Chapter Text
Ryland came back from the memory with tears already filling his eyes. “Colt,” he choked out, stumbling towards his brother with his arms outstretched.
Colt was waiting, wrapping one arm over Ryland’s shoulder and the other below, fisting the back of Ryland’s t-shirt in his hands. Ryland buried his face into Colt’s shoulder, wetting the stupid Cats shirt with his tears.
It had been so long since he had seen another human, let alone his brother. His shoulders shook with sobs, Colt only squeezing him tighter. Colt slightly swayed them, a move that Ryland remembered that he appreciated.
“They told me you had amnesia, I thought you would’ve forgotten me.” Ryland feels Colt shaking, breaths stuttering between words. He pulled back, holding Colt at an arm’s length.
Ryland wanted to smack his head against the wall. Colt was here. On the suicide mission. “Why are you here? We- we aren’t going back home,” Ryland’s voice cracked.
Colt ran his arm across his face, stopping any tears from falling. “I wasn’t going to let you die alone,” he said firmly, clearing his throat and crossing his arms. “I made my decision.”
Taking a shuddering breath, Ryland willed himself to stop crying. He was sad, happy, and angry all at the same time. His glasses had fallen below his chin. He reaches up, righting them on his face. Sighing, his eyes focus on Rocky. Oh. Duh.
Ryland coughs, gesturing at Colt. “Rocky, Colt. My brother. Colt, Rocky. Alien.”
New word. ♪♫ is Grace brother. Rocky have many questions! Rocky had his jazz hands up, making Ryland chuckle at his antics.
“What the fuck.” Ryland glared at Colt, partially because of the swearing, also because Rocky and curse words would not go well together.
More new word! Grace translate, question?
Ryland groaned, shoulders slumping. “You know what, Rocky? I think Colt needs a second to process. Could you go back to what you were doing, just for a minute?”
Rocky grumbled a few low notes. Humans so sensitive. Rocky wait.
“Thank you,” Ryland nodded, smiling at Rocky and flashing a thumbs up. Rocky tittered a few high notes back.
Ryland manhandled his brother across the room, gripping his shoulders at arm’s length. “You good?”
Colt sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “You’re telling me, of all people to go to space and find an intelligent alien, it’s you?”
Scoffing, Ryland grouches, “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Colt brings his eyes back to Ryland’s, making eye contact.
“Ignoring the alien for a second, are you okay?”
Ryland dropped his hands from Colt’s shoulders. He scratches his head. “Just peachy. We’re traveling to a planet that has a Petrova Line, but the star isn’t dimming.” Ryland clears his throat, lowering his voice. “I didn’t remember my own name, Colt. It was terrifying.”
Colt dropped his eyes, toe tapping the ground idly. “I, uh, found Stratt. She wouldn’t let me see you because they had put you in a coma and given you amnesia. Somehow she let me replace the pilot, and here I am.”
Ryland winces, now faced with the fact that he had declined the request to save Earth. It was probably selfish. But they had kidnapped him.
Numbly, Ryland comments, “I don’t know how you convinced her. She’s stubborn.”
Colt barked out a laugh. “I would have to agree. Maybe it was my good looks,” he teased, shoving at Ryland’s shoulder.
“Ha ha,” Ryland deadpanned, rubbing his shoulder where Colt hit it.
They stand there for a second. Ryland knew Colt was examining him, making sure nothing was physically wrong.
“Rocky,” Ryland states, leaning his head to catch Colt’s reluctant eye.
“What about him,” Colt grumbles. He pauses, eyes widening. “Is he even a guy? How do you tell?”
Ryland giggled, Colt’s confusion replicating Ryland’s first contact with Rocky. “Eridians don’t have pronouns. We talked about it and Rocky doesn’t mind he/him.” Ryland watches Colt’s face contort, still adjusting to the thought of a real alien. “His star is dying too. Really, we’re just two peas in a pod.”
Colt takes a deep breath, running his hand down his face, a habit that Ryland knew they shared. “Okay. Not the craziest thing I’ve experienced recently.” Colt speaks up again, “Before I go make first contact with an alien, can you explain the science stuff like I’m an idiot?”
Ryland awkwardly laughs, memory flashing back to his drunken stumbling, followed by the funeral, running away from the Blip-A, and making himself look stupid in front of their first contact with alien life.
“You know about the Petrova Line. Tau-Ceti is a star that isn’t dimming. I looked at Tau-Ceti’s Petrova Line when I got here and found Rocky. He figured out how we can communicate, and now we’re going towards Tau-Ceti’s planet to see why this planet and star are unique.”
“Right, okay. I got it,” Colt nodded convincingly. Ryland noticed the confused twitch in his eyebrow, revelling in the fact that he knew that now. From what he could tell, his memory was completely back.
“Okay. You good? Alien time?” Ryland stifled a laugh. This was his new normal. Colt? Not so much.
Colt nodded, going to turn around. Instead, he jumps, stumbling into Ryland with a yelp.
Ryland peeks around Colt’s shoulder. Rocky was in his ball and had somehow snuck up behind them without them noticing. “Hey bud.”
Colt nervous. Heart rate fast. Rocky hear family resemblance. Rocky’s voice was an octave higher, meaning he was being snarky. Like always.
“Ha ha Rocky. Be nice. Colt’s never seen an alien before,” Ryland pulled Colt over towards Rocky, plopping them down in front of the ball.
Colt was tense, but Ryland noticed him relaxing as Rocky launched into plenty of questions about humans, Colt specifically. He had a new science experiment. Ryland was old news.
Ryland tunes back into the conversation. Grace very sad without humans. Rocky help, but not enough. Grace happy now, statement. Huh. Rocky noticed more than he had thought.
“Grace happy now, statement,” Ryland repeated, giving Rocky a thumbs up.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ryland noticed Colt perk up at the hand gesture. Rocky returned the gesture. In his own way. Upside-down.
Colt grumbled, crossing his arms. Ryland gave his brother his full attention, unable to stop the grin splitting his face. “Thumbs-up, Colt.” Ryland teased Colt all the time about the gesture, knowing what it meant for stuntmen.
Sighing, Colt held up a thumbs-up, much to Rocky’s delight. His arm tapped excitedly against the ground. Colt new friend. Maybe better than Grace.
“Hey!” Ryland gasped at Rocky, “I can’t believe you’re already stealing my brother. He just got here!”
Rocky stilled, solemn. Is joke. Grace is Rocky best friend.
A smile tugged at Ryland’s mouth. He looked over at Colt, only to be met with a fond grin that matched his own. “Thanks, Rocky. You’re my best friend too.”
Rocky continued his tirade of questions, Colt gratefully humoring him while Ryland was left to his thoughts. They were still stuck on Mary, probably destined to die once they found a solution. It wasn’t a comforting thought, but looking at the two most important people in his life, laughing and getting along? Yeah. It was going to be alright.