Archive of Our Own

The evening on The Hail Mary was a complete mess and all that with a pretty decent crew of two professionals. Maybe Rocky had too much faith in them and was too lost in his favoritism, but still – from his point of view, nothing could go wrong.

Until it did.

There was a loud boom, then hysterical splashes of painful eridian trills and after that all Mary shattered in agony, making all her insides blood red. Rocky was sure – they were dead. Something was happening, the ship was cracking in two halves and they would go into the black void right fucking now.

They were dead, and he even didn’t know why and actually would never ever know because he wasn’t in the room where it all was happening. He could only guess.

A noise of crashing glass was following his thoughts and then an unbelievable human cry rang out in blood red surroundings which, actually, hadn’t any sense.

That made him in motion finally, so Rocky sprinted into the other room with an awfully empty head – mind you, he had given himself a burial a long second ago.

A human – oh, boy, they were really dead and that his stupid final hallucination – was lying in the fragments of crushed xenonite and didn’t cry anymore. They were trembling uncontrollably and making sounds of someone who desperately tried to breathe but couldn’t. Their body was in stressful, even hurtful, tense so that made their lungs stuck and not working.

“Easy, easy!” Rocky rushed over stupidly. His head was still far away in his own grave. “Hey, hey, hey! Breathe! Please, please, please!”

He mumbled and chattered while going on his knees next to the man. Argh… could he even touch him?..

But the human was activated by his voice much faster than Rocky expected, and finally gasped with a full chest. Their arms were flapping around dramatically until the hand found Rocky’s shirt and grasped it in fist. The man crashed themself into him with all their might, immediately going into a trembling ball of flesh by his side.

“O-okay,” Rocky hugged the man back tensely. “It’s fine… I guess. You breathe, ‘kay?”

The man did an awful groan and nuzzled closer to Rocky’s chest.

Finally, Rocky’s head was back from dead vacation! So, he looked around himself, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

In all the red lights of Mary he couldn’t see much, but still all seemed pretty normal. And that was alarming. Only these broken pieces of xenonite… oh, no.

“Grace!” Rocky yelled in the dark corner of the eridian’s part of the ship but there was no motion. “Gra-…”

Rocky tried to yell again while a pure hot panic punched his guts, but the man in his arms made a sound and nuzzled him again with his head.

Rocky went absolutely still for a few seconds. He was a genius, but that situation made him dumb beyond all limits. Come on!

“Grace?!” Rocky looked down on the man in his arms. “My guy, is it you?! What did you fucking do?!”

Grace couldn’t speak, he couldn’t even breathe properly, so he only managed irritating noise and crunched his face.

“How are you even that big as a human? You’re like three apples tall as an eridian!”

Grace started to mumble but didn’t master any proper word. Rocky, actually, didn’t want to hear any explanation right now, he just talked and talked to stay away from the hysterical episode himself. For now, at least.

Somebody on this ship needed to have a clear head. And now it’s Rocky’s turn, unfortunately.

Again, for the record, in his arms was a man. The man who was before an eridian. His friend, actually. Grace. That was a start.

Rocky didn’t do hugs much. Not now in space, not back on Earth. He was just that guy who shakes your hand once on a good day and never does it ever again.

So, contact with people was not very welcome from his side.

But for Grace this pattern was shredded in pieces. This bastard took from him the largest number of hugs. As the eridian Grace was not sure at first about the concept of such close contact, but after was quickly to adapt and shortly became a touchy little goof.

He’d even died for several days to take the longest and wettest with tears hug in the history of Rocky’s hugs ever after his coma.

And now it was this situation when Grace again took the honor of Rocky's hug for himself. What would he do for one next time? Rocky didn’t want to know. That was a pretty stupid little thought.

And then Rocky understood – Grace couldn’t sense his surroundings at all right now! His human body didn’t have useful detectors for his usual echolocation, so he was completely blind from an eridian point of view.

