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This was a bad idea.
It started innocent- well… ‘innocent’ enough. Grace was relaxing on the beach- as he is to do- when Rocky and Adrian approached him.
“Mate-Grace!” Adrian was the first to greet, surprisingly. Usually they never beat out Rocky.
“Adrian,” Grace responded, and he knew that would piss off Rocky, “Rocky.”
The two Eridians crowded him, cooing out little affectionate sounds that meant nothing really. Rocky was a bit more pushy than Adrian, definitely affronted by Ryland's actions.
Grace laughed a bit, trying [in vain] to push them away. “Okay, okay, I get it!” He said.
“Grace not get! Grace mean!” Rocky protested immediately. “Grace neglect Rocky!”
“I did not neglect you, you big baby.” Grace rolled his eyes, mostly out of affection.
“Rocky not baby!” He screeched- well, Eridian version of a screech. “Rocky adult with sex organs!”
“Right, remind me when you act like it.”
Rocky gave a stomp in response, then turned away like he had eyes to see with. “You're not helping your case.”
“Grace shut up now.”
Ryland laughed at that.
Adrian nestled on one side of him, letting him rest a hand atop their carapace and rumbling lowly, content. Rocky settled down after seeing it, and Grace rested his other hand on him too.
Deciding to be merciful, Grace began petting at the top of Rocky's ‘head’, in the way he knew he liked. Rocky let out a chorus of warbles, not trying to hide his happiness any longer.
Adrian nudged at his hand, chirping, and Ryland gave another roll of his eyes before beginning his motions on them too. It was a bit difficult, trying to do it at the same time, but he managed.
After awhile, he stopped, and simply rested his hands against them. They seemed content to let him stop. With a pleasant sigh, Grace leaned against Adrian as much as he could. They were taller than Rocky, gave more cushion.
There they sat, Grace watching the waves and them all basking in each other's presence.
“Grace?” Rocky piped up.
“Yeah, bud?” Grace turned his head to look down at him, curiosity piqued.
“Have idea. Grace will like, statement.”
“Oh…?” Now he was definitely interested.
“Mate-Adrian and Rocky scheme while gone.” Rocky went on, Grace raising an eyebrow at him knowing he couldnt exactly see it. “Mate-Adrian suggest something, and Rocky knew mate-Grace would like it.”
“Yeah, you said that.” Grace reminded.
“Getting to it!” Rocky stomped one arm, impatient with him. “Mate-Grace likes danger, statement. Learn accidentally.”
Grace's face flushed slightly.
“We don't have to talk about that-”
“Quiet, Grace.” Adrian said, and their tone was enough to shut him up.
“So Rocky and mate-Adrian come up with plan. Simulate danger, statement. Chase mate-Grace, like predator. Grace run. We catch, statement.” If it were possible, Rocky's tone took on a husky affect. Grace's face flushed further.
Grace said nothing for a bit, lost in imagining it and all the things they'd do to him once they did catch him.
“Grace?”
“Huh?” He startled. “Oh, uh… I mean…”
“Grace like, question?” Rocky prodded, both metaphorically and literally, using one arm to nudge him. “A bit out of shape, though. Mates Rocky and Adrian catch easily.”
“Hey!” Grace protested. “I-” He spluttered. “I am not!”
“Lie, statement.” Rocky responded, efficiently.
Grace huffed, to which Rocky chortled at. Grace gave him a little swat, making him jerk away and then give an indignant sound while bumping into him with his entire body, trying to make a point.
“Grace likes idea, question?” Adrian spoke this time, interrupting the little game Rocky had initiated. Grace looked toward them, pushing his glasses further up his face.
“Well… I mean…” He coughed a bit, clearing his throat, and then decided to avoid their ‘gaze’. “I guess I am.”
“Good good good!” Adrian chirped. “Very good. We do now, question?”
“Now-?!” Grace sputtered again, his face going bright red. “Ehm, no, I have a class soon- and I’d really like to have more time to prepare-”
“Grace making excuses!” Rocky sang.
