If Grace was in the right head space he would mention how there are no microwaves in space- so it made sense not to send it, but currently Grace was trying to hug a pillow, whining.
Was he just not comfy enough?? Was that it? Grace shifts around, finding a better spot.
The pain aches.
He grunts, pulling multiple pillows into his stomach, and chest, hoping to create a pressure good enough to fool his genetic curse into being less painful.
Alas. Nothing.
Pouting, he goes as far as throws one of the pillows only for it to Thunk against the wall and come right back.
"Ugh!" Laying like this, he could feel the creeping need up his spine. He was getting hot, but so SO cold. Even under all the comforters, he still shivers. He hated this part too. The feverish freezing? What the hell Evolution? Pick one!
From the scurvy and the starvation he hadn't a lot of weight to him, but he still shouldn't be this cold. His eyes glance at a temperature gauge near the window. It's 75°F in here. He should not be shivering at all!
Suddenly, he feels himself become heavy in his chest. Oh god.. I guess blocking it for over 30 years came back with a kick.
Within minutes he went from a world class intellectual to a whimpering, panting mess. And for no reason at all other than to attract a breeding mate.
Doubling over, he holds his stomach, letting high pitched complaints leave his mouth.
A split second passes as he thinks if maybe he could shove something up there so he could think long enough to make even a slight dose, but his nose crinkles at the idea of touching himself- the idea of someone else touching him making him even more nauseous then the fever.
Sure, he was aching and arched his back slightly against a pillow, but it's not like he wanted to. He couldn't imagine how thick his scent was right now either. He figured if he were on Earth, there'd be a line outside his window.
A heat this intense, with an immobilized omega presenting to a damn pillow? He would have to hide away and have apartment security aware of the situation. As terrible as it is, things like this happened far too frequently.
God.. they really were just animals humping because biology told them too, huh?
Though, tears prick his eyes (mainly from the intense pain in his abdomen) as he thinks about it. At the end of the day, he was just breeding stock.. he had a whole Ph.D and yet.. nature didn't care. This is the same thing those alpha bros talked about on their podcast. How omegas should submit and embrace what they were "made for".
It always upset him when he heard them speak like that. Like all of them were just here to be some idiots cumdump. The idea of cum alone makes him twitch. He screams into one of his pillows, frustrated.
Just as he does this, he shoots his head up.
Tap tap. "Grace." Tap tap tap. "Grace."
Tap tap. "Mate-Grace?"
(Mate being a prefix in the Eridian language that held the indirect translation of ‘My wife’ but because Eridians did not have gendered language, partners in general were simply Mate+ name. A formal title. ‘My wife Grace’ compared to simply Grace)
Oooh great... like he needed to explain to his mate that he was in pain from lack of mating- and then explain that he's not interested in mating nor that his genitalia probably wouldn't make things better (even if he did want that)
Of course he had already explained this before, trying his best to teach him the reproduction cycle of humans and what not. It wasn't too difficult seeing he had to have a class session dedicated to it each year for a bunch of year 7s, but it was still super embarrassing to tell an alien life form who thinks all wetness is disgusting. Rocky had made sounds of disgust all throughout the 'What is slick?' Portion of his make shift presentation.
Besides.. he was worried they would feel inadequate. Even though he wasn't a fan of anything sexual, Grace knew the disappointment first hand of not being able to please a partner. Especially if you really cared about them. If Linda hadn't cheated on him, he would have felt more bad about the idea of not being able to satisfy her. But the Eridians were different. It was taboo for the concept of mating to matter all too much to cause a split. Sure, some Eridans became upset if they couldn't produce pebbles, but splitting because of it was unheard of.
Fortunately enough, his mates never made him feel this way. It was better if anything that Adrian was okay helping raise communal pebbles. They had formed connections to other non related pebbles while Rocky was away and honestly both were far too busy in their careers to manage responsibility for multiples for the next 700 years anyway.
