Ryland Grace x reader, Rocky & reader
Reader who started calling Rocky pet names out of habit and, after explaining, Rocky loves it. But then reader and Grace start dating and you call him a pet name and suddenly Rocky is seething with jealousy.
āRock, honey, be careful,ā it slips out when he barrels past in his ball one day.
Youāre writing on a white board when he squeezes past, knocking into the leg of the table and causing it to shake, sending some utensils flying. Obviously heās incredibly sturdy (ā¦rockyā¦), but he can be kind of reckless sometimes.
āNo understand second word.ā At least he stops rolling around to ask.
Grace looks up from his work bench, glasses sliding down his nose to where theyāre almost falling off, and glances between the two of you. Heās in one of his stupid pun shirts that grip his biceps too tight, and you canāt think about that too much or else your mind will wander.
You realize what you said and that now you have to explain pet names to an alien. āOh uhā¦ā you look back at Ryland for assistance, but he just throws his hands up in a this-one-is-on-you gesture before returning to his work, slipping his pen between his teeth as he thinks.
You look back to Rocky who is eagerly awaiting your explanation.
āā¦Itās a pet name. A term of endearment,ā you decide to go with, āLike something you call someone you care about.ā
Heās quiet for a moment, then, ācare about Rocky? Question.ā
Youāre shocked that itās a question. You squat down to be semi-level with him, hand finding the top of his ball, āyeah. Of course I do Rocky.ā
He extends himself so his carapace bonks the tops of the ball where your hand is. The ball does a great job at insulation, but you can still feel a little more heat seep through when he does.
āAmaze amaze amaze. Rocky cares about humans too, statement.ā
You smile, but then remember something else, āOh! Honey is also a food, though.ā
He shrinks back down, you assume because heās put off by the mention of eating. He takes a single step back, ball rolling a small amount.
āRocky food? Question.ā
You burst out in laughter, Ryland canāt help but join too.
āNo! Rocky not food! Honey is sweet, so you call someone honey when their personality is sweet too.ā
āOh, understand. Rocky sweet!ā He does his little happy chirps and jazz hands that always make you get a little cuteness aggression.
āā¦debatableā¦ā you hear Grace murmur from his station, probably because Rocky rolled over his toe this morning.
āNo, Rocky sweet, statement. Other human said so, Grace is dumb dumb dumb human, smart smart smart human call Rocky sweet.ā
You stand and laugh, happy to gang up on Ryland with Rocky, āyeah, Ry, Iām smart smart smart.ā
Itās months later after you and Ryland finally stop pretending that you only love each other as ācrew matesā that it gets brought up again.
āRy, can you pass the p20,ā youāre running more experiments on the taumoeba, at this point more out of boredom than anything.
He hands the pipette to you from across the bench. āThank you, honey.ā The word slides out without you even realizing it, but someone in the room definitely takes notice.
Rocky stops his ministrations with his xenonite, dropping it and rapidly tapping on the barrier.
āWhat. Grace not honey, Rocky is honey! Only Rocky get pet name, statement.ā
You look up incredulously, unaware that Rocky felt so strongly about his pet name.
Grace seems fairly shocked at his insistence too, but heās not one to pass an opportunity to tease Rocky. He tilts his head like heās thinking before looking over at Rocky, āWell, no bud, Iām pretty sure Iām honey. Maybe when you can pass a pipetteā¦ā Ryland teases.
āNo no no, Rocky honey, Grace is leaky space blob, other human knows Rocky better.ā
You canāt stop your giggle. It feels a little mean because clearly Rocky is actually passionate about this, but his possession is cute.
āOkay! Iām sorry!ā You say through the giggles, āIt was an accident. Rocky is honey. Ry, youā¦weāll workshop it.ā Youāre not sure if he even likes pet names, let alone which ones.
He pouts across the lab bench to you.
āNo workshop. No special name for Grace, only Rocky.ā
Ryland throws his hands up, āCāmon, man!ā