“I am not!” Grace protested. “After class, that’s final. Also, I would really like it if no one else saw us!”
“Would not be problem,” Rocky assured. “Rocky very intimidating.”
“Sure, that’s one word for it…”
Later, Grace had finished his class, a bit earlier than expected, and Rocky and Adrian immediately hounded him. He led them to his little house, where he took off his ‘work outfit’ and got in decidedly more comfortable [and easily strippable] clothes. After that, he finally allowed them to initiate the scene.
So this is where they were now. Grace, running, and Rocky and Adrian chasing after halfheartedly [they knew they could catch him easily if they went at full speed]. They had begun the chase at his house, and would, God willing, ‘catch’ him near the borders of the biodome.
It started fine. Grace went at a little jog, occasionally looking back to see Adrian and Rocky scuttling behind him. At first, it was exhilarating, exciting- something to look forward to. He had a small smile plastered on his face.
“Grace moving too slow, we will catch!” Adrian called. He gave a little laugh, and started moving faster. Only by a smidge, though.
Something about this was tugging at him, something deep and primal. He couldn’t tell if it was anticipation of what they would do to him, or something else. He felt his feet move a bit faster.
“Graaace~” Rocky’s voice sang out, chirping in a melodic tone that indicated how excited he truly was.
A string was pulled in his core, a deep strike that spiked his adrenaline immediately. It made his heart begin to race. This.. this wasn’t right. No. He looked back, and saw Adrian and Rocky beginning to gain on him. A pang of panic shot through him. Something was deeply wrong, and he didn’t understand what- he just… had to run…
Grace began breathing heavily, panting, his gaze racing across the shore as he tried to find something to anchor himself to. But no, he couldn’t, he couldn’t stop- they were gaining on him, they were going to catch him-
Grace felt hot tears filling his eyes, and he couldn’t care.
He remembered it so clearly now- now that the medication they had given him on Earth had fully worn off. He remembered begging for his life, screaming, tearing his throat apart in his desperate pleas. He remembered his chest burning, heaving through the effort of running so fast.
“I don’t want to die!” He had been shrieking.
In real time, Grace sped up, running as fast as he possibly could. Everything in his body was screaming, screaming for him to run, to escape, to get away. It burned with the effort. He could barely see through the fog of terror clouding his mind- it was a miracle his glasses were still on, anyways.
He heard something- someone- calling out to him, and it made his panic increase tenfold. “No, no, no!” He shouted. “Don’t do this to me!”
His terrified breathing and a buzz in his ears drowned out anything else he could possibly hear. All he knew was that he had to run.
Suddenly, he saw something come into view- the biodome’s walls. He skidded to a halt, nearly falling over, his heart racing. His body was shrieking, danger, danger, danger! He looked around frantically, for an exit, for anything-
“Grace!”
He looked back. All he saw was Earth, the guards running at him full speed. He crumpled to the ground and curled up into a ball, covering his neck with his hands in vain. Like it would stop them. He started screaming.
“No! No, no!”
“Grace-”
“Don’t do this to me! I don’t want to go!”
He heaved out heavy sobs, tears falling from his eyes at a rate he didn’t know was even possible. He was shaking. The sand underneath was hard, grating, but he didn’t care- not when-
“Grace!”
He couldn’t recognize the voice behind his sheer panic. He just knew someone was addressing him. He stopped shrieking, but he couldn’t stop the cries being ripped from his body as he shook on the sand.
“Grace! Grace ok, question??” The voice continued. He looked up, but they were a blur behind his tears. He couldn’t speak.
“Grace not okay, statement!” A new voice said.
“Stop…” Grace blabbered helplessly. “Don’t do this…”
“Don’t do what, question?” The first voice chittered.
“Stop, stop…” Grace sobbed.
A hand, rough and firm, set itself on Grace’s side. He flinched away from it with a scream, and the hand withdrew immediately.
