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Grace noticed that Rocky is tense today.
Rocky woke up around his usual time. He didn’t even warn Grace that he was going to eat that morning. Which was odd because Rocky had been very accommodating. He even came back for Grace, and now they are inbound back to Earth after sending the beatles to Erid.
Maybe Grace should have steered clear away from Rocky, but he is worried.
Always worried.
Grace is an oddity, back in his own planet and here in space, but Rocky wouldn’t know that since he is the only Eridian left after the radiation took his friends.
Grace's echolocation is impaired, so he thumps more than usual for an eridian. He compensates by touching or holding onto something, but even then his range is severely limited.
Grace had followed Rocky around in his tunnel, thumping every now and then to check on Rocky. He hadn’t meant to be annoying. Truly.
He hadn’t meant to startle Rocky, who was deep in thought and dropped the thing he was carrying. It broke by the sound of it. Grace winced when he heard Rocky spitting curses.
“Can you fucking not?” Rocky hissed at Grace who cowered in his tunnel. Two of his limbs made soothing motions while he trilled in a low tune, ‘apology’ but instead of making it better it seemed like it pissed Rocky more.
Grace had tried to explain but Rocky was moving on to a different side of the ship and Grace hopped in his xenonite ball. Desperate.
Desperate not to be alone.
Desperate not to be back in Blip-A where it’s so quiet, where he was surrounded by his dead friends, feeling useless and afraid that he couldn’t help- help- help he is so scared he doesn’t want to die.
It was hard to navigate without thumping his limbs, but he managed to find Rocky, who was hunched over the table, tinkering with the thing that had broken.
“Grace, apology, apology, apology, for startling Rocky.” Grace started one of his limbs pushing through the flexible xenonite to grab onto Rocky’s pant leg. “Grace can’t echolocate well so Grace thumps a lot.”
Rocky stilled at that.
Grace took this as a sign to continue.
“Grace can’t echolocate like other eridians. Only one foot far. Forgive Grace, please, please, please. Apology, apology, apology for being useless-” It was Grace’s turn to be startled when Rocky moved so fast to hug Grace’s xenonite ball.
Grace, like a moth to a flame, snuggled close to where Rocky pressed himself. “God- Grace- that’s, I didn’t mean- I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have treated you like that.”
Honestly, Grace would have let Rocky operate on his five hearts as long as it meant that Grace would be allowed to stay with him.
They talked more after that. Grace had mentioned that he actually had a sound amplifier back in Erid but the others didn’t manage to pack it for him since he tried to run away before the launch of Blip-A because he didn’t want to go to space.
“Hold up, what the fuck do you mean you ran away?” Rocky asked. Grace fiddled with his claws nervously. “Promise not to be mad at Grace. Please, please, please?”
Rocky nodded his head, seemingly bracing himself.
“Grace didn’t want to go. Grace knew that space is dangerous. Previous studies of space resulted in death and didn’t have time to find out why.” Grace paused and thumped, trying to gauge Rocky’s reaction. When Rocky remained silent, he continued. “Previous scientist died, bad, bad, bad experiment with astrophage. Thrum leader assigned Grace to be the ship scientist.” He fidgets more. “Grace doesn’t want to go, so Grace ran. Grace can’t see well so they caught Grace and locked near fuel because Grace threatened to sabotage mission.”
They sat in silence before Rocky exhaled. “Hold my hand while I say this.” Grace listened to Rocky and pushed his limb to the flexible xenonite. Rocky met him halfway to hold his claw.
“I am incredibly angry about how they treated you, you shouldn’t have been forced into that situation but, I’m selfish. I’m happy I get to meet you and now you’re going home with me.”
Then Rocky enveloped him in another hug.
Grace trilled happily when Rocky claimed that they are going home together.