Oh, boy, if Rocky in a second went blind he would be the clingiest motherfucker in the whole world. So, all comments about hugs were shut immediately for the good.

Now, when both of them were calmer and not actively dying from suffocation or panic, Rocky took a closer look at Grace. Then made a double take. Then a triple take.

Grace was in his mid thirties maybe. And even in a tight ball position he looked tall, like – tall. Rocky was sure that Grace now was as tall as him, maybe even bigger by a few inches. Also, he had the fucking audacity to look athletic, especially with those toned grippy arms that still hold onto Rocky for dear life.

Grace’s hair was short and light colored – he might easily go golden blonde under the Earth sun. His eyes were still shut and his face was scrunched up, and… oh! What a kissable mole just under the left corner of the eye!

Where did that thought even come from? Never mind, Rocky would unpack it later. Or never at all.

In general, Grace looked a little foxy in a way that Rocky couldn’t quite describe. Maybe because of his blonde hair or athletic slim build, or maybe because Rocky knew that with these good-looking features and his soft but mischievous and curios personality, that Rocky had the privilege of knowing by know, Grace could easily be a fucking heartthrob if he wanted.

Grace was too good for that, by the way, but still – what an opportunity!

Anyway, distinguished features such as the family crest and the markings of field of activity, that were special for eridians, now gone on the human body and Rocky thought that it was a shame. But then he saw it.

“You rascal! Were you a party animal in youth?”

There was a little tattoo on Grace’s inner side of the arm that easily would go none visible under the clothes. It was that kind of stupid tattoo that you do while young and drunk, and it represented something connected with science, Rocky was sure it was.

It was really refreshing that now Rocky could collect a whole portrait of Grace because their cultures were the same for once!

Grace, on the other hand, was having a bad time – he was annoyed and hummed and grumbled and wheezed, trying to find the words in his mouth. His eyes were shut but still wet, his nose and mouth were running with liquids.

Rocky swiped all the tears, snot and saliva with his own sleeve.

“Look at you, now you’re a leaky space blob too.”

Grace pouted like a child who was ready to burst into tears.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know you are afraid, I’m afraid too! That’s why I’m talking all that stupid shit.”

Grace sighed but was still pouting.

“’now-w…” he tried to move his mouth and made a deep howl with a heavy accent. The saliva that he had forgotten to swallow was bubbling on his lips again.

“Ah-h, goddammit.”

Rocky rubbed Grace’s face once more. Why was he so leaky? Even new to the body, Grace seemed to be very bad at holding back all liquids in general.

“Try again to speak. You should do it on the exhale, okay? We don’t run anywhere, so take your time.”

Even if Rocky said that there was no rush, he was more and more uncomfortable on the floor with a pretty heavy naked body in his arms. He didn’t want to complain - what a view! - but Grace would be freezing there if they wouldn’t actually move. 

But they could wait another several minutes while Grace was looking for his new vocal cords and experimenting with noises which went from his mouth.

It was a miracle that Grace seemed to remember how lips should be moved for different sounds, but still – just seeing how Rocky talked and doing it himself were two big differences.

Grace’s first ever sentence was:

“W-at th-had, qw’n?..”

Grace crunched his face and bared the teeth. Then he flapped his arms a little and finally found a nose to close with his hands.

“Ba-d.”

Oh boy. Rocky didn’t expect company on his side of the quarter any time soon.

“Probably it's smell. You feel smells now.”

“R’cky stin’.”

“Sorry, pal, you caught me at the wrong part of the day. Bath time later.” Rocky said with a huff, feeling a little embarrassed. Actually, wait. He was in the fucking space all alone with the alien who shouldn’t be on his side of the ship at all!

“You know what,” he said, “You smell too!”

“No-o-o!” Grace made a long heartbroken wail, as if Rocky said he’s dying.

“Ye-eah!”

Rocky barked a laugh and then buried his nose in Grace’s hair to mess with him a little more and ease the tension while Grace tried to lean away.

