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Simon lays flat on the bed- Well as flat as he could with his chest. He grumbles something about it, trying to get comfortable. He was unusually not today, stripped down to boxers. Grace had prompted the idea of creating seasons within the biodome.
Yeaahh... Turns out the idea of Eridian summer was boiling humans alive like their earthly crab counterparts.
He turns his attention to the footsteps and close of the door.
"A-phew.. thank god you had that AC idea." Grace sighs, wiping visible sweat off his brow. "I was able to explain what temperature is suitable but-"
Now on his side, Simon was half lidded, looking at Grace with the same content and listening glance. The AC he put in their window from ripping it out of the Mary blew against him, his hair flowing ever so gently. Sweat beaded off of him, dropping off his forehead and down his stomach and breasts.
Usually on Earth, Grace would cover his eyes and ask for the person to cover themselves, but he didn't feel this way about Simon.
It just felt right for them to be out. Luckily he had gotten his taken care of years ago, seemingly before launch. He'd only mentioned it to Stratt a couple times.
It was the one thing he was glad she had done to him- except for removing his uterus. (He didn't even know that was missing until he was playing an anatomy game with Rocky and he reported that Grace didn't have that organ.)
'Are.. are you sure??'
'Mmmh' The alien clicked his claws together. 'Very sure. Not there. Missing. How Grace lose organ, question??'
Same thing with his appendix.
If he saw himself like this when he was still in College, he'd be upset that the scars were noticeable, but now he wore them with pride. The keloids were almost star shaped, which is something he enjoyed most about himself now.
He and the Eridians were slowly working up the technology to offer Simon his own reduction, similarly to how they were discussing if Grace had enough arm skin for a partial down there, but they were discovering just how much scar tissue he truly had.
Oh well.. He could live with that. Rocky wasn't too thrilled about the idea of such an intensive surgery at his age anyway. Ryland wondered how many 60 year olds got bottom surgery without complications... factoring in being 16 light years from the closest hospital?
Ehh.. not good chances. Sure, the Eridians were advanced and Grace would trust Rocky to put a catheter into his heart valve, but again- The spider-like alien stomped, airing his grievances at the idea, claiming Grace was too reckless with his soft fleshy body.
"Hello??" Simon says, moving the nub as if his phantom arm was waving at him. "Mars to Space control?"
"What?"
"You just stopped talking. What were you saying? You just started staring at me.." By now, Simon pulled some of the blanket over his chest, wondering if they made Grace uncomfortable. They did when he first was found and he was worried maybe they'd gone back to that.
"Oh! No, sorry I was just thinking. Anyway, they said they should have it fixed in a couple days."
Simon groans, rolling over. "I'm going to fucking die.. Earth days or Eridian days?" He grumbles.
"I'm hoping for Eridian days. Adrian usually only tells me stuff in Erid time. Don't worry, they'll settle it." Moving his feet towards the bed, Grace hums, fingers running over his side.
He begins to trace the shapes of scars and stretches of his skin under his finger tips.
Simon knows the drill. Relax. Grace did this often, curing Simon's touch starved self with drips of medicine from his fingers, touch itself healing the loneliness trapped in his lower back and shoulders.
Shifting, Grace kicks off his shoes, crawling into the bed, sighing at the AC hitting his face. God.. it really was hot out.
Shifting to lay face down, Simon lets out a deep breath, allowing his hands to course over the keloids of past battles, drag in the dips that were overly stretched skin.
He was proud of them. When they had found each other, he himself was frail and Simon wasn't looking too good himself. He was strong, yes, but in that 'I should be getting WAY more calories than I am and I'm lean because of that' kind of way.
The moment they figured out how to make a surplus of food, the man bulked up. He was stronger now, bigger, and even had a little pouch that Grace simply adored. Simon didn't like it. It made him feel lazy and unprepared for battle.
'What battle?' Grace chuckles. 'The only battles we have now are sparing. That's just pretend.. besides. I've always liked my partners with meat on their bones.'
'Says the man without any'
'Hey it's not my fault my metabolism is that of a growing 14 year old boy! Trust me, I'm trying to gain some weight. Look at my thighs- wait don't.'