“Sorry, so sorry! Do not be afraid, Adrian only means to help!” The second voice spoke, soft and gentle and unlike anything he had been hearing up until that point. Adrian… Adrian, he knew Adrian…
“Grace, what is wrong, question??” The first voice questioned. “Rocky fix!”
Rocky, he knew Rocky too. How could he forget? But…
“I can’t breathe…” Grace said, his chest feeling tight. He still couldn’t see through his tears, and his glasses had fallen off in his fall. “I’m going to die… they’re going to kill me…”
“What does Grace mean, question? Who will kill you? Rocky kill them first!”
“Rocky.” Adrian’s voice chastised. “Not helping.”
“They’re coming for me…”
“Adrian thinks he is stuck.”
“Stuck?” Rocky questioned. Grace shook.
“Yes, stuck. Like when we sleep.”
“I don’t want to die… please…” Grace sobbed, his voice dying. Like he had no fight left.
Adrian circled around Grace, inspecting him, trying to figure out what they could do. Rocky tapped his front legs nervously, chirping and watching Grace shiver on the ground.
“Then we should watch him sleep.” Rocky said. Adrian turned toward him, then chittered a bit and turned back toward Grace.
“Yes. Just, do not touch Grace.” Adrian finally replied.
Rocky made his way over to Grace, watching him a bit as his chest continued to heave and his body continued to shake. Rocky gave a little mournful warble, and settled beside Grace, close enough that his presence was felt, but not enough to touch. Adrian settled on his other side.
After a bit of watching him shake and let out tiny little sobs, Adrian began humming a low tune. Low and soothing- at least, they hoped. Rocky watched for a few moments before scooting a tiny bit closer to Grace, and joining in the song.
Grace listened, though at first he could barely hear it over the buzzing in his head. Slowly, the buzzing lessened, and Grace could finally process what he was hearing. With a long, unsteady breath, he focused on the sound. They weren’t saying anything, not really- just sounds, with no meaning, except to comfort.
After a long time, Grace’s breathing slowly evened out, and his heart stopped racing. He was able to breathe, able to hear and think again. With a long sigh, he slowly reached out one of his hands and put it atop Rocky’s xenonite suit, rubbing the top of it. Rocky gave a purr like sound, leaning his body into it.
“I’m sorry,” Grace croaked out, his voice hoarse.
“No no no no no,” Rocky said. “No sorry. Rocky Adrian sorry. We scared Grace.”
“It’s not your fault.” Grace said, fighting back a fresh burst of tears. “I shouldn’t have…” He trailed off.
“Can Rocky touch, question?” Rocky asked, his tune uncharacteristically quiet. Grace thought for a beat, and then nodded. Rocky chirped and came closer to Grace, reaching out and touching his arm that was petting him. “Rocky very sorry. Rocky did not know Grace would react like that. Rocky think Grace would like it.”
“I did like the idea, Rock, I just…” Grace sighed. “I remembered things. Bad things. I should have considered that would happen before agreeing to it.”
“Adrian Rocky should have considered it, too.” Adrian added, scooting closer themselves and resting one of their hands on Grace’s back. Grace instinctually leaned into it. “Very sorry. We are bad mates.”
“No, you’re not.” Grace said. “You’re wonderful, amazing… lovely. I love you both.”
“Rocky Adrian love Grace too,” Rocky replied.
Grace gave another huff and moved to sit up, slowly.
“Where are my glasses?” He asked.
“Here.” Rocky shuffled off to the side and then reached for somewhere nearby, and then presented Grace with the glasses. Grace took them and put them back on.
“I probably look like a mess.” He laughed a bit, though it sounded torn.
“Sand everywhere,” Adrian agreed.
“Great. That’ll take ages to get rid of.” Grace muttered.
“Grace feel better, question?” Rocky asked. Grace nodded, though it was slight.
“I just need some time to recover, I think.” He said. “Can we go back home?”
“Of course. Cuddle cuddle cuddle!” Adrian chirped. Grace smiled softly at that.
“Yes, cuddle cuddle cuddle.” He affirmed.