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“So, can you tell me what the big surprise is supposed to be?”
“Rocky can no tell. No surprise then,” Rocky replies in his “duh, are you dumb?” tone and keeps leading me towards the new biodome that has been built over the last few weeks.
“Right. Well, are we there yet?”
“Grace get in,” Rocky says and points at a tunnel I haven’t noticed before. I can see it connects the two biodomes, though the new one was not built far from mine. It’s shaped like a tube and it’s bigger than it looks from the outside. The inside is full of light and– hold on.
There are dozens of Eridians outside, surrounding the tube-like tunnel. Some of them I know and some I don’t recognize, but most of them are holding the eridian gun-shaped devices for better hearing, chirping in excitement.
Rocky chirps in affirmation. “Every Eridian want see how Grace react to surprise.”
“I-” okay, now that is pretty off-putting. I know the Eridians would never purposefully hurt me, but being surrounded by them inside this tube feels a lot like I’m a caged animal they’ve come to the zoo to see. It’s kinda hard not to be put off by it. Something uncomfortable climbs up my throat and lodges there like a crumb that refuses to be washed down.
Just what is this surprise supposed to be?
When Rocky told me about it a few days ago, I thought it would be something fairly ordinary, if fun, like the Eridians finding out about birthdays and wanting to throw me a birthday party or something. (It was beside the point that I would not even remember which birthday I’d even celebrate). At the time, I thought they’d want to do something akin to a grand opening of the second biodome, and wanted me to be there for it, because they’d made it for me and for my enrichment, no matter how much I insisted that the beach was enough for me.
Now, though, I’m suspecting something much… more. I’m not really sure how much more, but my stomach starts doing little somersaults like before going on a rollercoaster. Whatever’s waiting for me in that dome, it’s going to be big.
“We there,” Rocky says simply as we come to a stop in front of a see-through wall.
“And where exactly is this ‘there’, Rock?” I ask as I touch the barrier.
“Tunnel half,” Rocky replies. “Wait for Adrian.”
“Oh, Adrian’s coming?”
“Yes. They bring Grace surprise. Should be here soon.”
Sure enough, as soon as Rocky says that, I hear Eridian footsteps echoing throught the tunnel from the other side of the barrier.
Eridian footsteps… and a pair of… I frown. No, that can’t be right. That would mean… but the other set of footsteps, it really sounds like–
Adrian rounds a corner and with them… with them…
What. The. Fudge.
With them is a human man who looks at me with dark, wary eyes, and I’m sure I look just as surprised as the other man does.
I really, really should’ve suspected something, though, I realize belatedly.
*
I really should’ve suspected something right from the start, from the moment Rocky, who had been visiting me, chatting about a project he was working on, tensed up and leapt off of my sofa when the eridian sirens started going off. He barely yelled “See Grace later!” before he was gone, leaving me alone, holding a cup of lukewarm tea.
At the time, though, I shrugged it off and went to plan my next class activities. I knew the sirens didn’t necessarily mean immediate danger or disaster, they could mean just about anything that needed immediate attention, so until Rocky told me it was something that concerned me as well, I’d be fine.
Rocky hadn’t come back for four days, after that. I learned from my overexcited pebble students that on that day a ship, the Blip-S, had returned from its space voyage to spread the taumoebas to more distant stars. I reasoned that it made sense that such an event would trigger the sirens and command my best friend’s attention for days. Still though, my house and beach felt a little too lonely and silent without the loud, demanding alien in it.
When Rocky finally came to visit again, he was acting a bit strange. He told me that the astronauts all came back safely and that the trip was a success, but I couldn’t help thinking he was deliberately keeping something from me.
(Oh, but I couldn’t even begin to imagine.)
That day, Rocky was all over my place wanting to know everything I could tell him about how human arms work. Somewhat of a random topic, sure, but why not? We've talked about weirder things during our journey back to Erid. So, human arms it were.