'Too late I'm looking.'
'Eeh! No!' Grace threw a pillow at his face, dramatically covering up (despite being fully clothed already) with the blanket, like one of those ladies in télenova dramas that got walked in on. 'Don't you know it's improper!?' He teases.
Simon just laughed, one of his genuine, chest deep ones that made Grace beam with joy.
Leaning down, Grace kisses along the marks, planting them like seeds sowing in the lines of Simon's garden.
Simon sits up a bit, turning. "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Kissing my ass.."
"What?? No.. on Earth these are called love handles." Grace explains, settling himself into the mattress as he continues putting his lips to the warm skin. Small, quick pecks of appreciation rather than desire.
It took Simon a moment to put together what he just said, only to squawk out a laugh. "Ha!! Really? Earth calls'em fucking handles?"
"Love handles, Si."
"Yeah but they're for fuckin', right? For grip?"
Grace sighs, letting his hand trail further to run over his branch tattoos on his leg from prison. Something he allegedly got solitary and cut rations for multiple months. Something about boosting morale to other Brothers in the prison and rileing up inmates, as well as the ink and needle being contraband.
"Yes. But.." Grace moves, crawling over the other man, laying on top of him. He grabs his hand, guiding him to his own area of skin. "It's where you're supposed to hold if you care about someone." He mumbles, placing his head in the crook of his neck, hugging his torso.
Simon swallows, knowing this was permitted, but being given range to feel Rylands body was rare. His hand was much rougher than Grace's. It was bigger too, thicker.
Flinching gently, he heard a small laugh come from him. His callus must be tickling him somehow. Rubbing over the skin, he does notice a small plop of fat starting to develop here. He could guess it was meant to protect your pelvis in some way.
His eyes widen in curiosity as he gives it a light squeeze. It cups perfectly in his hand and suddenly he understood what Ryland was talking about. It was for holding. For loving. He remembered now how his hand was placed when they danced on the Mary, this same spot. It was much more boney then.
A smile comes onto his face, taking a couple minutes to enjoy the weight and feel of him. Even if it was hot as balls.. actually maybe let's get him off before they get stuck together from sweat. Gross.
Pushing him onto his side, Simon still holds his 'love handle' laying there as he stares with soft appreciative eyes. He's seen Grace in the artificial sun dozens of times, and yet every time brought him back to that first Awe.
Grace smiles lop sided at him, embarrassed. "Sorry.. you were tickling me."
Grace couldn't help but trail his eyes over Simon. Who would have guessed he'd ever be fine with a naked man in his bed? A mutated one at that. It was almost laughable actually. The only man he was completely fine with was actually part eel-fish-thing, and actually had the same parts as him in those boxers. Ironic isn't it?
Grace had discovered this quite a bit ago, before he even got to test him, Rocky mentioned Simon sharing similarly looking organs. Grace explained much time prior that he has- well... Had.. female organs.. at one point and time.
'Thought Grace say male humans do not have uterus? Question?'
'Yes, though I don't think now's a good time to talk about me. We have bigger fish to fry.'
'Other-human is fish?'
'It's an expression.'
'Ah, Understand. Not really fish.'
'Maybe. We don't know that yet.'
Rocky clicks his claws together, thinking. 'Grace wrong about other-human chart.'
'What do you mean, bud?'
'Other-human is not male. Has Grace's missing organ.'
Grace stops, pausing as he looks at the alien. 'What?? .. are... you're sure??'
'Yes yes yes! Rocky compare to think machine graph. Other-human have organ! How many times have to say?'
'Oh wow..' Grace mumbles, holding his head in his hands. What were the odds?
I mean really? He didn't know absolutely for sure but he had a suspicion Simon's parents were both carriers of a 21-hydroxylase deficiency and this is just how he was now.
Simon said in the past that he's never really thought about it. He just thought his dick was small because he was shorter than the majority of his Brotherhood.