He chuckles through tears in disbelief as he briefly even considered the fact he was a house wife compared to the other two. Grace always thought of himself as a workaholic until he met Eridians.. those guys can go for days on end.
Really, he didn't mind the idea. It's not like Eridans were bad or neglectful partners. Rocky had promised Grace a big bed and as many nesting things as he wanted. And now here he was, in a huge bed with dozens of soft materials for him to choose from around the home. I mean.. hell.. they haven't even had sex yet and Rocky built him a house, tax free. If that isn't love, he didn't know what was. He snickers at this thought. Dang. His own house.. omegas on Earth would kill for an Alpha to buy them a house, let alone build one to their specific requests... he could never afford to even RENT a house back on Earth.. and now he owned one.. maybe he was a trophy mate like his dome neighbor, Coconut, claimed.
"Our Star-light? Is everything okay?" Adrian chirps at the door. He knows it's Adrian because the last Eridian to call him that got a hefty verbal abuse warning from Rocky. It was not a communal nickname that he permitted.
This is the same guy who told everyone his name was Fart a couple months ago. Leaky, Disgusting, pathetic, clumsy human mushy blob? Fine. Funny even. But Star-light was NOT permitted. Grace wonders if he had caused a sort of drift in their language seeing as even ‘The-light-of-stars’ and ‘shine-of-stars’ was not permitted. Was it the same thing as southern women saying honey, baby, and sweetheart? Or were other Eridans practically calling him ‘fine shyt’ and declaring their desire to be mates with him whilst in front of Rocky? From his reaction alone, Grace wouldn't be shocked if one of them straight up called him ‘My pebbles' future father’
The idea makes him smile. Grace never was able to understand romantic jealousy. You were already committed to one another, so what was the issue? No one should be able to come between that.
(Well... except.. maybe an alien that saved your life and planet- but after some talking with Adrian, It seems Rocky already was poly before the mission, something that was treated a little less taboo than Earth here. Here it seems the issue wasn't that Grace was their third, rather- Grace couldn't contribute genetic diversity. Which- apparently- mattered greatly. It felt like having a dog racing business and then adopting a cat with no legs. Useless to the cause. Still, he didn't fret. His mates would always defend him, even if he could hold his own decently well. His grammar, tone and pronunciation was still completely bull crap, but he could at least get the gist.)
But now he got it. The whole jealous thing. Not fully- but enough. The way that possessive stomping and whirring warmed his chest and twisted his stomach organs into a lepidopteran hatchery.
It seems Eridians and humans had that in common. That group of people who wanted the taboo. Who wanted to have an alien mate. It was interesting to say the least to observe the reactions amongst the population.
Grace himself was guilty of feeling jealous in friendships and how easily other people could keep them. Then again, he's been like that since he was a kid. He always wanted a close knit companion to hang out with, even in silence.. Maybe that's why Eva hired Carl..
A more intense feeling of stinging hits his eyes and his chest. He wondered how much he got paid to be his friend.. to tolerate him... to spend time with him.. was it all just to manipulate him into behaving? To play his part? .. to give the prisoner a canoe to sit in and imagine just for those 20 minutes that he's on the outside?
On top of all this.... he kind of wondered how big his dick was-
Shaking his head, Grace sits up with a stern frown and a sniffle. No! He refuses to let this heat drive his thoughts like this. He huffs as he gives a small shout.
"Come in!.. nows not really a good time though.." He mutters the last part, biting back the pain in his voice, but he could already hear the scuttling of Rocky's legs... arms? Appendages. Whatever.. only one he couldn't seem to stop thinking about wasn't visible anyway.
Gooodd.. how was he going to survive this? Fudge.. and it was just now he realized how much Adrian towered over him.
"Why is Grace leaking?? What is wrong? Why so many blankets? Question?" Before Grace could answer, Rocky was already on the bed, taking a single step into the nest before jerking back, trilling happily. "Mate-Grace is in mating cycle!"