(It all made sense now, seeing as the man had a shiny xenonite artificial limb where his left arm should’ve been.)
*
I should’ve known something was wrong when I heard the telltale tippy-tapping of eridian feet on the floor when I woke up and went to pee during the simulated nighttime. My first instinct was my heart dropping all the way down my pants before logic kicked in and told me to calm down. Both Rocky and Adrian (though the taller Eridian was much more polite about it) liked to strut through my house like they owned the place at any given time. It was new for them to do that during the designated nighttime, but I reasoned there was no need to worry. Perhaps they were sleepwalking, I chuckled to myself in my own sleep-addled state. I went right back to bed and fell asleep immediately. I didn’t hear the sound of a drawer in my workroom opening, and I was too much in a rush the next morning to notice that the drawer where I keep my laptop and charger had not been closed all the way.
*
Soon after that, I found I had issues with my wardrobe. Because either my wardrobe was eating my clothes, or someone was stealing them.
A prime suspect for said someone was a crab-like, shorter than average (I’ll never stop teasing him about that fact) rock alien that didn’t hold personal space in high regard.
It all started with the Cats shirt. I asked the engineers for a slightly warmer day, and so I thought the short-sleeved tee would be perfect for it. But no matter how many times I combed through my wardrobe, I couldn’t find it. So, I looked on my bed and couch and everywhere else that I could think of. Nothing.
I sighed. Well, whatever, it’s not like that was my only short-sleeved shirt. I might’ve accidentally left it elsewhere. I was hoping it’d be found, though, as I was getting attached to it. It had been Ilyukhina’s, and wearing it felt like honoring her legacy, as lofty as that sounded.
Losing one shirt wouldn’t make me automatically suspicious, though. Getting it back was what made me apprehensive. You see, throughout the week I’d “lost” a couple other clothes - nothing especially beloved or embarrassing like my underwear, but I did notice another missing shirt here, a pair of socks there. I found even my spare pillowcase and a pillow to be missing. I’d start questioning it much sooner had most of these not been returned in a few days, sometimes laid haphazardly across my couch or chair, sometimes spawned back in my wardrobe, neatly folded. What was so strange about them though - they smelled. And I don’t mean smelled nicely of laundry detergent or soap. No, they smelled… used. Almost like… almost like there was another human wearing them. They didn’t necessarily smell badly, but… they definitely smelled of something unusual.
(This piece of the puzzle also makes sense now.)
And if I held them to my face for longer than strictly necessary, sniffing them and imagining there really was another human being here with me? Well, that was between me and whatever god the Eridians worshipped.
I figured there was no harm in the clothes-stealing shenanigan and wouldn’t even demand an explanation from Rocky, since pretty much every missing piece was returned eventually, were it not for the fact that after about two weeks, not only did my deodorant disappear into thin air, but I found a strange piece of fabric in my closet.
At first glance, it looked like a shirt - a shirt so full of holes and stains that looked like they were washed twenty times and yet still stubbornly clung to the fabric. The stains were a dull brown color, almost like dried blood, and the shirt looked about ready to be cut into rags. I had no idea what this was supposed to be - a gift? But the Eridians wouldn’t give me something like this, especially without even saying anything. Rocky and Adrian presented their every gift to me excitedly and always explained what the gift was supposed to be for, so this was very out of character for them.
I admit, I had been in a bad mood already, and my missing deodorant didn’t help matters. I’m not the kind of person that gets super angry easily (the last time I was truly angry was when I figured out the taumoebas were xenonite-resistant), but I’m certainly no stranger to frustration.
So when I called Rocky over, I might have been more snippy about it than was fair. Nevertheless, he rushed over.
“What happen, question? Grace mad, question?” he chirped apprehensively when he got here.
“I’m not mad,” I sighed, my frustration already losing its bite. “I just want to know what is this,” I held out the piece of clothing out so that it was dangling over Rocky’s head. The Eridian lifted his arm and pinched the cloth between his fingers. He hummed in contemplation for a little while until he spoke.
“I call Adrian,” he said, already on his merry way. “I call Adrian, they explain.”
“Wai-” I called, but by that time he was already out the door, the tap-tapping of his feet getting lost in the distance.
Within a couple minutes, Adrian arrived, clearly nervous. Well that was unfamiliar. I’ve always known Rocky’s mate to be the calm, level-headed voice of reason of the two, but when he spoke, nervousity and restlessness dripped from his every word, as much as he tried to conceal it. What can I say, I’m a teacher, I can tell when someone’s nervous even when they’re pretending they’re not, and in that moment, Adrian was the exact picture of a nervous child before having to do a big presentation or a performance.
“Hello Grace. Rocky say Grace want talk to Adrian?”
“Yeah I want to talk to you,” I replied, uncrossing my arms. “I want to know what you and Rocky are cooking up.”
“Cook? Adrian Rocky not –”
“Not literally,” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. Of course they wouldn’t know what that means. “That’s a saying- nevermind that. I want to know what’s been going on for the last, what, two weeks?”
“What Grace mean question?” Adrian asked in a tone that told me they knew exactly what I meant.
“I mean – everything!” I exclaimed. “My clothes, blankets and pillows, heck, even my deodorant! You and Rocky have been stealing my things and I want to know why!”
“We, uh,” Adrian seemed at a loss for words, until they decided on “Adrian Rocky give Grace things back, Adrian promise, statement!”
Okay, well, that was good enough, I suppose. But I needed to address the larger problem. “You guys could’ve just borrowed it! I’d be fine with it as long as you asked me, but you didn’t, and that’s what I’m more upset about.”
“Ah,” the Eridian said. “Many apologies. Adrian Rocky ask next time borrow something. Eridians, hm, try see if Eridians can replicate items and make Grace more.”
Oh. Okay. That seemed reasonable. Thumbs up.
“Okay, good. And one more thing.”
Adrian clicked in discomfort. “Yes?”
“What’s this?” I held out the piece of clothing. Poor Adrian seemed very uncomfortable at this point, suspiciously so, so I tried for a more comforting tone.
“Um, shirt question?”
“Did you make it for me?” I asked.
“Y-yes, Grace right,” they confirmed, though I knew there had to be more to it than that.
“Well, thanks,” I relented. “But why didn’t you tell me? Also, what’s this fabric? It’s not like anything I’ve had on Mary.”
“It experiment! Eridians experiment make more fabrics and more variant clothes for Grace.”
Again, that sounded reasonable. I thought it over before nodding.
“Alright, alright. But you know you could’ve just told me so, yeah?”
“Apologies apologies apologies. Eridians want it be surprise and want test how Grace like them.”
“Huh,” I said. “I guess that makes sense. Well, this one’s a bit too rough, you know?”
They nodded, though I wasn’t sure they completely understood what I meant.
“And I think it needs some more washing. There are some weird stains, they kinda look like blood…”
“O-kay!” Adrian honest to god squeaked, snatching the shirt from me. “I be sure tell others.”
I waved at them as they walked away, still clearly anxious. I frowned. That was weird.
*
The big giveaway that something was up was when Eridian engineers and architects visited to take measurements of the side of my biodome.
One day, back when The Big Shirt Theft was still happening, I finished teaching earlier than expected, packed my things and was on my way back to my house when I saw two Eridians in the distance with some kind of tools, doing what seemed like measuring the space on the opposite end of the biodome. Curiosity piqued, I left my supplies on the ground and approached the two.
Eventually, I recognized them – they were Clark and Kent (haha), the gray granite brothers and two of the architects that designed my biodome. They seemed engrossed in a lively conversation, but they stopped arguing and turned to me the moment they knew I was in hearing distance.
“Greetings greetings, Grace!” they spoke in unison.
“Hey guys,” I raised a hand to wave at them. “Watcha up to, question?”
The Eridians shifted on the sand, humming something my laptop only classified as a “thoughtful hum”.
“Clark Kent-” they began to speak and I couldn’t stop a snort, “hm, examine Grace biodome.”
“Oh?”
“Clark Kent architects think of expanding biodome.”
Oh, now that was interesting.
“Really? Thanks, you guys, but there’s really no need for that,” I assured them with a smile. “I like my biodome just as it is, you’ve done a wonderful job already!”
The two Eridians chirped, turning 180 degrees to pick up various measuring equipment. “Scientists think Grace need get rich, so scientists call architects,” said Kent, the slightly shorter of the two.
“Get rich?” I frowned, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that, question?”
“That Grace need new things in biodome to no bore, to be healthy,” explained Clark in his deep baritone.
“Oooooohhh, you mean enrichment!” I exclaimed, opening my laptop to type the meaning into the translator.
“Yes, enrichment, so that Grace no be alone,” Kent supplied. That earned him a confused glance from me and the eridian equivalent of an elbow to the ribs from his brother.
“Alone? What do you mean alo–?”
“Kent mean Grace bored and sad,” Clark yelled, making a sound that I’d learned meant something akin to “shut your trap, stupid!”
“Well, I’m not bored or sad right now, am I?”
Clark hummed so deeply I could almost see him vibrate. “But Grace might be bored and sad in future. Also, scientists want try provide different biome than beach. For science.”
“Riiiight, for science,” I drawled. I’d need to talk to Adrian about that too. It wasn’t that I was opposed to expanding the biodome, but the Eridians really didn’t have to go out of their way for me like that.
Well, what wouldn’t I do for science?
I packed up my stuff, said my “see you”s and left the brothers to measure whatever it was they came to measure.
I really needed to talk to Adrian soon, though.
*
The next time my suspicions rose was in a couple days at lunchtime. I’ve grown used to meburgers and thought nothing about them could possibly surprise me anymore. As it turned out, I was wrong.
When I bit into a meburger that day, I discovered it tasted… different. Better, in a way. Or perhaps anything would’ve tasted better to me after being used to only one flavor for so long.
“Hey, what’s this flavor?” I asked Rocky as he tinkered with something or the other in the next room so that he didn’t have to watch me eat. “It tastes… different than usual.”
“Hm?” Rocky poked his head out the door. “Eridians adjust flavor. Think Grace like something new.”
“Thanks, guys,” I said. “It tastes really good.”
Rocky’s giggling laughter could be heard all throughout the house as he disappeared back into my bedroom.
(Thinking back on it now… it’s kind of freaky, but in my circumstances, nothing is ever normal, is it?
Also Rocky, you little shit.)
*
I’d originally meant to bring the biodome expansion and the new food up with Adrian when I asked them about The Big Shirt Theft, but the poor guy seemed so out of it at the time I didn’t force it, figuring I’d see them soon enough.
I was right, Adrian had been back within a few days. They visited me frequently, tagging along with Rocky, who visited my biodome pretty much every day. Eridians sure didn’t waste time. In the next couple of days there were scientists and builders in and out of the biodome, carrying tools, blueprints, equipment and everything else they needed for the expansion. I could even see a sort of a tunnel rising from where Clark and Kent were measuring, going all the way around a corner where I couldn’t see.
And still, nobody asked me for my opinion.
“Say, Adrian,” I told the Eridian after we’d exhausted the smalltalk. “What sort of a biodome are you guys building?”
Adrian rocked back and forth on the heels of their legs. “Different biodome than Grace biodome. Something new.”
“Oh?”
“Yes yes yes. Beach boring,” Rocky chimed in, insistent as always. “Eridians want try different environment!”
“Different how?” I asked.
The two glanced at each other, exchanging a series of quiet hums and clicks the computer didn’t pick up on and I couldn’t stop the uncomfortable feeling that I was being left out and kept in the dark on purpose.
“What are you guys planning?” I asked perhaps a tad too loudly, because both of them flinched. “…sorry.”
