Little Rock Friends || Ryland Grace ||
A/n: Got asked about writing for PHM stuff and here is a second piece to the other fic.
The first thing you noticed was the sound.
It wasn’t human. It wasn’t mechanical either, not fully. It was… musical. Soft, layered tones echoing from the other room like someone was playing notes through metal and stone instead of air.
You froze mid-step, eyes lighting up as you grabbed Colt’s arm. “What is that?”
Colt immediately looked like a man who had made a mistake. A big one. “Nothing,” he said way too fast.
You turned slowly, narrowing your eyes. “Colt.”
From behind you, Ryland groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “What the hell did you tell her, Colt?”
“I didn’t tell her anything!” Colt shot back defensively. “She said she wanted to meet your—” he gestured vaguely, already backing away, “....rock friends.”
You gasped, delighted. “I do wanna meet your little rock friends!”
Ryland looked at you like his brain had just tripped over itself again. “They are not little.” He muttered then winced as another series of chiming, curious sounds echoed from the other room that was now closer.
Your entire face softened instantly. “Oh my...ok I need to see them.”
Before either of them could stop you, you slipped past Ryland and into the next room.
“Wait!!” Ryland started, following after you, already tense. “You should...just...maybe don’t—”
You stepped through the doorway and stopped.
Two massive, rock-like beings shifted on the reinforced floor, their forms unlike anything you had ever seen, five limbs each, bodies like living stone, the larger one towering slightly over the other. Their bodies caught the light in muted, earthy tones, and as they moved, those soft musical sounds filled the room again, echoing gently off the walls.
Your hand flew to your mouth. “Oh,” you breathed, completely awestruck. “Oh, they’re perfect.”
Ryland blinked behind you.That…was not the reaction he’d been expecting.
Rocky stilled for a moment, then let out a curious series of tones, lower, inquisitive. Adrian shifted beside him, larger and quieter, but clearly attentive.
You took a slow step forward. “Hi,” you said softly, like you were approaching a shy animal instead of two alien beings the size of small cars. “Hi, babies…”
Ryland nearly choked. “Babies....?”
Colt snorted behind him, already losing it.
Rocky made a brighter, almost excited series of notes, his body angling toward you. Adrian followed, slower but deliberate, their presence warm and steady.
You crouched slightly, completely fearless and held out your hand. “I’m not gonna hurt you,” you murmured gently.
Ryland opened his mouth to warn you, something about basic safety, that they're aliens but before he could get a single word out, Rocky reached forward.
One of his limbs extended, the three triangular fingers moving with surprising precision as he tapped lightly against your hand.
You lit up. “Oh my god, you’re saying hi—” you laughed softly, pure delight in your voice as you let him explore your hand, completely unbothered. “Hi, sweetheart. Hi.”
Adrian shifted closer, larger limb brushing lightly against your arm in what felt unmistakably like curiosity.
You looked up at them both, eyes wide and soft. “You’re both so pretty.”
Because Rocky made another sound, higher this time, almost rhythmic and Adrian followed with a deeper tone that echoed through the room.
Colt leaned over, nudging Ryland with his elbow, grinning like a menace. “Wow. They didn’t even like me this fast.”
“I cannot believe this is happening,” Ryland muttered, still watching as you gently laughed, completely surrounded by two enormous alien beings like it was the most natural thing in the world.
You reached out with your other hand, carefully brushing along Rocky’s carapace. “You’re like a big rock puppy,” you whispered.
Rocky responded instantly bright, chiming tones that almost sounded like happiness.
Adrian shifted again, pressing slightly closer to you in a way that felt protective, curious, and just a little possessive.
You didn’t even hesitate. You leaned into it, smiling.
“I love them,” you said immediately, looking back at Ryland like this was the most obvious thing in the world. “I love them so much.”
Ryland’s brain stopped working for the third time that day. “…you do?”
You nodded, beaming, turning back to them as Rocky tapped your hand again like he wanted more attention. “They’re perfect.”
Then Colt clapped a hand on Ryland’s shoulder, grinning like he’d just won the lottery.
“Congrats,” he said. “Your alien best friend and his wife just stole your girl.”
Ryland didn’t even argue.
Because watching you laugh softly, completely at ease, completely genuine as Rocky and Adrian hovered close, making soft musical sounds like they were just as smitten with you and he had a very sudden, very overwhelming realization.
This was either going to go incredibly well.Or completely ruin him.
Colt leaned against the doorway like a man trying very hard to process what he was seeing and failing.
Because in front of him, you were casually standing between two giant alien rock creatures, one of them gently tapping your hand like a curious puppy while the other hovered close like a very large, very protective bodyguard.
“Aren’t you like… freaked out?” Colt finally asked, gesturing wildly at the scene in front of him. “They are aliens. Most people freak out about aliens.”
You looked over your shoulder at him like he’d just said something deeply confusing. “They’re babies.”
Rocky made a soft, pleased chime.
“…they are not babies,” Ryland said weakly, though even he sounded unconvinced at this point.
“Yes they are,” you said immediately, turning back to Rocky as he nudged your hand again. “Look at him. He’s literally asking for attention.”
As if to prove your point, Rocky leaned forward again, his massive body shifting in a little bounce—a full eight hundred pounds of alien rock doing what could only be described as an excited wiggle.
Colt stared. “I hate this,” he muttered. “I hate that you made that cute.”
A soft mechanical whirring sound cut through the room.
“STATEMENT… CORRECTION,” came a slightly distorted, musical voice.
You gasped. “Oh my god, he talks?!”
Ryland groaned immediately. “Grace’s translator—he finished adjusting it....”
Rocky straightened, well, as much as a five-limbed rock alien could and let out a series of tones that filtered through the device.
“CLARIFICATION,” the translator buzzed, “WE ARE NOT… ‘BABIES.’”
Colt snorted. “Thank you.”
You tilted your head, unconvinced. “Mhm.”
Rocky paused, then continued. “ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION,” the translator continued, tone shifting slightly as if trying to interpret something more complex, “WE ARE… ADULTS. VERY COMPETENT. HIGHLY INTELLIGENT.”
Then the device crackled again.
Ryland’s head snapped up. “Oh no.”
Rocky let out a series of softer, chiming notes. “…YOU MAY CONTINUE TO CALL US… ‘BABIES,’” the translator finished.
Colt lost it. “I KNEW IT,” he shouted, pointing at Rocky like he’d just betrayed his entire species. “I KNEW YOU WERE GONNA FOLD...”
You beamed, immediately reaching up to gently pat Rocky’s carapace. “Good babies.”
Rocky made a bright, pleased trill, almost smug.
Adrian, not to be outdone, shifted forward, their larger frame pressing lightly against your side.
The translator buzzed again. “QUERY,” Adrian’s deeper tones translated, “DO WE ALSO RECEIVE… ‘PATS.’”
You gasped like you’d just been given the greatest honor imaginable. “Of course you do.”
Colt leaned against the wall, wheezing. “I cannot believe this. I cannot believe the aliens asked for head pats and got them.”
Because now you were gently brushing your hand along Adrian’s larger frame, smiling like this was your life now and honestly? You didn’t seem upset about it.
Rocky bounced again. “STATEMENT,” the translator chimed proudly, “HUMAN FEMALE IS… ACCEPTABLE.”
Colt straightened. “Acceptable?! That’s it?!”
“…CORRECTION,” the device buzzed, “HIGHLY ACCEPTABLE.”
You laughed softly and somewhere behind you, Ryland just stood there, staring at the scene like he had completely lost control of his own lifebecause not only were you not freaked out you had just been approved.
They were absolutely right.