Was it really that obvious? Between his face beat red, his clear fever, his constant tears, him doubled over holding a pillow like it was his oxygen. No, I don't think it was too obvious at all actually! ...said no one ever..
Ryland groans out of annoyance of his own irritation towards his own thoughts, but also out of embarrassment as he turns to hide his face.
"..Yehs.." He slurs.
This felt like his worst nightmare. Well- other than the one of him coming to school forgetting his pants, but that might actually be preferred compared to this... maybe not. In his tighty whiteys infront of 30 year 7s? Yeeeaahh nooo..
Rocky turns his body, putting two of his arms in the air to do jazz hands, opening and closing his claws excitedly. "My-sea-foam, Look!"
"I see." Adrian does take a step further, observing the temperature increase and extra sweat going down his forehead. "Is it okay?"
"Good good good! That's good! Grace says humans should only have mating cycle when safe! Grace feels safe!" Rocky concludes, chirping and vibrating gently with pride.
In any situation, it seems Eridians had a thing about being good mates. Bad mates were shamed. Honestly, Grace thinks Humans should learn a thing or two about social norms of partners.
Adrian steps forward, raising a claw to gently stroke his head. Their tone was quiet, trying to soothe Ryland of his discomfort.
"It is okay. It is beautiful. You are so smart and good for us, Star-shine. Good girl, Grace. It is alright, we will protect you. Isn't she a good girl, sun-beam?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Grace is good good good. Always so good."
The amount of heat that rises up his spine and into his cheek is astounding. It's almost too much as he covers his face embarrassed but doesn't dare move. Ever since he explained pronouns and that he didn't have an order of preference, Adrian dubbed him things like 'Our pretty girl' or 'My sweet thing' which sounded much nicer in thought but with how Adrian's voice sounded, it was undeniably sensual. Now that he could pick up and autotranslate most of what they said, Ryland had no doubts of what made Rocky so attracted to them. Their voice alone was enough to flop over and submit, they didn't even have to try.
Grace whimpers, curling tighter into his little ball.
"Not hellppiinngg.." he whines, only to look up when Adrain stopped petting him. For a split second he felt the physical pain of rejection as the warmth from the xenosuit left his body.
"Mate-Grace will be very dumb and emotional during heat. So must be careful! Very very very gentle! Rocky knows, Rocky is an expert. Humans need compression and to be warm until their cycle passes. That's why Grace is a good nester- Grace makes such a good nest for offspring." He cooes.
If Adrian could, every time Rocky dubbed himself a 'Human Expert' they'd roll their eyes playfully. Like the way Grace claimed he was the Emperor of space.
Rocky takes initiative to carefully crawl over Grace, sitting himself against his stomach, two arms leaning over his back, rubbing gently.
Automatically, He couldn't help but wrap around him, pushing his nose onto the suit of his carapace, holding him tight. The pressure and warmth helped. Finally.. some relief. It wasn't a lot but enough to make him settle in, relax his body.
It's now he feels extremely tired, peacefully closing his eyes. Adrian moves, coming to sit behind Grace, continuing to pet his head.
Grace, even though he was already crying, tears up for another reason. This felt so good.. so safe and so-
A huge bolt of pain shot through him.
Grace flinches, yelping.
Both Eridians stopped their affections at the sudden noise. He felt bad.. it probably hurt them.
They still for a moment.
"...Star-light, what the hell was that?" Adrian asks.
"Hurt Mate-Grace? Rocky is too heavy??"
Ryland groans. The comfort was supposed to come later- after the breeding. He knew that. His body knew that. Except the wires that connected his genitals ad his mind were all screwed so.. fuck him in the non literal sense I guess.
"No! Yes- but No I just.. it hurts.. remember how I said female humans shed their eggs instead of coming out whole like you guys, they come out in blood? It's.. it's sort of like that. But it's different because... cause.. It just hurts, okay?!" It was hard to explain science when your innards felt like they were being stabbed, you had a migraine as big as the moon, and your fever was lowkey overheating your brain.