“No no, Adrian understand,” the tall Eridian placated me. “Adrian not sure if Adrian can say… it surprise,” they explained. “Apologies, apologies.”
Now it was my turn to wave it off. “Ah, I guess that can’t be helped, then.”
“Maybe Adrian can spoil bit…” the Eridian trailed off, which got my excitement rising.
“Oh yeah?”
The tall Eridian leaned over me conspiratorially. Maybe I let them watch The Godfather a bit too much, because that’s exactly what it felt like as they whispered
“Trees. Eridians want make lots of trees.”
I sat there, stumped. “Trees?!” I exclaimed, wanting to ask more, but Adrian put their hand on my mouth, silencing me.
“Shh. Grace quiet. No hear from Adrian,” they lifted a claw in a “be quiet” gesture, tapping my lips. I smiled. Leave it to these strange, wonderful aliens to surprise me again and again.
“Grace like idea question?” Rocky asked, squatting and straightening in excitement.
“Grace like idea very much, statement,” I said with a big dumb smile and thumbs up as Rocky and Adrian clinked together victoriously. I tried not to let it show just how much I wished I could actually touch them too.
*
The visit came to a close soon after, and as the front door clicked shut, I stood staring at it for a good minute before my mind processed everything.
Trees. Multiple. A whole forest, maybe!
…okay yeah no, that was way too ambitious. But, anyway, more trees than the one I have already! I never thought of myself as a big tree guy, but I had to admit, I did miss the rustling of leaves in the wind, the dappling of late afternoon light as it was filtered through them, the feeling of bark under my palm…
I didn’t even notice when my eyes started to burn, then feel wet as tears ran down my cheeks.
I haven’t cried for a long time, so I supposed this had been building in me for some time now.
I cried and cried at the thought of seeing actual trees again – ones that I could touch, could feel.
But even so…
Suddenly, running on pure instinct, I ran to my bedroom, opened my wardrobe and snatched the first thing that my Eridians had borrowed from me – the Cats t-shirt.
I buried my nose in it, searching for something I wasn’t sure would even still be there.
But it was. It was there, clear as day – the faint scent of something else – something not Eridian, not laundry detergent-y, not alien at all. Something almost like a human. Almost like another human on Erid, here with me. The closest I would ever get to touching another human ever again. The scent was musky and faintly masculine, but surprisingly pleasant. I didn’t even realize I’d gotten used to it in the two-ish weeks. The scientist part of me wondered where the scent had even come from and if the Eridians could replicate it.
God, I’m pathetic.
There would be a new biodome, a new home, but I’ll have no one to share it with.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the Eridians and feel very much at home here, and I know the Eridians love me just the same, but… still. Some ancient, achingly human part of me longed for someone, anyone to hold, to touch, to share this life with in ways no Eridian, try as they might, can quite replicate.
I should be grateful. I should be grateful for Rocky and Adrian and my kids and my life here. It should be enough.
But it wasn’t. It just wasn’t.
I just needed one other human here – one is all I ask, one would be more than enough. One human who doesn’t hate me, one human to touch and hug and talk about human stuff with. Just one.
(Oh, how incredibly lucky I got.)
I stumbled backwards onto my bed, still crying. I didn’t even notice when I had fallen asleep, still tightly holding the shirt to my face.
*
When I woke up, it was to the chirps and clicks of Rocky and Adrian watching me sleep.
“Hello friend Grace!” Adrian said cheerfully, removing the shirt from my face with two of his claws. “How Grace sleep, question?”
“Uuuughhhhhgg,” I said, rolling over.
“Why Grace hold shirt, question?” Rocky asked, pointing at the offending piece of clothing.
Well that woke me up.
“I, um-”
“Grace smell shirt, question?” Adrian asked, sounding utterly delighted. “Good pheromones, question?”