And, well.

Rocky fully expected to sense the smell of cat piss and the bitter taste of something burned due to how Grace seemed almost on fire escaping the ammonia atmosphere recently. Rocky just wanted to prove that he’s not the only one who stank here, sue him!

These smells were there, sure enough, but the back of Grace’s head naturally smelled like a warm milk kitten… The fuck.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now or what.” Rocky mumbled in his hair, so Grace made a puzzled sound. Rocky just did another loud sniff.

Yeah, it was the smell of a kitten’s belly. Rocky didn’t sense that in years.

“How can you possibly do it?..”

“D’ w-at, qw’ion?”

“Never mind, I’m so pissed right now.”

Grace stayed still for a few seconds.

“Rocky stinks.” That bastard figured out how to pronounce this without stuttering very quickly. What a sly fox he was.

“Yes, laugh your ass off about it, ha-ha. Though it’s your problem. I’m not going to bathe today.”

“No-o!” Here went another heartbroken wail.

“Yes. Now move. Do you think we can stand up now? Better go before it’s too cold for you.”

Rocky wasn’t a small guy, actually, he was big enough to feel tall and imposing when meeting new people. His work was also connected with physical labor, so Rocky was a pretty good deal pack - there were muscles and brains.

And there was Grace - Grace made Rocky ask himself a lot of questions.

Were you sure that you were tall? Because somehow Grace was taller now.

Were you sure that you were strong? Because it was a punishment to move Grace from his place.

For now, Rocky was only sure that he was still smart. At least until Grace didn’t learn how to properly speak English. 

When they reached Rocky’s room, they were both sweaty and trembling with effort. Grace walked against great odds - he always wanted to bend down because his own height was too scary for him and his legs couldn’t quite move as smoothly as he wanted, so he held Rocky in a death grip unaware that it was a little too painful. 

Rocky kept him steady and upright, helping to move his legs with his own feet. And it was exhausting, as if Rocky did a puppet show but with a doll of his own size and weight.

Finally, Grace made it to the bed and fell face first. Neither of them could speak for a while. Until Grace started to tipy-tap with his fingers.

It was hard to observe how frantically he was trying to sense as before. It was useless, the human brain had nothing to do with information like that besides to classify it like just some noise and hand movement.

Grace looked like he wanted to re-discover a part in his head which might help to figure out how to sense everything again, but could find none, which was extremely disturbing.

“Sorry, Grace, I think you need to use your new eyes.” Rocky said, coming closer.

Grace stopped.

“‘fraid.”

“I know, I’m here, and I’m the best expert in having eyes you can find right now. So, everything is alright.”

“On-y t’wo of us-s h’re.”

Rocky laughed.

“Yes, you just proved my point.”

Grace made a loud moan and tried to catch Rocky with his hand to be sure that he was close. Rocky let him grab his forearm. He was going to have a lot of bruises from these grasps.

“You’re going to freeze, Grace,” Rocky tried again. “We have to cover your naked ass.”

"Tire-ed-d…" 

Yeah, it was quite understandable. So Rocky reached out for another blanket from the next bunk and awkwardly covered Grace’s body with his free hand.

“Then sleep,” Rocky said calmly. “I’ll watch.”

The grip on his forearm became stronger and Grace moved his head closer to him as much as possible while Rocky adjusted himself on the floor.

In a second, Grace was out. His eyes were shut and still wet, mouth open and full of saliva. Actually, there was no snot, so that was a big victory.

Grace was out for two hours.

Rocky managed to change the lights on Mary and adjusted them to thirty percent brightness to be sure that the light wasn't bothering for not accustomed eyes. Then he just sat here in silence and waited for Grace to wake up.

They had a lot of questions for each other but for now Rocky was happy that Grace was breathing all right and was not going to die due to anything.

Grace’s hand made a movement and Rocky jolted a little. His whole body was pretty numb in this position already.