All he could think about was one thing. Technically two- but that also resulted in the first one. Biology wanted him bred like a dairy cow, but he just really... really.. wanted a baby right now.... but not that bad-
Rocky runs a claw from his side to his thigh slow and hesitant. He rubs up and down the outer muscle of his leg.
"..Mate-Grace needs mating to make the pain stop..?"
It's whispered, but just the thought makes him squeal, shoving Rocky's arm off of him. This was how he knew his thoughts were all fruitless. His mind would wonder but when it came down to it, the coin never landed heads up.
"NO! I mean- yes? But no! No.. no thank you, Rock. I uh.. I.. I just want a baby." He admits, further than he wanted his mouth to let fall out.
Ryland didn't like babies. But he didn't hate them either. Most omegas either loved or hated babies. Omegas who loved them were usually wanting a pup of their own, those who hated them were usually not interested in the crying lifestyle that came with them, thought they ruined your life and were just another responsibility in this stressful world.
Ryland very clearly loved kids. He had tried teaching college and highschool once but he found that middle was a nice median for him. Kindie and Elementary frustrated him with all the whining. Highschool and college kids were too snarky or blatantly stupid and proudly wrong about it for his liking, but middles were squishy little brains who could totally still be snarky little jerks, or whiney, but he found that most kids just want to be seen and heard.
It was part of the reason he adored them. They brought this sense of pride that he couldn't get away from. That urge to remind children to wear sunscreen, to brush their teeth in a circle, to wash behind their ears, to wear a coat 'even if you don't think you need it!.... It's good to be prepared! Oh god.. I sound like my mother..'
Sure. He could have had a pup by himself. Being mateless was not a reason to not have a pup these days. Plenty of single omegas or same secondary sex couples could get sperm donations or surrogacy. But he didn't want that. Not only did he not like anyone enough to have a pup with, but with how busy he was and his teacher salary it just never was something he took steps towards. Yeah, he did a bunch of research and was interested when the topic came up. But he didn't want to bring a pup into a world with little to no disposable income or a supportive partner to watch them. The mere thought of paying childcare made him feel ill.
And now? Here was that feeling again. The intense urge to have a pup.
He remembered once he had even brought home the class hamster, pretending to be its mother by dotting on it like a child, feeding it and holding it close. But then it bit him in the nose.. too bad There's no hamsters on Erid.
Rocky had been saying something to him, but he was so out of it that he barely even realized.
"What..?"
From the sounds of it, Rocky had been conveying with Adrian on what to do, discussing quickly about how Humans mated, how disgusting it was and the process of intubation internally for 9 months.
"Roughly 10132 days." Rocky explains, clicking his claws and swaying his body back and forth on three legs.
Adrian sighs. "I know, dearest. It has told me so before. And so have you. Why are you nervous?" They ask him, still settled in the same spot, arms tucked politely.
Rocky lowers himself, the clicking now turning to fidgeting all of his claws together.
"..Worried.. Mate-Grace hurts..Mate-Grace wants a hatchling but.. Rocky can't. Rocky can't fix. Rocky is a bad mate.." The Eridian mumbles, that knowing undertone of anxiety that Grace was used to hearing perking up through notes like a small dog jumping just high enough to see over a fence every few seconds.
"What?! Who told you that? Rocky, you are an amazing mate. The best I've ever had! I don't- I just don't..like.. that.. you know that. I've mentioned it before. A lot. It's not your fault. Buddy if I wouldn't throw up I would totally let you mate the heck outta me. I just.. can't. I don't need.. that.. You're a great mate regardless. I promise."
He bit back the pain aching in his pelvis, gritting teeth but it was clear the two could still sense his discomfort.
The silence that followed made it clear just how insane he must sound. He swallows, pulling himself closer to him, hugging tight.