“Guys, that’s… that’s not a polite thing to ask someone,” I sat up, taking the shirt from the green behemoth and folding it, trying to appear as calm and collected as possible. Adrian and Rocky clinked together and the dread in my stomach grew.
“Grace like pheromones, question?” Adrian teasingly prodded again.
“Grace like pheromones, statement,” Rocky replied smugly, nuzzling up to his mate.
I thanked whoever made the Eridians for the fact that they couldn’t see me violently blushing. “Let’s stop talking about that.”
“Yes yes, Grace important day! Need breakfast immediately!” Adrian declared, catching my shirt in between his claws and tugging me out of bed.
“Hey, hey, bud, calm down. A big day you say?”
“Yes yes, surprise ready!”
Oh. Ooooohhh.
“Oh wow,” I marveled. “You guys work incredibly fast.”
“Once Eridians know how build biodome, easy stuff,” Adrian explained proudly.
Rocky blew a raspberry in my direction. “Grace get dress. Then hurry. Big surprise.”
“Alright, alright, I’m coming,” I said, walking to the bathroom. I really needed a shower before the Eridians hit me with whatever they’ve come up with.
(If I knew just what they had in store, I might’ve worn my very best clothes. As it was, though, I only changed into my regular getup, since the guys didn’t care at all for what I had on at any given time.)
*
And that’s how we got here. Me, on one side of the plexiglass-like wall, and a stranger on the other, so engrossed in a staring contest everything else fell away.
He (the stranger looked male, so my mind immediately used he/him pronouns, though I’d of course have to ask him about it later, since he’s probably going to care about it, unlike the Eridians, who choose whichever pronouns sound the coolest to them) has wavy black hair and dark eyes. There is intense scarring on the left side of his face, which nearly makes me hiss in sympathy. His left eye has some white in it, as well, but it doesn’t seem otherwise damaged. He looks to be slightly shorter than me, but wow, he’s much more muscular – his pectorals are stretching the fabric of his– actually, of my shirt he’s wearing. It’s the “I CrY periodically" one, the one Carl got me, and I can’t help but chuckle at it, since my eyes are indeed beginning to burn.
Then my eyes fall on the stump of the stranger’s left arm where the xenonite arm is attached, and I can’t help grimacing now. “Ouch,” I mutter.
The stranger behind the glass lets out a small gasp, taking a step towards the wall separating us, staring at my face, apparently likewise transfixed.
I take a step forward in response. We’re not touching the glass yet, but one more small step would do that.
Somehow, I become aware of Adrian’s voice. “Grace, meet Simon! Simon, meet Grace!” they take care of the introductions. “Grace Simon use he pronouns,” they add. Okay. Good to know.
Simon, huh? I tilt my head slightly. The name fits him, I decide.
“Grace…” Simon rasps, and I can’t help it, I take that step closer and press my palm against the wall. I know there are tears streaming down my cheeks now, and my nose is beginning to feel runny, too, but somehow, someway, I manage to croak out a “nice to meet you.”
Simon’s face contorts, and he firmly presses his palm on the other side of the wall.
“Are you real?” he asks in a small voice, smaller than I’d imagine for such a strong-looking guy. I can hear his voice is deeper than mine though, and it sends shivers down my spine. How long has it been since I’ve heard a human voice? An actual, not computer generated human voice?
Way too long for any human to withstand.
“I am,” I say, painfully aware of my own voice breaking. “I’m real. I’m here with you.”
Simon gasps, his own eyes wet. He looks a little like a kicked dog, my nearly-mad mind supplies.
“Are you an angel?” Simon asks, and it’s clear I’m not the only one here thinking he’s going mad.
“Huh?” I ask, taken aback, my eyebrows shooting up.
“You must be, right?” he goes on. “I died and went to heaven, didn’t I?”
Adrian, on Simon’s side of the wall, clicks in frustration. “Simon not dead, not died,” they groan, and it’s clear this is a topic they’ve already spoken about to no end. “Simon alive, Simon friend. Grace friend too. Save my Rocky, save the stars. Grace no imaginary magic being.”