'I just assumed they got flabby because I didn't work out enough' He said when asked about his boobs. Which, yeah that made sense. He doubted Eden was checking genitalia so they probably just saw how hairy Simon was and threw him in the male category.
Simon has told him stories in the past about how much he got picked on by this one kid, Makena, how he'd say he looks like a girl and make fun of how small he is or how he couldn't grow proper facial hair until later on.
It all made sense.
Grace was sure he had something similar, if not classic Congenital adrenal hyperplasia but Simon didn't care nor want to hear about it.
He was happy being himself and honestly Grace was a little jealous about that. He had spent years trying to cope with his body and it was only after being thrown into space against his will when he genuinely started to appreciate how he looked.
That's how they were now. Both happy to be themselves. He was just a bit upset; it took 60 years to get to that point.
Simon leans in, half lidded and soft.
Grace doesn't move away at first, lowering his chin, thinking Simon was going to kiss between his eyebrows like he normally did, but when he feels his hand stop him from moving, he panics.
Pulling back, he puts a hand on Simon's chest, now awkward, his stomach a little upset.
"Ah-! Heh- ha... noo thank you.."
Simon blinks a few times, confused as he tilts his head. "...what?"
"It's just.. No thanks. I don't.."
The man's wide scared eyes turn into more of a sadness, fading into a dull darkness. He lets himself sink into the pillow, now refusing to look at the man in front of him. He's silent, taking this No in a stern manner. Simon was reliable like that. No means no. There was no repeating or trying again 5 minutes later. There was no 'when will you be ready?' It was just No. And that was final.
Grace swallows. He didn't mean to upset him.. he didn't want him to become distant again. Once, back on the ship Simon had scared him so bad that Grace screamed. It took Simon 6 months to try to hug him again after that. Grace didn't want that. He couldn't handle that distance again from his friend.
Ryland stutters, letting out a whine. "I-.. i, Simon.. simon I-.. it's just-"
"...It's my face.. isn't it..?"
It was the quietest of mumbles. Grace wouldn't have heard if he wasn't so close.
"What?? What did you say?" Grace moves closer, connecting their foreheads.
Simon moves away, his eyes glossy.
"The teeth..? I understand."
Grace's eyes whip open. "No. What?? No!! No no no! Not that. It's not that!" He says, sitting back on his knees, waving his hands in front of him as he shakes his head.
"You don't have to pretend, Ryland.. I'm a monster, I know. It's okay."
"No! That's not- I.. I just don't want to! Er- oh dag nab it, this is hard.. uhm- I don't.. I don't kiss people on the mouth! Erm.. Just.. I don't like it." He says, Finally spitting it out.
Simon raises a brow, confused.
He stares at Grace.
Grace stares at him.
Simon stares at Grace..
"...You'll kiss my ass but you won't kiss my mouth?"
"It's not your ass!- oph.. sorry."
Simon laughs. "Ppfft- okay..why?"
"Wh-why what? Why am I sorry?"
"No.. why? If.. if it's not because of my ugly face, what is it?"
Grace, for a split second glared at him. "First of all you are NOT ugly. Secondly.. I don't know? It just.. makes my stomach all.."
"Messed up? Like you'll puke?"
Grace nods, almost ashamed.
Simon thinks a bit, rolling onto his back, keeping his hand on his chest. "Wait.. When I kiss your face.. Do you still want to throw up? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Oh, No, I like those. You said your brothern did it for good luck."
"Good rot.. but yeah kind of the same thing.."
The two go silent for a few moments, giving Grace time to take back his spot on his chest, laying his head on the pillows, closing his eyes.
"..Kissing on the mouth is the most intimate thing you could do with someone in Eden. It meant you trusted them completely.. fully." Simon says, his hand coming back to rub over the patch of fat on Grace's hip.
"So I understand if you don't want too-"
Grace clamps his hand over his mouth, hovering over him just enough to kiss the back of his hand, right underneath the middle knuckle.
Simon lay there, wide eyed, confused and surprised.
When Grace lets go, he sits upwards on his stomach.
"...Why did you do that?" Simon asks. "You didn't have too.. I don't want you to unless you want to."
