Chapter Text
Grace had been aboard the Hail Mary for only a few hours, and he was honestly beginning to think the giant that had him was more scared of Grace than he was of him, which was extremely comical given their differences.
Grace was sent down in his sub to earn his freedom, nearly died, and somehow came through a wormhole that was in the blood ocean before he could be crushed into a million smithereens. The ship that pulled him from said wormhole wasn't even just a ship at all. It was a spaceship. How his hull held up in the vastness of space was lost on him, but for now, he sat upon his pillow with his legs crossed comfortably.
He had just wanted to be free from working under the C.O.I. Was that so wrong?
Simon, the giant, was pacing around his lab as Grace picked at his fingernails. After having a near-death experience, he wasn't really scared of Simon, especially not after he had tenderly wiped him off with a damp towel and given him water.
He was given more kindness these last few hours than he had ever been treated with the C.O.I.
Speaking of Simon, Grace really needed to stop referring to him as a giant in his head. As far as he knew, he was the only anomaly here in this universe. The ship was made to Simon's size after all, and the… Eridian. When he was first picked up, he was terrified of the spider rock creature that bounded freely through the ship in a little ball.
Little was the worst descriptor because the alien was anything but small.
Much to Grace's appreciation, Simon had banished the Eridian to another side of the ship. Far enough away that Grace wouldn't freak out and have to keep his eyes on the spider rock thing.
Simon may be comfortable around the Eridian enough to dub it as 'Adrian,' but Grace was gonna need a little more time to be comfortable around Aliens. Especially after what he saw underneath those blood waves.
Simon tied his long hair up into a messy bun before adjusting his glasses and sitting down. He sat with a sigh as he settled and got his things all gathered up. His notepad was on the table and he fidgeted with his pen as Grace shifted uncomfortably on the pillow. He wasn't scared; he knew rationally he was safe.
He just didn't like the idea of Simon holding all the control in this situation. He was a scientist for Eden's sake, a rather important one back home! He wasn't weak, and he was not scared.
His hands weren't shaking as he gripped the pillow and looked up at Simon, most definitely not.
"So." Simon began speaking. "You said earlier your name was Dr. Grace?… Do you have a preferred first name?"
Simon's voice was smooth, and Grace could tell he was purposefully making his tone softer. His voice was much too gravelly to be comfortable for long periods of talking like that.
Grace never liked giving out his name. Dr. Grace was his title, and it was a title he worked especially hard for.
…But Simon's eyes were soft, and his hands fidgeted with the pen he held as he looked at Grace earnestly. It's not like Grace had a way home anyway, who was Simon going to tell his birth name to apart from Adrian?
Grace decided against lying to Simon, speaking softly. "…Ryland. My first names Ryland."
Grace kept his eyes downcast, landing on those godforsaken hands. They were huge in comparison to Grace's own frame. His muttering was somehow perceivable to Simon, who tilted his head in response.
Simon tapped his pen on his notepad, not yet writing, just observing. "Do you prefer Ryland or Grace?"
Simon's voice was still soft; it almost made Grace upset with how gentle he was being. As if he were made of glass or something to be treated with care. Care wasn't something he was used to, and it wasn't something he was often afforded during his time with the Consolidation of Iron. He was held there by Eva for years before being offered a chance to earn his Freedom.
Eva never called him Grace. It was always Ryland. Either that or Doctor. The thought of that name crossing anyone's lips again made his skin crawl.
"Grace. I'm just Grace here." Grace's voice held a finality to it that had Simon nodding and quickly writing that down.
He relaxed ever so slightly into the pillow as he really realized the gravity of his situation. He was just Grace. He wasn't even a Doctor anymore, given his stature and being in an alternate world entirely.
He could be who he wanted, just Grace. A man who liked to teach and learn above all else.
Simon nodded and wrote something down on his notepad before setting his pen down. Now, crossing his hands and fidgeting again, almost unsure of what he wanted to do or say for a few moments.
"…Alright. Well, Grace, I'm sure you, uh, know you're quite the… specimen… For lack of a better term,"
He picked at a bit of scruff on his face nervously as he spoke, and Grace felt himself growing lightheaded. That all familiar panic picking up in the back of his throat, making it tight with fear. He could already feel his legs getting ready to kick up and run.
He didn't want to be dissected or experimented on like a specimen. He was a person.
Simon picked up on his tenseness almost instantly, backpedalling in his words.