Simon turns to the tall Eridian with the smallest smile, which goes straight to my heart. For all his musculature and scars, the guy looks… cute.
“That actually makes him sound more like an angel, you know,” he tells Adrian, who groans. “With that name and all.”
“Grace no angel! Grace human scientist!” Adrian stomps angrily. Then they pause, thinking.
“So Simon think Grace beautiful?” they ask smugly. Rocky giggles. Outside, I can see the Eridians positively vibrating with anticipation. At Adrian’s query, they collectively make an “oooooohhhhh” sound.
Dammit you guys!
Simon pauses, clearly caught off guard. He opens his mouth, but before he can say anything, I laugh.
It comes off a dry and nervous sound, but it stops Simon from answering.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t deter Adrian.
“Simon no worry. Grace like Simon pheromones!” he says with a calm determinacy. Simon’s eyebrows shoot up and he looks at me with wide eyes as I gulp.
Rocky is on the ground, laughing hysterically.
Did I mention I hate these guys sometimes?
“A-anyway!” I exclaim in a desperate attempt to save face, clapping my hands together. “Is there any way we could get the, um,” I point at the wall, “removed?”
That makes Adrian straighten up and I can hear the Eridians outside collectively gasp, then make various sounds ranging from “aww” and “woah!!” to “HELL YEAHHH!!”
“Grace want touch Simon?” Adrian confirms. I blush even more, pretty sure I look like a ripe tomato at this point, and I nod. Adrian turns to Simon. “Simon want touch Grace?”
I hold my breath for a moment. Simon looks unsure, quite like he can’t believe this is happening. I’m half ready he’ll say no, but then he eyes me up and down, much to the evergrowing redness of my face, and says a quiet yet determined “yes”.
The Eridians outside absolutely lose it. I can hear a couple of my students squeak and scream, and I inwardly sigh. They’re absolutely not going to be paying attention in the next class, that’s for sure. Adrian stomps in excitement. Simon flinches at the sudden noise, something wild and almost dangerous flashing in his eyes, but then he calms down just as quickly.
“Good good good!” Adrian yells to be heard over all the noise from the outside. “Eridians open. But,” he lifts an arm in warning. “Grace Simon play nice!”
I sigh audibly now. Why did I ever teach them English?!
“Yes yes, Adrian, we’ll play nice,” I say sarcastically. Simon glances from Adrian to me, seemingly startled, but Adrian apparently needs no verbal confirmation from him. What’s this? Could they be… favouring Simon? Wow. How fair of them.
The green Eridian scuttles away and a moment later the wall is separated into two and moved to the side.
It only takes a second, but it feels like eternity. The moment the wall is down, I lunge.
I didn’t know I was even capable of lunging, but years of zero human contact will do that, I suppose. Driven by pure desperation, I close the gap between us. I’m still not sure what the guy is comfortable with, I realize belatedly, so I don’t hug him. I don’t do anything but press our bodies together, my chest on his, our foreheads knocking together gently.
God, how I’ve missed this.
I know the Eridians outside are going insane, I can hear them in the back of my mind, but for the moment, I let my eyes fall closed, just breathing with Simon. I can feel his chest rise and fall with every breath, and my own breath stutters, then hitches.
I don’t even notice my tears anymore, not until I feel the gentlest of touches on my cheek.
I open my eyes just enough to make out the slightly blurry face so close to mine.
“Hey,” Simon whispers, sounding unsure and infinitely gentle. “Don’t cry.”
Well that doesn’t help. At all.
I sob and lift my own hand to gently press Simon’s hand to my cheek. I need to feel more, I need for it to feel real.
“Can I… can we hug?” my voice hitches again, but I don’t care. I need more more more.
Before I’m even done talking, there’s an arm around my back and my head is resting on a warm, solid shoulder. Simon’s grip is solid, but still much too gentle.