It was now that Ryland realized he wasn't judging. He was making that slight high pitched trill that his human ears couldn't pick up. It was the equivalent of blushing or giggling with excitement.
Rocky's arms wrap around him, hugging back. "Grace, Grace, Grace!" He purrs, lower for him to hear.
Adrian, who's been silent, now speaks up. "It's temperature is rising. It's sick." Their claw comes to pet his head again. "It's here. It needs to cool down or damage will take place."
Rocky was about to say something in regards to ‘Mate cycles are not sickness’ but hearing this cycle was harming Grace, stomped his back leg against the mattress. He was pouting. He moves his front claws, calculating and counting, clinking them together as Grace slips back into the airy headspace he was in a few minutes ago after saying he wanted a baby. He felt tired. Hot and felt the tears quicken from heightened pain now running from his thighs up to his stomach, his nerves burning and muscles aching.
He knew he'd be fine in the long run. He's seen way worse heats than this, but he wasn't able to convey this with his concerned chatting mates.
Rocky was so warm.. Adrian's mindless petting certainly didn't help him not doze.
It was only a few moments later that he was being wrapped in the comforters, the initial warmth leaving.
Ryland whines, opening his eyes. He blinks a couple tears away, doubling to put pressure on his stomach now that it was absent. "Rocky..?"
"Shh. Is okay, Rocky and Adrian make eggs for Mate-Grace. Fix."
Again Grace whines, hand reaching weakly. "Wait.. no... I-.. don't. You don't.. don't do that." He mumbles, borderline slurring.
"We will take care of you. Do not perish before our return." Adrian says to him, clicking a few things on Grace's dome settings on the side of the wall.
Blurry, through tears, he can see them lower the temperature in the dome, increasing the rain and thicker fog to roll in later.
Grace tries to sit up, feeling like jelly and almost ill. Flu-like.
"Lay back down. Now." Adrian had used that 'do as I say or else' voice that Grace couldn't help but obey. If he was more conscious he would think of Stratts tone. That 'You can't tell me no without dire consequences' way of speech she had. He'd curse her for sending an Omega to space. What an idiotic thing to do.
Grace whimpers, pulling the pillows to his chest and laying on multiple for the pressure. "Please don't.. I don't want… you don’t have too.."
"Do not get out of your nest. We will return soon." Adrian says from the other room as Rocky scuttles out of the house just as quick as he'd come in.
"But-"
"Behave, Star-light."
The door slams.
Grace is overcome with an intense sense of rejection and abandonment. No.. no no no.. he doesn't want to be alone right now. He had warmth and cuddles and- and what did they mean by making him an egg? He didn't want them to have hatchlings for him. Was that Rocky's idea of fixing his heat?? By having eggs? The panic only made his insides turn more.
He shouts into the pillows, crying louder. Not only did his body hurt, but now his heart. His chest clenches with the feeling. He's heard myths of omegas dying from rejection of their mate, but he's never felt it before. Not seriously anyway. Sure, he's been sad about rejection but this? It felt like his heart was being ripped in half.
Medically, he knew it was just the hormones and chemicals, but if you asked him right now, he'd sob something inaudible about heart strings.
From the other room, Armando rolls in, tilting his claw with much confusion. There wasn't anything physically to fix. Grace was okay on the outside. No scratches or scrapes. No blood to clean or stitches to be given.
The robot leaves the room, coming back with a small container of two pre-packaged pills.
Grace cries, too distracted to notice until the robot drops them on top of him.
Ryland jumps, spooking just enough to halt the daggers in his chest.
"Holy crap!" He yells, picking up the pills as he looks. His brain was so scattered, he had no clue what these even were. This was important. He should know what these are! Armando only gave him certain pills, he should be able to figure it out. But he just kept drawing blanks. He whines, hitting his palm to his forehead.
Hard.
Stupid STUPID fucking heat!
Armando's arm gently blocks Grace's arm from hitting himself. Despite the robot being wordless, he had such care for him.