"I'm not a scientist first of all!-… I'm sure as you know it's just me here, I was the ship's engineer, so really I'm completely inexperienced in this type of uh… Data collection,"
That wasn't making Grace feel any better. Especially since he used the word data collection. Grace moved to stand off the pillow and instead went tumbling off the side. Simon fumbled to catch him.
He landed in that god-awful palm and felt his stomach doing flips. If it wasn't for Simon reaching for him, he would have most definitely landed on his arm and hurt it more. So he was grateful, but fear overwhelmed the forefront of his mind at the thought of being dissected or treated like a specimen.
Grace squirmed in Simon's palm, thrashing as his voice almost squeaked in anxiety."I-… I'm not a specimen!-…"
He kicked and squirmed in Simon's hand to try to get stable footing. He hoped to be put back down either on the pillow or somehow struggle his way off and onto the metal table. Grace, of course, would have no such luck. Instead, all he felt was a warm pressure on his chest. Pressing him firmly to the skin of Simon's palm as his heart hammered in his chest like a hummingbird. He felt like he could puke.
Giving credit to Simon, he wasn't holding Grace roughly. If Grace had calmed down, he may have even noticed Simon's thumb lifting up more than a few times to check if he was being too rough.
His voice was panicked now, too; he sounded almost as fearful as Grace."Wh??-… No, that's not what I-.. Look."
Simon, as slowly and carefully as he could manage, kept Grace pinned to the center of his palm. Forever happy with his decision to leave Adrian out of the room. The Eridian was very science-based and would have been bouncing off the walls to 'study' a new lifeform.
As it were, Grace's heart was beating too quickly to be any sort of healthy. He had to calm him down and get the medical examination done quickly.
"I just needed a good word, look, I need to do a medical check-up on you. You were in that death trap for I don't even want to know how long, and you're banged up on the skin I can see."
He could feel Grace's hands that were scrabbling at his thumb stall for a few seconds. Now, eye level with Simon as he was held up to his face. Grace really was looking worse for wear now that he paid more attention.
He needed to get those scraps of clothing off and quickly if he wanted any chance to make sure he lived as long as possible.
Grace squirmed in Simon's palm, trying to get at least a little more comfortable. If he was going to be forcefully held, he at least wanted to have a good look at Simon himself.
…His science brain was absolutely rattling with the possibilities of just how different he and Simon were, but that was for another time. "Yeah.. Alright." His voice was nervous, but accepting.
Which led Grace to the predicament he was currently in. Shirtless and in nothing but his underwear, in front of the very man who had saved him no less.
After the miscommunication, Simon left him with a small bowl of water to properly clean himself off in. It was the most relaxed Grace had been in years. The C.O.I never let him bathe in clean water, much less warm water. It was all recycled and reused. Especially for the prisoners.
…All this to say Grace wasn't too unhappy, all things considered. He was clean. All Simon requested of him was to be examined and checked up before being allowed to go to sleep.
Simon finished setting up his things on the table. It wasn't a lot of equipment; the most notable thing that took up a lot of the space was his laptop.
Grace nervously rocked from his left to his right foot. Anxiously glancing from Simon to the laptop, if he had the courage, he would walk over to try and see what he was looking up.
He wasn't courageous enough to get closer to Simon, but he'd be damned if he didn't try to ask about it.
His voice was soft, but he was beginning to pick up his normal edge now. Sounding more curious than cautious as he spoke to the larger man typing away at his laptop.
"Whatcha looking at?" Grace took a hesitant step closer, pulling the makeshift towel tighter around his shoulders as he tried to peer up at what he was looking at. Simon only sighed and ran a hand down his face.
"…Like I said, I'm not a scientist, I'm an engineer, so." He trailed off as he pulled his hand back from the keyboard, letting Grace get closer.
On Simon's screen was the last thing he'd expect. He honestly thought that Simon would just give a once-over of Grace's body, not an in-depth look at his… Everything. It wasn't anything crazy, just a diagram of the human body. Beside the diagram were a few paragraphs that Grace didn't get a chance to read before he saw the human's hand coming back to the keyboard.
Grace stepped back, letting Simon resume his internet searching. The search engine didn't look like anything Grace had ever seen before; it was intensive and to the point. Even the background was plain, entirely devoid of ads or anything other than information.
Grace sat down on the table, now taking the towel off his shoulders to set it in his lap. He had to keep some decency.
"Right… And you're just gonna check me for external injuries, right?" Grace asked nervously, now beginning to feel himself grow nervous again. It's not that he was scared of Simon, honestly, by this point, he would be surprised if Simon could bring himself to hurt a fly.