I lift my own arms, put them around him and squeeze.
Simon makes a little wheeze, but doesn’t say or do anything to stop me.
I can feel wetness on my own shoulder and I’m sure my own tears have already soaked Simon’s shirt sleeve through. Simon’s hair is tickling my nose, and I can’t help burying it in the thick, lovely hair. I sniff.
He smells exactly like my Cats shirt.
It’s him. It’s always been him.
“It’s you,” I try to say, but I’m sure it comes out unintelligible. He hums as if he heard me anyway.
The Eridians around us are surely making much more noise than humans when their favourite sports team wins. I’m sure they’re jumping all around. I’m sure Adrian is gleefully watching us, rubbing his hands together like they’ve seen cartoon villains do. But for now, I see and hear none of that. For now, my whole world is Simon.
Slowly, ever so slowly, we go from standing up to sitting down, adjusting our position so that Simon’s head is under my chin, and my arms grasp his torso tightly. I open my legs so that he can sit in between them, practically in my lap, which in any other situation would’ve been awkward, but right now neither of us cares for awkwardness or propriety. Right now, all we care about is being close.
“You’re actually real,” Simon manages to gasp out, and I nod. “Really real,” I smile.
We sit together for a long time. Little by little, the Eridians calm down, but shrieks and shouts of something I’m pretty sure is “GRACE ACCEPT MATE! GRACE ACCEPT MATE! GRACE SIMON MATE! GRACE SIMON MATE!” can still be heard.
Well, they’re not exactly saying Simon, though. I’ve been here long enough to recognize they’re saying something like… thunder… or a storm, maybe… and a heartbeat.
Well, I’ll ask Adrian about it later.
Speaking of, Adrian and Rocky had been clinking together victoriously and nuzzling for some time now, joining the chant of “GRACE SIMON MATE!” I snort. What supportive friends I have.
I sigh contentedly and squeeze Simon again. His sobs have since stopped, and he’s now breathing calmly. I stay with my arms around him, though, and it doesn’t seem like he intends to let go of me any time soon either, which I’m completely fine with.
After another long while though, the Eridians quiet down, apparently curious as to what’s going to happen now. I open my eyes, noticing another Eridian biologist who I’ve named Marisa, approaching us. She seems a bit nervous and awkward, if the way she’s flailing is any indication.
“Hi Marisa,” I say quietly, not wanting to break this trance me and Simon are in.
“Hello Grace. Um, Marisa question,” she chirps.
“Ask away.”
“Grace Simon…” she starts, pointing at the position me and Simon are in. “Human mating, question? Expect more human, question?”
Oh. Oh fudge.
“Whaaaa-” I start saying. “No, no, nononononono. Hahaa. No.” I flail my arms up and down, and Simon grunts, apparently disapproving of me letting go of him. I put my arms around him again, and he slumps against me. “We’re not mating, and we certainly can’t make babies.”
An overwhelming wave of disappointed “aww”s rings through the tunnel. So much so that it makes Simon chuckle. I laugh dryly, but the humiliation’s not over yet.
“Grace Simon mate in future, question?”
“I- that’s-”
If my face was a tomato before, now it’s straight up on fire.
“I mean- maybe- it’s way too early for that-” I fumble, but luckily, Adrian comes to my rescue.
“Human courting take long time,” they placate her. “No use ask now.” Marisa slumps in disappointment, but doesn’t ask me anything else.
Alright, Adrian’s got a tiny, worthless plus in my book.
I don’t know how long we’d stay there hugging, but at that moment Simon’s stomach growls like a hungry lion’s.
I chuckle. Alright, food. I can do that.
“Well, looks like it’s time for lunch, wouldn’t you say?” I say, letting go of Simon and standing up, giving the other man a hand as well. He takes it and oh god, I never thought I’d miss holding hands with anyone so much.
I’ll have lots and lots of time to make up for it though, I tell myself. And from the looks of Simon, something tells me he’s not going to be against it.