More than just an Ai medbot. But a friend who didn't enjoy seeing Graces melt downs.
Taking deep breaths, Ryland pants, his hand coming to hold the claw. Any sort of company was better than none. Sniffling, Grace pathetically hands the pills out to him. The robot opens it easily, administering them directly into Rylands open mouth.
Grace swallows the pills without a drink, the saliva build up from crying being enough. Still, the robot rolls off, retrieving a mug of water from the kitchen. It knew Ryland was dehydrated. It knew Ryland was hurting. But It wasn't sure why or how else to cure the discomfort.
So it sat, letting Grace hold his hand as he began to slip into another daze while it pours outside, aiding his comfort. This time, when Ryland dozes, he actually sleeps instead of just spacing out.
He isn't sure how long the sleep lasts. But he felt far more warmth than before, similar to when his mates were here. He must have slept for a long time because by the time he woke, it was foggy out and he was right about Rocky being near.
Grace's eyes flutter open as he feels the familiar petting and holding. His face isn't red anymore. He had stopped crying a good minute ago. What pills did Armando give him?? He already checked for suppressors, so it couldn't possibly be those. Some kind of fever medication? Tranqulizer? Oxycodone?
Under the blankets, Rocky was vibrating in a pattern, purring on his body in attempts to ease any discomfort.
"Grace? Mate-Grace, Are you okay? Adrian and Rocky make eggs for you."
Being more cognitive, Grace's eyes widened. "What!?" That's exactly what he didn't want.
"Why?! You didn't have to- Why would you.. Rocky by the time they're even tot age I'm going to be dead! What kind of father will that make me!? Why would you-" He stops, seeing how Rocky sunk down, clicking together his claws nervously.
A sound came from Adrian. The 'Knock it off and back off my mate. You're being rude' noise he's come to recognize as a slight scolding. If Grace learned anything, he learned two things. 1. Adrian was possibly the most gorgeous and enormous, most talented and interesting biologist he has ever met. And 2.. Adrian didn't play when it came to Rocky. He could see why Rocky locked them down as soon as he could. Even Ryland knew you'd have to be an idiot not too.
He sighs heavily.. oh well.. guess he was a father now.. kind of- not like they could do anything about that now. The damage has been done. He would just have to try his best..
"I'm sorry.. where are they?" Ryland asks, rubbing his face, trying to regulate his new emotions.
Wow..that quick huh? Take a nap.. wake up a father... God. Eridians really were something else..
Rocky moves slowly to reveal a clutch of 5 dense, egg shaped rocks that were resting under Grace's shirt, against his stomach, Assumingly to keep them warm.
"..Mate-Grace not like eggs?" Rocky asks, still opening and closing his claws.
Something that Grace noticed instantly was that the eggs were not in xenosuits. It worried him.
"Don't eggs need your atmosphere to incubate? Are.. are they viable??" Oh god, Please don't be dead babies.. please don't be dead babies...
Rocky was appalled. "What!?"
Adrian laughs, that mocking 'This alien knows nothing' snickering giggle.
Grace blushes, feeling he's the idiot here.
"No no no." Rocky puts a claw on one of the eggs. "Rocks." He pats it. "Eggs for Grace. Stupid."
Ryland blinks. "Right. Rock's eggs. I got that part."
Rocky stands, stomping his back foot.
Again Adrian chuckles, louder.
Grace makes a pouty lip. "What?? I don't understand. They're eggs, right? Like you said?? You said you ma-... these are rocks.."
"Yes!"
"They're not eggs.."
"Correct.
"Theyre egg shaped rocks.. for me."
Rocky bends a couple times, before turning in a circle, loafing closer. "Rocky said make Mate-Grace eggs so they don't hurt. Rocky fix. Need more? Question?"
Grace feels an overwhelming sense of belonging, tearing up as he scoops all the 'eggs' up close to his chest. The feeling he was looking for washes over him, providing him with intense relief.