“Hey-y, sunshine!” Rocky smiled when Grace grumbled, waking up and raising his head. “How are you feeling?”

The first natural urge for a human was always to open their eyes, so Grace uncontrollably did the same. That punched Rocky in the chest with a loud ‘whoop’, as if he was in a fucking romance movie.

Of course, Grace had angelic blue eyes. This guy was unbelievable.

And he shut them again in panic, dropping his face back on the pillows.

“Woah, didn’t like what you see?” Rocky decided to attack neither to be struck again with this lethal face card.

“I se’ no’hin,’” Grace mumbled with irritation.

“Your loss,” Rocky chuckled, but stopped teasing for now.

Grace didn’t move his hand from Rocky's forearm and tried to tap the fingers again.

“S-s’pid-d,” he groaned when it didn’t work.

“Open your eyes, Grace, it’s much better that way,” Rocky gently said. “I’ll shut my mouth if it would be better f…”

“No,” Grace stopped him. “Bett’r w’en you ta-k.”

That was actually nice to hear.

“All right, then open them. It’s not bright here at all, won’t hurt,” Rocky assured him and Grace slowly raised his head again.

Then opened his eyes a little.

“Hello there!” Rocky smiled at him with all his teeth.

Grace said nothing, staring at him with wet narrowed eyes that were full of uncertainty and fright. He looked him over once, twice, a little too long, staring at Rocky’s hair (should he be offended or?..) and slowly moved his gaze around Mary.

Rocky caught himself not breathing when Grace returned his gaze at him again.

“Hello,” he said back finally. 

Rocky was down bad. He needed to say something really stupid to not lose his footing completely in this situation.

“Huh, bet you have all the parents in your classroom when it’s a teacher-parent meeting and nobody dodges this kind of school shit.”

“H-how’d ‘now?..”

Rocky just blinked at Grace. But he was so confused and surprised by the comment that Rocky didn’t have the heart to make any more stupid jokes.

“Well, I guessed. Glad I’m right.”

Rocky wasn’t sure how all this transition was working, but it seemed that if Grace was quite of a catch as eridian then he would also be handsome as a human being. Rocky was not here to complain, he was actually right there where he wanted to be.

And the fact that Grace didn’t quite grasp the truth that he was a hottie… actually made him even hotter. The fucking fox.

Oh god, Rocky’s mind was stuck on that resemblance, wasn’t it? So, when was the right time to throw himself out of the airlock?

Grace pulled Rocky out of his pity thoughts, making a loud gulp and grumbling in irritation.

“Ho’w u rem’mber to d’ it. ‘m tired alr’dy.”

Grace’s running mouth was… a different story. Rocky gripped his own neck in his mind in strict order to be fucking nice and totally normal about this.

“I don’t need to remember, it happens automatically.” Rocky managed a chuckle.

“Argh…” Grace erased saliva with his free hand. “G-gross…”

Grace started adjusting his jaws again and again just like a horse with a bridle. Well, Rocky didn’t know that getting a mouth was so difficult.

“Alw’ss in da way.” Grace said and showed his tongue. “Muscl’ly… ew-w.”

Yeah-yeah, gross or whatever. Do that again. Wow, who said that?!

Rocky laughed at his own thoughts and shook his head.

“Just shut it, that’s all.”

Grace closed his mouth and frowned. Then opened it again.

“How spe’k when clos’d?”

He would be the death of Rocky. 

“My guy,” Rocky actively fought with himself at that point. “You open your mouth only when you speak, or drink, or eat. Other times you keep it close and swallow saliva every time you feel like it’s too much.”

“Wh’n know it’s-s…”

“Oh god,” Rocky snorted, “like right now when it’s slipped from your mouth!”

Grace wiped it in disgust.

“Yeah, should know that shutting a mouth would be a problem for you, foxy.”

“Woo?”

Oops, slipped eventually.

“Never mind, Grace.”

And it seemed like Grace finally stopped using ‘question’ in his sentences. Maybe because it was difficult enough to pronounce with a new mouth.

Now, when Grace could see, Rocky managed to free his hand from the dead grasp and went around the ship trying to find some more suitable clothes for him (he meant the most clean one).

Grace was looking at him the entire time with unceasing attention, then he grimaced a little and squinted his eyes. 

“What’s wrong, what are you doing?” Rocky looked at him with worry. 

“Better see wh’n do.”

Darn it, Grace was a teacher and a scientist, of course his eyesight wasn’t perfect. Rocky was sure that would be too stereotypical if he assumed it first, but, hey, that was true after all! Somehow, Grace was the most stereotypical nice man alive.

“Oh, I think you need glasses then.”

“Am not ‘kay?” Grace started to panic immediately.

“It's a common problem for smart people actually. Don’t you worry.”

Whoops, stereotype!

“Ah… undes’ent a lot ‘bot R'cky.”

“What?” Rocky turned his head to Grace again with a question just to find out Grace was smiling shyly but with a bit of devil. The glasses were indeed some accessories for smartasses, but did he want to imply… Oh. That foxy bitch.

“You know what, I’m not mad right now only and especially because you’re having bad times.”

Grace made a wheeze and startled himself. Yes, karma, baby.

“And that’s a laugh. Came naturally, didn’t it? So pretty much everything in the human body do. Except for speaking and walking, I guess. But, can you be less stiff about counting seconds for breath? Even I hear how you overthink it.”

Rocky came back with some t-shirt and an orange jumpsuit. He didn’t find any boots, but chunky socks should work too.

“A-and, actually, I need glasses too, just don’t wear them a lot.”

“You dn’t want to l’ok smart?” Grace said and nodded. “Yes, t’s bet’er not to g’ve hope.”

Rocky calmly threw all the clothes in that damn fox face and Grace laughed again.

“Glad you’re better now, ass,” Rocky said with a smirk. “Put on that. And I won't help you.”

Grace pouted but decided that he deserved that eventually.

“Whe’r you goin’?” He asked when Rocky wanted to leave the room. 

“Both of us need to eat, I’m going to the kitchen.”

Grace’s face went white then red. He didn’t say anything, sitting there with stupidly blinking eyes, and Rocky simply left the room. 

It was a perversion for the ex-eridian to ask him to eat in front of anyone, but they both needed it and, well, Rocky was too worried to let Grace eat all alone - that guy was still breathing while counting seconds in his head for sure! Of course, Rocky was worried like a mother hen.

All this situation was crawling in his skin even more when he heard a loud yelp and thud from another room.

Rocky didn’t want to run back but… Ugh, he barely stopped himself. Okay, he was the mother hen from now on.

So, the food.

Rocky had a few cups of ramen that he postponed until better days. So maybe today was that day.

Rocky turned around and jumped in surprise.

“Fuck! Where did you even come from?!”

Grace, fully clothed, stood in the room and supported himself with his hands on the wall. It was very impressive because Rocky was sure that he needed to manually operate Grace’s body for him to walk again. But still scary enough - Rocky was not used to seeing another human on the ship.

In addition, a sneaky one.

“From ro’m,” Grace said plainly.

Actually, Grace was neater with his limbs now! His movements were a little uncanny from time to time, like Grace was still adjusting to his human costume, but now he even could…

Grace made a step and let go off the wall. He lost his balance immediately, tried to catch himself with his hands on the table but didn’t manage and crashed on the floor with a loud cry.

Yeah, nevermind. Still no grace in Grace.

Rocky barked a laugh and rushed to help.

“Were you so desperate for some noodles?” He teased.

“No.” Grace said with a frown. “Don’t like wh’n can’t hear you.”

Aw, and that’s a perfect moment to throw himself out of the airlock because his pants were full of happiness? Not that happiness, but… o-okay, Rocky should put himself on a time out.

