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Adrian didn’t know it was possible to feel as bad about themselves as they did. They thought they had hit rock bottom all those years ago when they begged Rocky to stay on Erid, to send someone else, anyone else, in their place on the mission to save their sun. It was, they had thought, the most selfish they had ever been and would ever be.
Until now.
Rocky was home! By some miracle he had returned to them with a solution to save their planet. Unfortunately he had also brought home an alien. That in and of itself wasn’t unfortunate, it was amazing, something out of legend. Aliens were real! Not only did intelligent life exist beyond their planet, it was here on Erid, and had helped save their planet, along with their beloved mate.
The unfortunate part was Adrian was pretty sure they hated the alien. Their mate had finally–finally!--returned to them and instead of spending time together, Rocky was constantly busy. When he wasn’t consulting on the Taumeba and astrophage he was helping their scientists find a way to keep the alien alive. When he wasn’t with one of the science thrums he was with the alien, who was still on the Hail Mary which was now docked with their space elevator so scientists and medics could come and go as needed. When he wasn’t with the alien he was constantly talking about the alien. Grace is so smart! Grace is so funny! Grace needs me!
Adrian wanted to scream in every octave they could. Rocky was their mate! So why were they so obsessed with this alien creature?
Adrian didn’t actually hate the alien of course. It had saved Erid and brought their Rocky home to them. It had revealed why the rest of the crew had died, bringing much needed closure to the rest of the families of the crew. If the alien lived, who knows what other information it had that could revolutionize Erid.
But deep down, a part of them couldn’t help but resent the alien and how much of Rocky’s time it seemed to require.
Maybe it would die.
No! No, Adrian refused to be that petty. This creature had given so much, suffered so much, chosen Rocky and Erid above its own life even. Adrian would not be a worthy mate to Rocky if they really thought such things. They were just…just upset. They had waited and hoped and longed for their mate to return to them and then when they did, they felt like they were still waiting.
Adrian was resolved. They would not hate the alien. They would get over their resentment. This situation would resolve itself and things would be more balanced and Rocky and Adrian could properly reconnect. They just had to be patient.
Of course as soon as Adrian had made this decision Rocky just had to ask them to meet the alien. Apparently their scientists had made progress on figuring out some of the food it needed (gross) and it was starting to get better. And now that it had regained some strength and was not in any immediate danger of dying, Rocky wanted them to meet.
Adrian should have seen this coming. Of course Rocky would want them to meet, he had always wanted his closest friends to get along. He was so sweet like that. He assumed that if he liked you, then others he liked would like you as well. Adrian couldn’t say no. How could they? Rocky had asked very little of them since returning home, and now they wanted their mate to meet the alien savior.
The problem was Adrian wasn’t sure how the meeting would go. They loved Rocky, and appreciated the alien, but their inner alpha had begun to see the alien as a rival. Which was stupid, they knew it was stupid! According to Rocky the alien didn’t even have genders. It wasn’t anything–not an alpha, an omega, or even a beta. Just…an alien. But anything that took up so much time and mental energy, which engendered such obvious devotion and love could be read no other way by their inner alpha. This alien was a threat to their relationship.
Still.
Adrian couldn’t say no. So it was with dread weighing their limbs down that they agreed to go and meet the alien.
—--
Adrian was slow to get into the xenonite suit Rocky had made for them. It fit perfectly of course, shaped closely around their body, and it wasn’t unpleasant to wear. But they could feel their rut coming on, hastened by the proximity of their newly returned mate, mingled with their irritation at having to deal with the alien instead of spending time with just Rocky in their home, and it burned deep inside their carapace. Venting out in hopes of calming themselves, Adrian finished putting on the suit and followed a bouncing enthusiastic Rocky to the airlock of the Hail Mary. They needed to keep a handle on their instincts and get this over with.
With a hiss the door swung open. Standing there waiting to greet them was the alien. It was taller than Adrian expected, gangly and thin, and so loud, despite the fact that they had yet to say anything.
“Hello! Uh, welcome to the Hail Mary. I’m Grace, which uh, yeah you probably know. But it’s an honor to meet you! Rocky’s told me so much about you.”
Adrian recoiled a little at the awkward enthusiasm of the alien.
“Hello Savior Grace,” they say formally. “Thank you for saving Erid and saving Rocky.” Polite, civil, appreciative. Perfect!
“Oh.” The alien’s enthusiasm has noticeably waned at Adrian’s cool greeting. “Thanks, I guess, but we really did it together. I mean, I couldn’t have done anything without Rocky.” It says, shrugging its long upper arms and then wrapping them around its torso.
“Grace too modest!” Rocky scolds. He turns to Adrian, “Rocky would not be here without Grace. Grace and Rocky save stars, but Grace save Rocky.”