Annnd there's the water works.
Grace begins to sob, clutching his.. clutch..
He shakes his head.
"No.. no.. Rocky, they're beautiful!" He cries, emotional and hormonal. All of the tension in his abdomen ceases, melting away as he snuggles the literal egg shaped rocks.
"Star-shine, You are leaking on our pebbles." Adrian whispers.
Grace cries harder, his voice high and tight from tears. "Our pebbles!??"
It was a massive fire work of feelings within him. Part of him felt pathetic for being so attached to rocks in a short time, the other part of him said 'Pebbles?? Pebbles!! Our pebbles!! My babies! Oh my god babies babies babies!'
"I love them soo muuch!!" He says through sobs.
Keeping the eggs close to him, Grace let himself behave instinctively, nuzzling them, trying to replicate a purr and becoming overly protective. He now had 2 missions. 1. Protect his eggs. 2. ... well okay he has 1 mission.
Mushy brain, sorry.
"I think we broke it." Adrian says, their claw coming to rub his back.
"Grace not broken. Just have stupid human brain.. so inefficient." Rocky mumbles, trying to touch one of the pebbles but Ryland stops him, feeling a sense of rage come up through his throat. He had the audacity to make a growly grunt at him, pulling the eggs closer (if even possible)
Rocky pouts. "Bad Grace! My eggs too. Rocky made them!"
Adrian snickers. Their mates were being silly idiots.. the eggs were not real. Both knew that and still both wanted to parent them.
"No, you crush eggs. Don't do that. Grace is too heavy!" Rocky scolds him. Ryland had been on his stomach, holding them a little under his chest trying to keep them warm and close.
"I will not! You said it's impossible for me to crush pebbles because of their density, that's why they're called that in the first place! Leave my babies alone." The omega whines.
It wasn't long until they came to the compromise that if Rocky keeps Grace warm and purrs, the 'eggs' would feel the rumbling though Grace's ribs, as well as the heat.
Half asleep, blissful to have his mates and eggs in his nest, Ryland's fever dissipated. There had still been some small sparks of pain, but it was more like a soreness than a cramp. He could definitely deal with those over his uterus contracting so much.
He felt peace. Never has he ever felt fully at peace during a heat. Not even after or at that time he tried toys. (Which was a bit over rated in his opinion) Nothing could beat this feeling. Especially with all the fog outside, the rumbling purrs of his mates, and the knowledge in the back of his head that these eggs were hand crafted just for him and he wouldn't gain the responsibility of 5 hatchlings once all of this was over. It felt nice. Relaxing and calm.
For the next couple days, Grace was broody, staying with his eggs, nipping the xenosuits like a mother hen anyone tried to touch them.
He's taken it so far that he would carry all of them around the house- against Adrian's demands to stay nested, but his legs hurt and he needed to walk a bit.
At one point Adrian had physically picked him up and put him back in the nest.
"Do not leave the nest again!" They said, stomping hard enough into the floor to make a few pieces chip off.
Ryland swallows. "O-okay.." He could see that his mates were taking this whole 'need of an alpha' thing quite seriously.
They would take turns watching him, keeping him company if the other had needed a rest or to eat. There was a time where Rocky skittered out into the biome to tell a visitor to go away because Grace's Mate-cycle was not complete yet. Even though he was fine enough for visitors now.
Rocky would bring him food and even pretend to give some to the eggs.
"Pfft.. Rock, pebbles don't even need outer substance until they hatch."
"These ones are part human. They might need extra." He states, gently patting each of them quite fondly.
Grace was starting to wonder if the eggs were for Rocky just as much as himself.
"Star-light? The human knowledge machine says you need a bite to feel better. I will simulate. Do not panic." Adrian says.
"Hm? Oh no it's alright, I have a permanent mate mark from Rocky. Here, see?" He shows the Eridian his arm but before he could move away, Adrian clamped down on the back of his neck with a claw.