They were sitting at the table with two cups of noodles. Grace didn’t want to touch it at all and Rocky didn’t want to start eating first.

“Gross.” Grace said with a huff.

“Are you a scientist or not? Do your stupid science of human eating.” Rocky gave a shrug. Grace in the first month on the ship terrorized him with questions about human anatomy, biology and all the processes inside his body. And insisted on watching all of it to be able to remember all in heavy detail.

For fucking science!

Rocky liked to joke that it was the reason he went gray, because Grace once was very invested in the fact that the reproduction system and excretory system were in the same organ and wanted to tap-tap it for a better look. 

And now Grace wasn’t ready to eat because he wasn’t a pervert. Except he actually was one.

“Will you e’t too?”

“Yes,” Rocky nodded.

“It’s like an 𝄫♫♪,” Grace made a surprisingly good whistle.

“A what now?” Rocky moved the cup closer and started to stir a little. It was uncommon for them to use new words at this point.

“An orgy.” Without a fucking stutter!

Rocky was caught off guard and remained speechless for a whole minute while Grace took his own cup and looked inside it with an uncertain face.

“Where did you even… I mean…” 

“Have R'cky's thinkin’ mac’ine now.” Grace said pointedly.

“Why are you saying it like I have perverted Google history?! While you are the one who searched up an orgy!” 

Grace simply shrugged. His face was asking for a punch. No, for a kiss. Or for a… Wait, what were they talking about? Argh…

“Eat your fucking noodles, foxy, or I will feed you by force.”

Grace perked up.

“Wh’t is this aga’n?”

Where was the stupid airlock? Now.

Rocky had all of his strengths to face this question with honor, he would die of embarrassment later.

“Sorry, Grace, you just look like a fox a little.”

Grace frowned and tilted his head.

“Tho’ght looked like a m’nkey.”

“Huh, no cap, but… erm, people like to compare their appearance to different animals. It can be quite characteristic in a way.” Rocky wasn’t prepared for this talk, so he took the first bite of the noodles even while Grace scrunched his nose in disgust.

“Oh. Wha’ is a fox th’n?”

“Why do you know a fucking orgy but don’t know foxes?”

Grace shrugged with a stoic expression and Rocky looked inside of his cup while chewing to have more time to think and not look at Grace.

“So, foxes in culture are very clever animals, they’re sly and always have a bunch of tricks in their mind. They’re considered very pretty and attractive. I mean, you’re also smart and adorably sarcastic with that face of yours… Something like that.”

Rocky cautiously looked at Grace just to be struck with absolute agony of pure confusion on his features. No fucking way.

“Grace, it’s very important. Seriously. Why do you think everyone back on Erid was happy to be at your teacher meetings?” Rocky asked too calmly. “And do not say because you're just an amazing teacher.”

“‘m am’zin’ teacher.”

Rocky couldn’t believe that for such a long life Grace had not faced with the fact that he was an attractive person. Grace could be not interested in relationships, but relationships had to be more than interested in Grace at that point. 

“Grace, buddy, you are a pretty boy.” Rocky didn’t know what to do - should he laugh or cry? Why was Grace so highly intelligent and, at the same time, the dumbest person alive?

“Me?” Grace looked shocked, his cheeks flushed a little and he jabbed his finger into his chest. “Pret’y?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Oh.” 

Grace grimaced and Rocky was back to eating while watching closely how desperately Grace was experiencing all his life from scratch with new - for him - knowledge.

Anyway, Grace had come to a conclusion of some sort. And Rocky was sure that it was not connected with the fact that he was handsome at all, unfortunately, because Grace asked right after:

“That means R’cky’s sp’cies plur’l wo’ld like to have s’x with fox sp’cies?”

“Oh, god,” Rocky sighed and covered his eyes.

“Answ’r! Inter’ting!”

“Eat!”

“For science!”

Rocky ensured that day Grace would eat all his noodles with a little help and in fucking silence.