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Rocky didn’t stare. He couldn’t stare, he didn’t have eyes. But for all intents and purposes, he stared.
Grace fidgeted. And Rocky stared.
“Disgust,” Rocky said, eventually.
“I know,” Grace replied.
“Disgust,” Rocky repeated. Grace scrubbed a hand over his face. “That is liquid waste outlet.”
“Ok,” Grace said. “But you gotta understand: human anatomy is dumb. We’re…we…have to double up, for certain things. We use our…liquid waste outlets for…” he waved his hands. “...reproduction. Like we use our mouths for eating and breathing.”
“Simon also use mouth on Grace liquid waste outlet,” Rocky said.
“Ok,” Grace said, after making a loud, also disgusting noise with his throat. “Yes. He did do that.”
“Disgust,” Rocky said.
“The point is,” Grace said. “Yes, humans are gross. But it’s fine. There’s nothing wrong.”
“Grace made hurt noises,” Rocky said, quietly.
Grace took a deep breath.
“No,” he said, drawing out the sound. “But I can see why you’d think that. Just a lot of…things going on. Physically.” Rocky could see the heat radiating off his Friend’s face. “I guess it does sound kinda like pain. But no. He wasn’t hurting me. I promise. But I love that you tried to protect me. That was really brave.”
Rocky released some of the tension in his frame. He didn’t understand, not really, but he couldn’t do much but take Grace at his word.
“Simon angry, question?” he said after a moment.
“No, no,” Grace said. “He’s fine. He just needs a minute. He’s not angry.”
“Grace lie,” Rocky said.
“Yes, yes I am lying, he’s mad as hell,” Grace said. Rocky made an unhappy noise. “Where did you get a taser anyway?”
“Adrian make,” Rocky said. “New mission, new aliens might not be friend.”
“Yeah, that sounds like Adrian,” Grace said. He tilted his head to look at Rocky. “Look,” he said. “Simon will be fine. You just gave him a shock. Literally. But he’ll calm down, and I’ll smooth things over. Just give him some space.”
“Have much space,” Rocky said, gesturing toward a porthole.
“Joke?” Grace asked. Rocky waved his arms in assent. “Good one,” Grace conceded. “We do have nothing but space out here.”
They sat in silence for a while, Grace glancing over toward the corridor down which a furious Simon had stormed some minutes earlier. Something preyed on Rocky’s mind.
“Simon also touch Grace solid waste outlet,” he said.
“Ok, I’m done talking about this,” Grace said, pushing himself to standing. “Rocky, I will see you later, don’t come after me and don’t tase anything while I’m gone.” He headed off in Simon’s direction.
“Rocky sorry for taser!” Rocky called after him.
“I’ll let him know!” Grace called back.
Rocky watched him go, cursing his own excellent sense of hearing and briefly considered tasing himself unconscious for the rest of the trip home.