Simon didn't respond instantly; he pushed his laptop farther away before leaning closer to Grace. Those treacherous hands were now folded on the table. Christ. Grace didn't even want to imagine the feeling of being grabbed again by those.
Simon made a so-so motion with one of his hands, and Grace felt butterflies in his stomach.
…Butterflies?!
"Mm, yes and no. I'd love to get an X-ray later, but for now, yes, I'd like to… Y'know, press and check your ribs first, but…" His sentence trailed off as he refolded his hands on top of each other, his eyes raking up and down Grace's form. "I'd have to pick you up, and feel you to actually know if anything was wrong."
Oh, good golly gosh. Picked up. Again. Grace didn't know if those butterflies in his stomach were from anxiety or excitement… In all honesty, he didn't want to know. It wasn't his fault the first man to show him kindness was exceptionally attractive and exactly his type.
He swallowed thickly before nodding a bit too eagerly. God, he was a freak.
"Yeah!- I mean, yes, I get it. I think I just freaked out earlier because I didn't know you. I'm alright now." Nailed it.
Simon didn't seem all too convinced as he looked at Grace again, his eyebrows furrowed together in concern before slowly nodding. "Alright… If it gets to be too much or you experience any pain, please let me know."
Grace nodded, and before he got the chance to stand, he could already see that large, all-encompassing hand reaching for him. His body tensed for a fraction of a second before he felt the sheer warmth touching his back. His heart was beating heavily in his chest, and not from fear this time around.
He didn't squirm as he felt Simon's hand pulling him into his palm. The very thumb that held him down earlier tenderly rested over his sternum. He could feel every ridge on his thumbpad resting on his bare chest. He knew he had to be shirtless, but god it just made everything feel more real.
As Grace was having his internal crisis over enjoying the contact, Simon wasn't blind. He could feel the way Grace's heart hammered inside of his chest and how that faint pink blush rose from his cheeks to his ears.
Simon had to stay professional, though. He was just supposed to be checking if his ribs were alright, not taking care of the small, very attractive man's needs. God, he'd been alone on the Hail Mary for far too long if this is what was doing it for him.
Grace's entire body could be held down by Simon's thumb for God's sake. He had felt the way his entire body thrashed, using all his strength just to push up on one of Simon's thumbs, and it didn't even move.
Simon's thumb ever so softly dragged down from Grace's sternum to the right side of his ribs where a particularly nasty scrape resided. His breathing was shallow as he brought Grace closer to his face. He could see how his head was purposefully turned to the side to not make eye contact. Cute.
Simon decided he could tease a little… He was most certainly enjoying being handled more than he was letting on. His hand was tilting to be just so slightly angled, so the only thing holding him there was his thumb. Careful to scan Grace's body. The second he saw any signs of discomfort, he was stopping. No questions.
He was pleasantly surprised when, instead of fear and discomfort on Grace's face, he saw his eyes lighting up as he gripped his thumb.
Act casual, Simon. "Are you experiencing any discomfort when I do this?" His voice was purposefully kept lower and more gravelly as he watched Grace.
Grace, for all of his credit, was doing his best to keep it together; he really was. Just the sheer thought of being handled by something so… big was exciting. Both from a scientific perspective and his more… Erotic perspective.
His chest stuttered as he glanced up at Simon, now feeling his ears growing hotter as he saw the man's half-lidded expression. "No… There's uh, no discomfort…" His voice was shaky as he had to pause to swallow his spit.
"Hm. Not even if I were to examine more closely?" Simon couldn't help himself as he now pulled his hand back into its usual position. Laying it flat on the table with his thumb still over Grace's chest.
As carefully as he could manage, he brought his other hand into the fun. Pressing his finger to Grace's side, lightly dragging it up to press into his side lightly. Watching for any discomfort.
The only discomfort Grace felt was how painfully hot his body was getting. He was being moved around whichever way Simon wished, and he liked it. All the while, Simon was seemingly none the wiser to the effect it was having on Grace. At least from Grace's perspective.
"N-.. No, no pain there either…" He squirmed pathetically in Simon's palm, trying to get away from that treacherous finger. Simon had now switched from just lightly touching to lightly scratching at his skin with the brunt of his nail. Fuck.
Grace's voice was shaky as he continued to speak, his legs kicking out to try and wiggle out from underneath Simon's thumb.
"I-i think my ribs are alright! I think I just need to lie down-" His sentence was cut off as Simon brushed his finger across one of his nipples. Sending electricity down his spine.