The alien’s face warms at Rocky’s insistent praise. “Thanks buddy.” It reaches out a limb to rest on Rocky’s carapace. “We saved each other.”
Watching the two interact Adrian can feel their inner alpha bristle hotly at the open affection between the two. Eridians are not by nature very physically affectionate with anyone but their family and mates. Even good friends rarely touched one another casually, much less with so much obvious love.
“Show me around the ship.” They say abruptly, interrupting the moment. Rocky and the alien startle, the human jerking their limb back. “Sure! There's not much to it but I’m happy to show you around.”
At that moment one of the flat panels on the wall of the ship lets out a beep. “Savior Rocky, do you have a minute to consult on something?” Rocky scuttles over to the wall and touches a small round button. “Yes yes, happy to consult.” He turns to them and waves them on. “Grace show Adrian around while Rocky stay here, will join you when done.”
The alien seems nervous as it turns to Adrian. “Sure thing Rock. I can show you the lab and then the control room Adrian.”
As they move through the small ship Adrian marvels at the fact that her mate did not go mad stuck in such a tiny space. Even with the xenonite tunnels removed the rooms are small and crowded with stuff.
“Room is dirty dirty dirty” Adrian can’t help but observe. “Why so dirty?”
The alien flushes again. “I guess I didn’t think it was that dirty, but we do have to fit a lot of things on the ship. We had to make sure it was stocked with all the supplies we needed to last four years and then try and fix the astrophage problem.” It pauses. “I guess I’m also not the tidiest person.” They give a few short exhalations, which Adrian interprets as a laugh. “You should have seen it when Rocky first came aboard. He said the same thing!”
Adrian does not return the laugh and the human quickly stops. How could her mate prefer this messy alien over them? It doesn’t make any logical sense and they resist the urge to growl. They want to leave. Take Rocky home to their nest and never again have to deal with this gurgling wisp of a creature.
Adrian’s stony (ha) silence clearly intimidates the alien, who seems to draw into themselves. They may be tall but they weigh basically nothing and when they curve into themselves like this one is doing, they seem much smaller than before.
“The dormitory is down there but it’s nothing special. The control room is over there if you want to look though.”
Obligingly Adrian moves into the control room and taps to get a better sense of the space. Like the rest of the ship it is small, and has many flat blank surfaces interspersed with small toggles and switches, though not many. How does the alien control the ship with this? It doesn’t make immediate sense and Adrian continues to feel their annoyance grow. Rocky had told them about their light sense, so it must have something to do with that, but it all seemed so absurd and inefficient to Adrian.
Abruptly they decide they’ve had enough. They came up here, they met Rocky’s pet alien, thanked them, looked around their tiny ship, and now they’re ready to go home.
“Yes very nice. Adrian and Rocky go home now. Thank for showing ship.”
Adrian quickly moves back the way they just came, ignoring the alien’s stuttered reply. “Rocky! I think we should go home now.”
Rocky, who is still on the call trills in surprise. “All done? Adrian see ship? Not want to stay and talk more with Grace?”
Adrian can’t help the growl that escapes them. That is the absolute last thing they want to do. Surprised, Rocky ends his conversation with whoever is on the radio. “Rocky must go, will continue later.” He comes over and gently bumps up against them. “Ok we go now.” He then turns to Grace, who had hung farther back, just barely in the entryway and leaning heavily on the wall, “Think Adrian is in rut, we must go. Will be back as soon as rut is over. Grace rest, get better.”
With another growl, part irritation and part embarrassment at their mate’s bluntness, Adrian grabs Rocky and starts to tow them to the exit. Maybe they are in rut, but they certainly don’t need it broadcast to all of Erid, much less this strange sexless creature who is trying to steal their mate away.
Despite the somewhat aggressive display Adrian is putting on, the alien tentatively waves goodbye. “Yeah ok bud. It was nice to meet you Adrian.”
Adrian doesn’t answer, and soon enough they are through the airlock, out of their suits, and headed down the space elevator. Finally. Adrian had met the alien and that was that. Certainly no need for them to meet again!
—--
They could not have been more wrong. Adrian and Rocky spent a blissful few days in their home while Adrian went through their rut, their first one together in many many years. But as soon as it was over Rocky was back to fussing over the alien, leaving for long stretches of time to watch them sleep or consult on their many (many) needs.
Worse yet, Adrian was roped into consultations. First they would bring the alien down to Erid and they wanted Adrian’s input as a biologist on designing a temporary habitat for him. To start it would be little more than a medical room, a place for doctors and scientists to reach him more easily, sparing everyone the tedious journey up the space elevator. It would also allow them to more closely watch his reaction to Erid’s atmosphere and his adjustment to being on a planet instead of in space. The room would need a wide bed, with room for the alien to rest, but also for any equipment they might need to bring in, and (begrudgingly) a place for Rocky to be. He would need “lights” as well, set on a timer to help maintain his sleep cycles, a place to clean himself, waste removal, and the robot arm Armondo would need to be installed.
Simultaneously they would begin building a large habitat, a biodome that it could live in comfortably. Despite themselves Adrian couldn’t help but be intrigued by the challenge. How do you design and construct a place for a real, honest to goodness alien to live?
Out of the worst of their rut they could concede that perhaps they didn’t respond in the most rational way to the alien…to the human. If they were going to be working on the biodome they would most likely be spending more time with it…him. So they should get into the habit of addressing him correctly, even in their mind. While they were still unnerved by their inability to get a read on the human’s gender and upset about the amount of time their mate was spending away from their nest, they felt sheepish that they had taken their temper out on the human. Their inner alpha was still wary, but their rational mind knew they should have extended more kindness. There would be no Rocky to be mad at without Grace afterall, and that alone deserved all their thanks.
On the day they brought Grace down from the ship Rocky was an anxious mess. Uncertain how the human’s frail body would stand the heavy gravity of Erid, worried about the stress the transfer would have on him, and the constant lurking fear that this human who had given so much would die and no one would be able to do anything to stop it. Adrian had thought the human was doing better, but while their scientists had made great strides in reproducing the food he needed, they were still working on key vitamins and nutrients he needed to survive long term.
Adrian watched as the space elevator doors opened and Rocky stepped out with Grace behind him in a bulky xenonite suit, moving slowly and awkwardly. Other Eridians stepped forward to help, making sure he had plenty of support as he moved to his new room. Even Adrian could admit to pity for the human as he made his painful way past them. Again, they couldn’t help but notice how…small they seemed at the moment. Here was the Savior of Erid, made of spun glass, but nevertheless forging on. Perhaps this was the real miracle, that such a fragile species was able to persist even in the face of pain and death.
Moving along with the group up to the airlock, Adrian watched carefully as Rocky and Grace entered the room, pausing for Rocky to don his own suit before joining the human and helping him out of his suit and to the bed. Grace was sweating and shaking by the time they made it to the bed and it seemed everyone let out a breath of relief as he lowered himself onto the soft surface. Rocky pushed and pulled pillows and blankets around until he was satisfied before carefully arranging himself next to the human, lightly draping two limbs over him. Adrian wanted to be mad, waited for their inner alpha to rear their ugly head and growl with jealousy, but watching the pair, they mostly felt…sad. The human was so sick and so far from home, no pack member to cuddle close or watch him sleep, only Rocky.
How could Adrian really begrudge him what little comfort his mate could bring him?
Eventually the crowds around the observation window began to dwindle as it became clear the human was settling in fine. In the room Rocky and the human were talking quietly together in the Erid/English mix they had created during those long years on the Hail Mary. Adrian suddenly wished they had taken the time to learn some English, wishing they didn’t have to rely on a translator.
“Rocky have to go soon. Big thrum about new biodome happening, need Rocky. Grace will be ok, question?”
The human looked uncertain. “You have to go so soon? I mean, we just got here. Couldn’t you stay a little longer?”
“No. Only Rocky know certain things Grace needs.” Rocky seemed truly sorry about having to leave, but firm as well. “Will be back to watch Grace sleep.” He reached up and ran a hand through the human’s hair. “Grace will be safe here statement.”
“Please Rock? Maybe just until I fall asleep? I promise it won’t take long,” he pleaded. It was clear Grace was apprehensive about being left alone in this new place, without Rocky. Of course, the two had been their only companions for a number of years at this point and so it was no surprise that they struggled to separate.
Rocky gave a low warbling negative and began to slide off the bed, but Grace captured one of Rocky’s retreating limbs and gave a low warble in return, a pebble in distress. Immediately Rocky stopped moving to coo reassurance at him.
Adrian…was struck dumb. The human wasn’t an alpha or omega or a beta, because they were an unpresented pebble! In the room the human gave another quiet despondent chirp, asking for a packmate to comfort them. With a jerk, Adrian lurched out of the observation room to the airlock and frantically began to put on their xenonite suit. Of course, of course! Rocky would never really entertain another suitor, they loved Adrian. So what would tear them from their beloved mate’s side? A pebble! Adrian knew the human was incredibly smart, a scientist of great skill, entrusted with the fate of their entire species. But they also knew that there had been two other crewmembers on the trip that had died. Perhaps they had had the pebble by accident on their way to Tau Ceti? Maybe it was some kind of special genius of their species, even if they were young? Adrian couldn’t begin to fathom the thought process behind sending a pebble to space, but they were suddenly desperate to be in the room, to comfort Grace in the face of their obvious distress.