Ryland gasps, about to tell them to let go and that it was unnecessary, but the euphoria that followed rendered him speechless.
Adrian held for a good 20 seconds before letting go, seeming quite pleased. "You are Rocky and I's omega now." They said, as if following a script. Probably something from online.
Either way, Grace goes borderline numb, eyes fluttering and his body has gone limp with submission. He's never actually let anyone 'bite' him before, so it was intense. His arms shook a bit and he could feel himself trying to arch back into their touch.
Holy crap.. If this is what orgasams felt like, no wonder people loved sex.
Sitting up, Grace pants quietly. Swallowing and nodding. "Ye-yeah...uh.. Thank you, Adrian." He mutters, knowing that his ears were beat red.
By the end of it, about a week since the beginning, Grace was perfectly fine and back to normal. Thanks to his mates being so amazing and caring for him, he felt better than before even. He was relaxed, happy and overall more energetic. God no wonder why Omegas with partners were always so much happier after their heats. He always just assumed it was breeding hormones, but even without, he felt incredible.
"Thank you two.. so much. You always take great care of me." He says, still awkwardly holding the eggs as he looks at them. Unfortunately, he's become quite attached to these rocks.. so attached that he was starting to wonder if he should make a mini nest box for them so that he could mother them whenever he felt the need without worry.
"No problem. Mate-Grace is easy to take care of. No work at all." Rocky says, making a high pitched sound that Grace's ears have come to learn 'Good good good grace!' without the need of translating first in his head. It was almost as automatic as 'bad bad bad grace!' which was a different pitch entirely.
"Star-shine is our good omega. What a good girl." Adrian praises.
Rocky's hands go in the air, doing jazz hands. "Yes! Good girl, Grace! Very very very good with eggs! Not even drop one."
Ryland, who had been already tearing up from the physical gesture of 'You're not hard to love' now blushes, only crying more. They really did love him.. didn't they?
They had practically skipped almost 1/4th an Eridan year of work just to be with him.
He's known Alphas who would leave their Omega at home to suffer.
(It was a big porn trope for a different alpha to come and 'take care of' the omega while their mate was at work. Kind of like a PSA to not leave your omega unattended while in heat, but some sickos got off on the idea.)
Sniffling, he turns to wipe his nose on his sleeve, still holding the eggs.
"So.. Do I keep them? They're.. ours?" He asks, not asking if he was allowed to keep the rocks, but if they would continue to indulge his fantasy of the eggs being real. This wasn't 'can I keep them in the house?' It was 'Will you two please do me the service of playing pretend with me and feed into my delusions that this taboo idea of you entrusting me with your eggs, is real?'
An act of love? Yes. But also trust. Would they even trust him with real eggs? He knew others would judge. He knew they'd think he's gone insane for thinking these rocks were his babies. What a moron. This guy saved the planet?? Psh. Yeah right. He could already see it.
But just this once, he wanted to be vulnerable. He had found someone that he wanted to have pups with. Even if they never hatched. Ryland hadn't thought about this before his heat. The idea of playing pretend. It seemed silly. But it felt ooh so real to him.
"Please..?" He makes a note to his mates. It’s but a peep but the pitch is clear.
It didn't take a millisecond for the Eridans to chirp and cheer with excitement. Coming to Grace, they wrapped around him, vibrating and clicking.
Grace giggles, embarrassed at all his tears, but he couldn't help it. Who would have thought he would find family and peace up here? Who would have guessed it would take almost dying multiple times and being in a whole different solar system to feel like he belonged.
He knew what he felt was probably not the same as what others on Earth did with their mates. He knew that they probably felt different. But if anything, he wondered if they would ever be able to feel like this. If he had a choice to feel romance compared to what he felt right now, being squeezed by his best friends and companions, his everythings, the reason he breathed and was brave? He wouldn't change a thing. He didn't know what this was called. The connection that they held. But he knew one thing.
It was written in the stars.