"…I can stop if you really want," Simon paused his finger overtop of Grace's nipple, letting the little man pant for a few moments as he continued to speak.
"I'm excited, you're excited, we're both grown men… But we can stop, we can act like this never happened, and I can get Armando to check you over." His voice was dead serious as he didn't move to touch Grace anymore. Giving him time to respond.
Grace's excitement mounted at that. Simon had known how excited he was and wanted to go further. "Please…" He practically arched his back off of Simon's palm as he continued to seek out the contact of his fingers again.
He craved his touch like he craved water, and Simon seemed all too willing to indulge Grace in what he desired most as he pulled the pillow closer. Now resting Grace on top of it as he still used one of his hands to press a finger to his chest. Effectively holding him down as he brought his face closer. Grace could almost feel his warm breath over him. It was intoxicating, the contact, the feeling, everything.
He was no one in the grand scheme of things; Simon was much larger than him and could do whatever he wanted. Instead, he focused so much attention onto him, on things that made him feel good.
Simon pressed one of his fingers to Grace's inner thigh, pushing them apart. His cock was aching for any stimulation now, much too excited from the earlier foreplay as it strained against his boxers.
Simon couldn't contain the chuckle that left his lips. "Yknow… If you were that excited, you could have asked yourself… Or were you just gonna ignore it?" Simon teased, waiting for Grace to speak before acting.
"We just met in all faAIR-!~" Grace's sentence was staggered as Simon lifted him quickly, scooping his hand underneath his back and lifting him to his face.
His tongue pressed right against his chest. Licking at one of his nipples.
Grace could do nothing but squirm, his hands pressing against Simon's nose as he desperately tried to figure out what he wanted. It was too much, but at the same time, it wasn't enough. He didn't want to pull away, but it was so warm.
"Ah.." Simon breathed out through his mouth as he panted, now practically lapping at Grace's chest like he was a candy. Grace's hips stuttered as his cock again throbbed for some attention.
Grace's voice was high and wanton as his hips thrusted into the air, ever so slightly grinding on Simon's chin. "Simon!- Simon, please-" He could feel his tongue lavishing his chest some more before pulling away. Grace's brain was internally crying for the stimulation to come back.
"Mhm.. That's my name." He leaned back down and instead of sticking his tongue out, he peppered small kisses onto Grace's chest. Feeling the way his chest stuttered as he was held in place by something as simple as his lips.
Grace's hands scrabbled at Simon's face, anything he could grab, he was. "Please simon!- I'm so-.." Grace felt pathetic saying it. The fact that he was already so close from such little contact was really starting to make him feel old.
Simon, instead of giving Grace what he wanted right away, decided to pull his face away entirely. Pressing his thumb to push apart Grace's legs and hold him still. Not letting his hips continue to thrust in the air as he had been.
"Don't you scientists know patience? Good things come to those who wait, Isn't that what they say?" Simon teased as he used his other finger to gently rub the inside of his thigh. Feeling his muscles quiver as the little man was clearly straining to get his cock to make any contact. Held down entirely by his thumb.
Grace felt like he could cry from how badly he wanted that warmth. He felt like an insignificant bug begging for the attention of a god.
He could have sworn he felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, his head thrown back. Just as he was about to beg again, he heard Simon sigh and lean back down. "Alright, fine… You need the rest clearly anyway."
Simon this time decided to do something different, before, he had only been sticking out the tip of his tongue.
…If he were to smother Grace with his tongue, would he even be able to push it off?
Sealing his resolve, he pressed his tongue flat across almost the entirety of Grace's body. Only leaving his upper chest and head out of reach. He felt his hips stuttering as he finally let go of him with his thumb. Letting him hump against his tongue as he curled the tip of it. Cradling his balls and shaft at the same time as he felt him twitch.
"AHng!~ Si!" The nickname slipped from Grace's lips quickly as he felt his legs tensing. His balls soon after twitching as Simon decided to focus entirely on his dick. Closing his lips and giving it the lightest suck.
Grace climaxed without even thinking about warning Simon to pull off, but the larger man didn't seem to care. Letting Grace's body thrash and twitch against his lips before slowly pulling off. Leaving the smaller man panting with his eyes squeezed shut. Too overstimulated to open them.
"…Want another bath?" Simon tacked on with a smile, licking his lips teasingly before swallowing thickly and letting Grace hear clear as day.
Grace pulled his arms up over his face and tried to hide the flush that took over his cheeks. "Yes, please."