After what seemed like an eternity Adrian was in their suit and through the airlock, the door opening to show them that Rocky had at least made it off the bed and was a few feet closer to the door. The human sat curled in on themselves, their hands resting in their lap, a blanket draped around their shoulders watching Rocky move away from them.
“Grace will be safe here” Rocky insisted as he inched towards the door, “nothing to be scared of statement. Rocky must be at thrum, am already late.”
Grace didn’t respond to Rocky immediately, instead curling up so their lower limbs were against their torso and wrapping their upper limbs around them.
“Sure, I understand,” he said quietly. “Good luck at the thrum Rock.”
They both startled as Adrian stepped into the room. “I will look after Grace while you are gone” they said firmly, “he will be safe until you get back.”
Adrian could tell by the tilt of Rocky’s carapace that they had taken them by surprise. After their one meeting Adrian had expressed no desire to meet with Grace again, and Rocky had had to constantly correct Adrian’s references to him as “the alien” or “it.”
“Good good good!” Rocky recovered after a beat. “Adrian perfect mate, watch Grace for Rocky.” Waving their front limbs in their enthusiasm Adrian could tell that Rocky was thrilled by this sudden change of heart. If only Rocky had told them Grace was just a pebble all of this heartache and angst could have been avoided! Trust their mate to leave out a valuable detail like that.
Grace looked less than enthused at Adrian’s proposal, shrinking back into their blanket. “Oh no, no I couldn’t ask that of you Adrian. I’m sure you’re much too busy to babysit me. I’m fine, really, just being a big baby about everything. Humans can get a little stupid when they’re tired is all.”
Rocky laughed, “yes Grace very dumb when tired, stupid.”
“Hey!” Grace made a very indignant pebble-like sound.
“Don’t tease him Rocky” Adrian chided. “Grace has had a very long day.” Once again their mate looked at them with pleased surprise.
“Adrian on Grace’s side? Rocky is outnumbered” he chirped.
On the bed Grace continued to look uncomfortable, not at all reassured by the gentle teasing between the two.
“Seriously, I’m fine Adrian. I don’t mind being alone. I’m just going to sleep anyway, nothing worth staying for,” he insisted.
Adrian had thought they could go no lower than when they admitted to themselves that they resented the alien. Turns out they were wrong yet again. They felt their hearts break at Grace’s insistence that they were fine alone, that they didn’t need a packmate to watch the sleep.
“Grace sleep, Adrian watch,” they said firmly. Absolutely over their dead carapace would they let a sick pebble sleep alone on an alien planet.
“Yes yes yes, Grace sleep Adrian watch,” Rocky repeated. Quickly he moved to the door, stopping briefly to rub gratefully up against Adrian. “Rocky go now, come back sooner.”
“Wait, no Rocky, it’s…fine” the human dropped the hand they had held out towards Rocky as the door shut behind him, his voice despondent.
“Do not worry Grace, I will look after you.” Grace jerked his head around from where he had been staring at the closed door to look at Adrian, anxiety written all over his body.
“Listen Adrian, I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I know you’re busy, and that I must take up way too much of your time. And Rocky’s time.” He hung his head a little at this and ran a hand through the soft hairs on top of his head. “I’m sorry for that, by the way. I’m sure it’s frustrating for you to get Rocky back after all this time and have him so worried about me.”
“No.” Adrian moved closer to the bed, ignoring the way the human flinched back just the tiniest bit. “Grace not apologize. Rocky would not be here without Grace, is only right that Rocky take care of Grace.” Moving slowly so as not to alarm the human any more, Adrian crawled up onto the bed. Grace tensed but didn’t move away, which Adrian considered a win. He was clearly exhausted and needed to sleep, his body already starting the process. His heart rate, which had raised when Adrian entered the room, was starting to slow, his eyelids starting to droop, his breath deepening.
“Grace sleep, Adrian watch” they repeated. Continuing to move slowly the reached out towards the human, curling their arms around them and shuffling them close to their side, encouraging them to lean against them. “Sleep. Rocky will be back when you wake up.” Despite their clear uncertainty over the situation and their nervousness at being so close to Adrian, Grace slumped over against Adrian. “Ok, but just a quick nap. And you can leave if you need to! I don’t know if Rocky told you but I can wake up whenever I need to, so you don’t need to stay.”
Adrian gave a stern hum at that. There was no way Adrian was leaving and that was final. Half asleep the human gave a quiet croon in response, a pebble sound to indicate submissiveness to an adult packmate. Adrian gathered the human closer and began to sing quietly, a children’s song their packmates had sung to them when they were a pebble, and soon the human appeared to be deep asleep (or what passed for deep sleep for their species).
It appeared their family of two had just grown to three. Only Rocky could go to space and come home with an alien pebble!
Adrian wasn’t irritated anymore though.
They had always wanted a pebble.