"I wanted to. I do trust you fully and I want to show you that."
Simon's brows knit as he frowns. ".. but now you're going to throw up.."
"No. Hand barrier."
"Barrier?" He asks.
"Mhm. Like Rock's ball. If I could touch him without being burnt alive and hurting both of us, I'd hand-kiss him too.. I don't.. really like to think about that though.. if we are being honest his progression in his slim suits worry me. I might have to start anyway. The last one upset my stomach a little... It's not his fault though! I don't.. really I don't know if it's anyone's fault." Grace says, hands on his abdomen.
"Oh..so it's not just my face, it's everyone's face." Simon states, keeping his hand on his hip.
"Yes. Exactly!... except I dont think Rock has a face.. hm.."
Just then, the door clicks, followed by skittering. "What about Rocky's face, question?"
"Speak of the devil." Grace smiles. "We were talking about if you have a face or not."
"Of course Rocky have face. Grace draw it."
"No no- bud. Like...you don't have any nose.."
"Or eyes." Simon chimes in.
Rocky, despite seeing the position they were in and the fact Simon was practically nude, hopped up on the bed, making himself at home on Simon's chest, reaching his legs up on either side of him to nuzzle Grace.
"Grace! Make new suit. Is form fit. Better to hold hands." He says, intertwining a claw into one of his hands. "See?"
"How did you make this one so smooth?" Grace asks.
"Rocky think about curve of circle and how many many tiny make circle and if more tiny, less sharp then be more smooth and-"
Grace puts a hand over his head, leaning slightly to kiss it.
"What is that? Why?" Rocky asked. "Why Grace block kiss? Grace hate Rocky now?"
Grace giggles. "You're so dramatic."
"No Grace just want Rocky die. Die on Simon. Crush him. Simon die. All Grace's fault."
"Please don't." Simon mumbles, half lidded and sleepy. Still hot as balls as Grace musters up the courage to tell his alien friend that he was banned from direct kisses now due to his new discovery of technology.
Much outrage. Much misunderstanding. But then, realization. Eridians were quite affectionate, much like 'humans need scritches to live', Eridians needed held and compression to feel admired. Admittedly, Rocky was disgusted by Grace's lips in the first place.
"Wait so you're telling me, you didn't like it either? This whole time??"
"Yes. Not want hurt Grace's feelings.. not want less hug.."
"Damn. He just like me for real." Simon mutters.
Grace now scrunches his thick brows together.
"Woah.. wait wait wait-"
"Waiting." Rocky says, putting his two main claws up.
"Both of you don't like kissing..and you've been letting me do it this whole time because you didn't want to hurt my feelings? Why did you try to kiss me then?"
Simon shrugs. "Thought I was supposed to.."
"That's a stupid reason to kiss someone."
“You're a stupid reason to kiss someone."
Simon mutters under his breath.
Grace rolls his eyes. "So.. just to be clear. No one here actually likes kissing?"
"I still want to kiss your head and stuff.. and I like when you kiss my ass."
"NOT AN A-" Grace takes a deep breath, closing his eyes as he breathes.
"Okay.." He points to Simon. "You like kissing my face and head. And you like when I kiss your head, cheek, and body. Yes?"
Simon lazily nods. "Mhm."
"And you-" Grace gestures to Rocky. "You don't like any kissing at all."
Rocky makes a confirmation note.
"Uh-huh.. and exactly when was either of you going to ask me to stop?"
Simon glanced at Rocky. Rocky looked at Simon.
"Never." Rocky says.
"Never!?? You were just going to let me make you uncomfortable forever??"
Simon shrugs a shoulder. "Yea."
Grunting, Grace dramatically falls off to the side, sprawling out.
Everyone is quiet. 20 seconds pass. Then 30. Then a minute.
"....Was Adrian able to fix the heating element?" Ryland asks, previous topic having passed with the minutes.
"So.. about that.." Rocky says.
Both humans groan loudly but don't dare leave the cuddle puddle, continuing to be hot and complain for multiple Eridian days, grateful for each others presence…even if it did feel like the model sun on the ceiling was the literal sun itself.