people already like my bloody mary doodles so here's my thoughts
both criers. Grace cries a lot, Simon cries a lot, they both are going through the spin cycle.
Simon is grateful, yes, but Grace fell first. Maybe not love at first sight, but when Simon gets the chance to be excited about something (probably the plants) Grace immediately falls.
Simon falls harder. Sue him, he's been through Hell his whole life, now he gets safety and a (bf? qpr? bff? My headcanons change with my mood) he deserves happiness.
Simon likes Rocky. I think he is immediately kinda pissed off by Rocky being sorta aggressive, but the second he realizes he isn’t in any real danger he recontectualizes all his interactions with Grace and Rocky and warms up to them quick, realizing that Rocky is just kinda like that. When he learns what Rocky's been through, he's even more determined to be this rock's friend.
Rocky is less inclined to warm up to Simon. Rocky has been through 40+ years of isolation and finally found someone, any hint that Grace might be in danger immediately sets Rocky on the warpath. You'd think two new friends is better than one, but Rocky is more scared to lose what he has.
When Rocky and Simon do warm up to each other Simon realizes that Rocky is not just "like that" and that he was in fact in danger of getting hit by a very heavy sentient bowling ball. Simon thinks thats both hilarious and realizes how close he was to getting rolled over at times.
Grace is desperately trying to keep Rocky from freaking out without letting Simon know that Rocky is actually kinda dangerous at the moment.
To be clear, Rocky is not a violent person in my eyes!!! But 40 plus years of isolation for a highly social species followed by whatever the fuck Grace and Rocky have going on has to do things to someone. When Rocky chills out he treats Simon to the same sort of constant invasion of privacy that Grace has learned to deal with, but lightens up notably on his clingyness to both Grace and Simon. Having two people around is better than one.
Due to the rough beginnings of Simon and Rocky's relationship, they are both very antagonistic to each other all in good fun.
Simon thinks that Grace and Rocky are a thing at first because they're both clingy as fuck. He thinks they're both freaks but they're the best people he's been around in a long time so he's kinda like "love is love ig"
Simon starts falling for Grace when Grace needs to demonstrate something and goes full teacher mode. He's fun and kind and confident and Simon falls immediately and falls HARD
Simon did have some interest in Grace before falling though, just looking at his scars and hearing about the incident at Adrian made him interested in knowing more about this guy. What Simon sees is someone brave and determined to do anything to help. Even if that means doing a space walk next to instant vaporization.
The Adrian incident also helps his relationship with Rocky, again, being willing to go through all that to save his friend. That's bravery and devotion and a will to help people at your own expense.
Simon only starts looking up to them after he learns about that.
It is important to me that they are all each other's role models. Grace and Rocky both look up to each other as geniuses.
Rocky looks up to Simon for not just what he's survived, but his willingness to keep going. Rocky got left alone with his own thoughts for 40 years, he definitely had to have struggled with the will to keep going. He did it for his planet and partner. Simon lived for his people, but now he has to live for himself again and I think that's something that Rocky doesn't think he could have done. This is projection on my side. The ability to live for yourself is something I look up to a lot and now Rocky gets that too.
Grace looks up to Simon because Simon thought he was gonna die and prioritized his people. They both got sent on suicide missions and had similair struggles, but I don't think Grace really processed that? I think he has the imposter syndrome of all imposter syndromes. When Grace is ready to die for Rocky, that's what friends do. But when Simon is ready to die for his people, Grace thinks about being pinned down and sedated. To him, Simon is what he was supposed to be - who he should have been.
Simon did have a delirious moment of "is that an angel?" and was embarrased when he woke up next and realized it's just some random guy. Apparently Ryan Gosling is hot but I don't see it (aroace or lesbian who knows, not me) so I'm not really factoring that into this. Also this moment of embarrassment is somewhat based in a moment I actually had where I idolized someone in elementary, and then in high school she came up and spoke to me and somewhere deep in my brain I went "omg it's her she's talking to me!!!" and then just had to kinda deal with my horror at my own inner monologue treating some random girl as a celebrity while I talked to her. The embarrassment still haunts me. So when I saw the angel stuff I immediately decided Simon is getting a moment exactly like that.
In between learning about the incident at Adrian and seeing Grace teach, Simon realizes that Grace and Rocky are not a thing and doesn't know why he's so relieved. The why is because he was already kinda just barely falling. He assumes he just was not chill with interspeecies romance. I think he would be chill with it if it somehow got the chance to happen to anyone besides his crush. Like those "oh I must be homophobic" moments that some people apparently have before realizing they're gay.
Demi romantic and asexual Grace. Demi romantic Simon.
Simon wears dresses cause he's comfortable in his masculinity. Grace wears dresses because he has something to realize (agender Grace my beloved)
Grace likes that Simon is cozy in dresses
Rocky asks Grace about what happens when humans fall in love because he has suspicions about their weird behaviour. Rocky realizes that these two are in love. He sits back, says nothing, and enjoys the show. Worst wingman ever.
Simon and Grace when Rocky talks about Adrian:
