#crewmate reader

Grace sure seemed to be a magnet for the more weirder things going on in space outside of Earth's solar system. First he discovered Rocky while dealing with the Astrophage and the Petrova Line issue that threatened not only Earth but Erid as well. Next he, alongside Rocky, found the blood moon known as AT-5 and, after the Hail Mary's sensors informed them of life on the moon's bloodied oceans, rescued Simon from a rather harsh fate; It took some time for Simon to come around and trust them, having lashed out and been rather violent the first couple of days aboard the Hail Mary. He eventually came around, apologized for his actions, and from then on became the Hail Mary's pilot. And even now, as he and Simon stared out the window that was attached to the lab, they stared out at the large, dark gray ship that seemed to just be floating about. It didn't look damaged, no signs of a hull breach or anything of the sort, so both men found it awfully strange for it to just be there. It raised a lot more questions within Grace then it did Simon, and Grace decided he might as well at least ask one of the questions that swam in his mind.

"Is that um- I mean, that isn't one of the people lookin for you, is it? Y'know… You bein a convict and all." Grace questioned, his gaze turning away from the window to look at Simon with a worried expression; Simon had informed Grace of his story once he had calmed down and grew used to being around another human (and Rocky, of course. That took longer though, as he found it extremely weird to be talking to a rock). He had explained in detail to Grace on how he ended up on AT-5, of the COI and of Eden, of everything pertaining to him and his rather troubling past. As Simon's gaze scanned the ship over a few times, he gently shook his head in response to Grace's question.

"No, it doesn't look like anything from the COI. And it certainly isn't anything related to Eden…" He'd explain, his head slightly tilted as he watched the ship float effortlessly through space. It didn't look damaged, but at the same time it didn't look used either. Something was off, Simon could feel it, he just couldn't put his mind to it. "Maybe it's just some abandoned ship. I mean, how much shit truly gets left in space?"

"Explore! Statement!" Rocky shouted as he nudged his way between the two men, wanting to look out the window even though everyone knew he very obviously couldn't see very far in their current location. Simon would let out a small grunt as he stepped aside, staring down at the creature below before he shook his head.

"No, no exploring. We should leave it as it is and keep moving-" Simon began, but Grace was quick to cut him off.

"Now wait- Hold on- Maybe we should try to make contact with the ship? Maybe they need help-" Grace shared his opinion, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at Simon. Simon could only huff lightly as he gave the man beside him a look.

"What if it's some kind of trap? What if they want you to stop just so they could kill you then steal your supplies? Hm? I thought we needed to get to Erid as soon as possible, huh?" Simon shot back which caused Grace to make a face at the remark. In their own ways, both men made valid points. To Simon, everything was about survival, even if he knew he wasn't on AT-5 anymore; Ever detour they took was another day that was taken away from their estimated time of arrival on Erid, another day that was taken away from him being able to relax and not have to look over his shoulder every so often to ensure the COI wasn't hot on his tail. To Grace, this was a chance to see what else space had to offer, maybe a new species of alien or perhaps another human lost on some mission that he wasn't aware of. Perhaps someone really was in need of help, perhaps it was a trap set up by space pirates (If those even existed. Did they exist? Grace would have to ask Rocky at some point.). Neither man would be proven correct unless they attempted to contact or board the ship.

"Rocky say go anyway. More of us. Us is strong. Well, Simon strong. So is Rocky. Grace… Not so much." Rocky would butt in, voicing his own opinion on the matter as he began to sway the ball he resided in from side to side, seeming pleased with the idea to explore somewhere new. Simon could only sigh as he moved his hand up to rub at his eyes, defeat clearly in his facial expression as Grace beamed at Simon in triumph, though he was still hurt at Rocky's claim that he wasn't as strong as Simon.

"Well, that technically makes two against one! We'll just check it out- If we get bad vibes after making contact or entering the ship, then we leave." Grace spoke, turning away from the window with the wave of a hand as he began to make his way to the cockpit of the ship. Rocky quickly rolled after Grace, going on about what a 'bad vibe' was and how he would be able to use that phrase from here on out. Simon would let his arm drop to his side after, watching the two leave before he looked back towards the ship once more, a frown etched on his features before he'd tear his eyes away from the floating hunk of metal.

"You can't go anywhere without a pilot!" He'd call out as he turned to follow after them, rounding the corner that lead to the cockpit.

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After being unable to verbally contact the ship, Simon and Grace had agreed to board the ship. Luckily for Simon, the extra space suits from Grace's deceased companions fit him rather well, lack for better terms. Grace had to tie off the left arm of the suit so it wasn't just dangling there; He even attempted to put the left glove on Simon's nub of an arm, getting a small snort of a laugh from Simon in the process before he just decided to drop it all together. Simon couldn't recall the last time he even looked at a space suit like this, let alone had to wear one. He found it annoying, but he understood why; Whatever atmosphere was inside the ship could be deadly to them. He had survived the blood ocean, he wasn't going to let lack of oxygen take him next.

As the airlock hissed, the doors opened to reveal the interior of the Skeld's storage area; What looked to be metal crates stacked high on top of one another rested in the center of the room while a few smaller crates were knocked off with their contents spilled out nearby. There were also various metal drums containing who knew what lining one of the walls nearby, but Simon's curiosity wasn't drawn to them or to the fact that the ship had electricity running through it. No, his gaze was locked on what looked to be dried blood splattered across the floor just before them. Grace may not have seen it right away, but Simon sure did.

"This place is huge…" Grace called out, his voice crackling in Simon's ear as the space suits radio came to life. It made the man jump for a moment, flashbacks to the speaker in the submarine breaching his mind, but he wouldn't linger on the thoughts for too long. They had a task to complete, and if he spiraled out over some simple radio static, well he would rather have died in the blood ocean.

"Yeah, which means we should stick close to one another. We don't know what's lingering around here." Simon remarked, stepping fully into the storage room as he continued to observe his surroundings, his gaze finally being torn away from the splattering on the ground. A small hiss would escape him as he lifted his foot, glaring down as Rocky had all but barged himself past him and Grace, rolling along into the storage room to look around himself. Grace couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him as he followed after Rocky who was talking about how weird the ship looked compared to the Hail Mary and Blip-A.

They'd quickly take notice of how the room branched down three various halls, all of which were dimly lit with the occasional flicker from the lights along the wall, the low hum of electricity running through the walls being their only noise within the ship aside from the occasional creaking of the haul adjusting to the pressure of space.

"Let's head down this hall first, see if we can find anyone…" Simon spoke, looking back to ensure Grace heard him and began to make his way down the hall just right of the storage room. Grace was quick to follow after him, not wanting to be left alone in such a large space with Rocky following the rear. As they walked, nothing seemed to greet them in return. It didn't seem like a trap at least, but Simon knew better than to let his guard down.

As they came upon the first set of doors just to the right of them, the lock would hiss and open for them, revealing what looked to be a communication room. Yet again, there seemed to be no signs of life here, but all the equipment seemed to be working just fine.

"They still have power… I wonder why the ship isn't running then?" Grace questioned, stepping into the room cautiously as he looked from side to side. He took notice of the various electronics that were mounted on the walls, of the computers that were stationed on three different desks, and of the chair that was spun to face the doorway. Simon would frown as he stepped in as well, making his way over to the main computer that sat on the wall just across the door. "Maybe they ran out of fuel." Simon voiced his own opinion to try and answer Grace's question.

"What this? What this? Question?" Rocky would speak as he ran a circle around the room, taking in everything that resided in the room; Some things looked familiar to him, as the Hail Mary had a couple of the same things, but some of it was also different to Rocky. While Grace would begin to inform Rocky of just what was in the room and how it worked, Simon was solely interested in the computer that faced the door they had just entered, the one with the chair spun around. Attached to the top of it looked to be a camera of sort and as Simon tilted his head, he'd reach out to investigate the computer. It didn't seem like a log in was required, which surprised him, but made their job even easier. As he began to navigate the computer, Grace would come to stand beside him.

"Find anything that may give us clues to what happened here?" He'd question him, leaning over a bit to look at the glowing screen before him as Simon began to click on various files; Some of them just looked to be random data that the ship provided the crew with, other files were things that Simon couldn't give a care for. The last file folder he clicked on sprang to life, what looked to be video files were stored here. The two men would look at one another before looking back at the screen, Simon moving the cursor over the first video file before he'd click on it.

A new tab would appear, a video player of sorts, and the video began to play with no extra attention needed.

The camera would be adjusted, a red gloved hand moving it into position before you sat back in the seat with a small huff, turning to look at the white suited male beside you. "Do I really have to do this? It's kinda stupid-" You'd begin to say, the male beside you laughing as he patted your shoulder.

"Yes, you do. Mira HQ wants us to record everything we do and see, you know, just in case something were to happen." He'd answer you, his white space suit covered in various patches, stating his obvious role as captain. You'd roll your eyes as he'd make his way to the door. "You don't need to spend all day here, just a few simple sentences and then you'll be done." He'd inform you before he'd leave the room, leaving you to yourself. You turned your attention back to the camera, crossing your arms as you leaned forward on the desk; Similar to the man who just left, you wore a space suit of your own though no helmet was seen and yours was colored red with a simple patch attached to your right sleeve with what looked to be a medical symbol attached.

"Right um… Video log one, Red reporting." You'd begin, making a face at having to record this stupid log and call yourself by that title. "First day officially on board the Skeld. Take off was smooth and breaking through the atmosphere and into space was simple enough. No issues there but that was to be expected, White seems to know what he's doing as Captain and Blue seems to be a reliable pilot. There's eight of us total and I was assigned here to be the crews medic because apparently someone has to keep these idiots alive from whatever we find out there." You'd huff out, glancing around the room a bit as you attempted to come up with something else to talk about so you decided to just give a debrief of the mission. "The mission sounds simple enough; Head to planet Polus, retrieve some data and find out why the outpost has been silent for over two months now." You'd lean back in the seat, letting out a low hum as you attempted to think of what else there was to report before you'd sigh, leaning forward to reach out for the camera. "Alright, I think that's enough. I'll report again when we reach the planet." The video went dark afterwards.

The two men would look at each other; There was, or possibly were, eight people located on this ship. So where did they all go? The ship remained silent, minus the sound coming from the computer, and Rocky had yet to report of any movement nearby, so what exactly happened? The amount of questions the two had began to add up and they hoped that with each log they found on this computer, their questions would be answered.

They'd continue through the logs, picking and choosing which they'd watch; Like you had stated, each of your fellow crew members wore a different colored suit and had their own roles within the ship, their suit adoring their respective patches on their arms. A Captain, two engineers, two scientists, a pilot, a medic, and a weapons officer; Seemed to be a pretty sound crew for the most part and everyone looked like they got along with one another just fine. So why was it that something felt off the more and more they watched? Simon would click on another log and you'd appear on their screen again, though you began to look tired.

"Video log fifteen, Red reporting. Something… Something is wrong." You'd begin, resting your elbows on the desk as you placed your head in your hands to rub at your face. "The crew that was stationed at Polus had seemed to just… Disappear. The only signs of life was the mess that was left within the outpost itself. No bodies, no skeletal remains, nothing." You'd inform the camera, lifting your head to look into it as you leaned back in your seat, your arms falling to your sides. "The data within the station had been extracted, along with any biological samples from the planet that they had been working on. The electronic data has been uploaded into the admin computer and will eventually be redirected back to Mira HQ for evaluation while the samples were placed in O2 lab for Green and Orange to look over but everything is just… Strange. How does a crew of twelve just suddenly disappear? It isn't normal-" You'd question, glancing over your shoulder before looking back at the camera, your voice dropping to a low whisper as if someone was lurking nearby.

"That's not the only strange thing… Recently, Yellow has been acting odd… Ever since we boarded the Skeld to return back to HQ, they've been… Twitchy, antsy. I've offered to help them, prescribe them something to help calm their nerves but they refuse each time. Said they're completely fine and appreciate my concern for them." You'd sigh, shaking your head. "I'm thinking perhaps it's just the nerves from not finding anyone at the outpost, but I guess you never know." You'd get to your feet before you'd cut the log without another word.

"Wait- Did they mention O2? As in oxygen?" Grace would speak, his eyes wide as he looked at Simon who looked at him in return. Simon would stand up, his hand immediately going towards his helmet before Grace would quickly grab his hand in a panic.

"Wait wait wait! Don't go yanking that off yet! We don't even know if everything is up and running! Maybe that's why we haven't found anyone yet, because their O2 diminished and they died from lack of oxygen!" Grace would shout, his eyes narrowing on Simon; Always quick to rush into things and not one to stop and think about the cause and effect. Simon would huff, shaking Grace's hand off his own.

"Then we should go search for wherever this lab is, see if it is running so I can take this stupid helmet off." Simon would bark back. The two stood in silence, glaring each other down before the automated voice of Rocky reached their ears.

"Rocky go find lab. Rocky fix whatever broken." Rocky offered, though it was more-so a statement as he began to roll towards the door without another word spoken. Grace would turn his attention to his companion, about to argue before he'd let out a low groan already seeing the Eridian leave the room and go down the hall to the right.

"Rocky- Would you wait?! How do you even know where you're going?! It could be dangerous!" Grace would call out, leaving Simon's side to chase after him, leaving the convict alone in the room. Simon would turn his attention back to the screen, clicking on a few more logs along the way to try and piece together what had happened here; Was it perhaps an O2 leak like Grace had mentioned? Did some sickness spread through the ship and you, their medic, was unable to catch it in time and cure it? He wasn't sure, but with the more and more videos he watched, the less and less he began to notice certain crew members record their logs. He'd notice how everyone began to look more and more tired, how some would show up more dirtied then others. Until he reached the last log; You'd appear on screen, your red suit stripped down to the waist, the arms tied tightly around your waist so the sleeves would've get caught on whatever you walked passed. The top you wore underneath your suit was dirtied with what Simon could only assume was dried blood, perhaps some grime from the ship itself. Regardless, you looked like you had been through hell and then some. Your hair was matted, your face and arms covered in cuts, bruises, and blood; Your head was just dripping with blood, he noticed. You also had a large cut across your right arm, but you didn't seem to care right now. You looked exhausted for the lack of a better term.

"Video log twenty-four… Red reporting…" Your voice spoke quietly, you sounded utterly defeated. "Despite there once being eight of us aboard this ship… I've now become the sole survivor. The reason Yellow had been acting strange wasn't because of nerves, or because of what happened on Polus. It was because it was the reason those twelve scientists went missing on Polus." You'd explain, looking away from the camera and towards the corner of the room. "This entire time, there was an imposter among us- A creature that wanted nothing more than to tear us limb from limb and consume us just as it did the others." You'd begin to tear up, your voice cracking as you moved a hand over your mouth, trying to keep yourself together long enough to at least get the recording done. "It had killed, maybe even infected Yellow back on Polus and managed to either copy itself perfectly to look exactly like him or managed to take over his body with no issues whatsoever. Regardless of what it did to him, it managed to act like him despite the antsiness I noted after boarding the ship."

"When Pink suddenly fell ill while working in the reactor, I just… I couldn't figure out why she fell ill. Nothing was showing up on my scans, no medicine I had on board was helping and eventually she passed in her sleep. After that, all hell seemed to break loose. One by one that thing took us out; We'd find Green choked to death in electrical with the wiring, Blue was shot in the pilots seat while Orange was found poisoned in O2 after a leak started." The cracking in your voice grew, the sobs becoming evident in your voice as you remembered everything that happened to each and everyone you began to grow close with over such a long period of time.

"I tried to save them all, I tried everything I was taught and then some, yet nothing worked. Those of us that remained began to look at me differently; Began to blame me for the deaths as if I had a hand in it!" You'd begin to break, your hands now moving into your hair to grip it as you leaned over in the seat to stare at the ground. "Eventually Captain connected the dots and it was then that the imposter began to take out the rest of us to ensure we wouldn't eject him. Captain…" You'd start, feeling your throat tighten all over again as more tears began to well in your eyes and fall onto the floor beneath you.

"Captain managed to tackle the imposter into the airlock… Yelled back at me send them both into space. I… I did it. I sent them into space- I watched as White died alongside that thing." You'd sob, breaking down all over again. "Black was the last alive but he… He was gravely injured. I tried to save him too- I stitched the wound, I disinfected it, I wrapped it so tightly in bandages I thought I'd break his ribs. I even gave him the blood transfusion so why… Why did he have to die too and leave me alone?!" You shouted, your hands suddenly slamming onto the desk as you stood violently, your tears visible on the recording as they fell and hit the table now. You cried for what was another minute, just standing before the camera and letting it all wash over you in one big breakdown.

Eventually you'd lift your head back up, your eyes puffy and red, the streaks of tears cutting through the blood and grime that covered your face. "I'm not making it home… This… This ship is my death bed. I'll die here like the others, though I'll die slower. There's enough supplies for another couple weeks but I don't… I don't know how to pilot this ship- I don't know how to ensure the O2 levels stay where they should, how to make sure the reactor and engines run without issues." You'd vent, your hands curling into fists against the desk as you'd let out a small laugh.

"How ironic, right? The medic being the last alive… The person that should keep others alive is the sole survivor." You'd sniffle, moving a hand to rub at your eyes before you'd exhale shakily, reaching out for the camera. "This is Red, signing off for the last time."

The screen froze as you cut the recording and Simon could only stare at your face in the paused frame. In a way, you reminded him of himself; Stuck in a hunk of metal with what looked to be no way out. Sure, the ship probably had an autopilot feature that could get you back to wherever you belonged, but if you weren't trained on how to use it, it was pretty much useless. There were more riskes to pressing random buttons than there was to just sit and wait out your death.

"Simon! Simon you can take your helmet off!" Grace's voice broke him from his train of thought, running back into the room with his helmet now off and held within his hand. "That log was right- There's a whole lab that controls the oxygen on the ship and get this, right? There's live plants in there!" Grace began, his voice laced with excitement but it quickly fell short as he took in the grim look on Simon's face, his expression falling quick. "What happened? What did you find out?"

Simon moved his hand up to his helmet, disconnecting it from the suit and placed it aside on the desk as he exhaled the breath he didn't even realize he was holding but he quickly tensed as he caught the faint scent of blood, long since dried but still the copper smell present just enough for him to catch it.

"There was a monster on this ship. It took out the crew except for one- This… Red person." Simon began to explain as he turned to look at Grace whose eyes widened at his words.

"Then they might still be around here! Simon we gotta find them-" Grace spoke as he moved closer, having Simon step aside as he began to check over the recording dates for the logs, his face scrunching as he attempted to make sense of the timing. It took awhile but he eventually put it together; Lucky for them, their numbers seemed to be in English. A weird coincidence.

"Okay! Here-" Grace pointed at the screen towards the numbers of the last log Simon had watched. "This is about two or three days old- They might still be around here." Grace looked to Simon, his expression hardening. "We need to find them, perhaps they're still alive." He'd state, looking at Rocky who rolled his ball from side to side in excitement.

"Rescue mission? Question?" Rocky asked to which Grace nodded.

"Rescue mission, buddy."

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For once, after having boarded the Skeld to make your way back home, you felt at peace. You felt comfortable, warm, content.

'Something's wrong.' You immediately thought, your body slowly waking itself from the darkness that surrounded you. Slowly your eyes would open, a low hiss escaping you as you were greeted to the vivid whiteness of the room you resided in. You'd move an arm up to try and cover your eyes, but would quickly take notice of the IV tube sticking out of your arm with what looked to be medical tape secured to it to ensure it didn't fall out. Suddenly all your senses were awake as you stared at it with wide eyes; The last thing you recalled before you finally fell unconscious was sitting with your back against the panel in the reactor room, staring across the hall towards the security room as the low hum of the reactor behind you lulled you to a sleep your body so desperately craved. You'd quickly sit up, looking around the room quickly; You weren't on the Skeld, that much was certain. This wasn't it's med bay and it certainly wasn't back in Mira HQ, this was someplace different. You didn't have long to think about where you could possibly be before mechanic armatures dropped from the ceiling to aid you as if sensing your sudden awareness, but you were quick to shove it away from you with eyes narrowed. You needed to be cautious, after all.

"Don't touch me." You'd hiss, your body in a fight or flight mode now. You'd watch as the armatures moved away with your shove before remaining in their places, though they never seemed to look away from you. You'd look down at yourself, a small huff escaping you as you noticed more tubes and wires attached to you in various points. Whoever, or whatever, found you clearly attempted to patch you up, or perhaps it was the very arms that wanted to help you moments ago? Any previous injuries that you were unable to take care of on your own were now patched to some degree. The cuts and bruises that lined your arms from your encounters with the imposter were now hidden being tightly wrapped white bandages that had turned a faint pink color in some spots. You'd raise your hand to your head and just like your arms, you felt the lining of a bandage there as well. At this point, you honestly couldn't recall all the injuries you had sustained over the past couple of days, as it was all just a blur of colors to you.

However many injuries you did have though, they must've been taken care of by these robotic armatures. You did notice though that you still remained in your red space suit, though your once dirty and tattered undershirt had been replaced by a newer, freshly cleaned one. A little baggie, you noted, but still covering you completely. Did the arms do that for you? Or did whatever had taken you on board do it? A frown crossed your features at the thought before you'd huff once more and began to rip the cables and wires off your body, a small wince escaping you as you tore the IV from your arm before you'd swing your legs over the side of the bed. The arms would reach for you once more, a mechanical voice speaking.

"Body motion detected. Please, for your own safety, return to the medical bed." You'd roll your eyes as you stood up, a little shaky at first but you quickly gathered your senses and began to walk towards the entrance you had spotted while observing the room. You yourself were a medic, you knew your own limits better than anyone else. Though you supposed throughout the past couple of days you had been ignoring said limits, but you weren't about to let some robot take care of you when you could do so yourself. As you stepped out into the corridor, your gaze immediately landed on the window that looked out into space just to your left. You quickly moved over to it, pressing a hand against the coolness of the glass to try and peer outside; Was the Skeld nearby? Were you able to pinpoint where you were? Annoyance crossed your features as you didn't take notice of your ship anywhere, but you did notice the stars looked to be in the exact same positions as before when you were aboard your ship and would stand in the cafeteria to stare out at them. So if this ship didn't move from where the Skeld was stationed, where was the ship?

As your mind raced with questions, your attention was turned elsewhere as the echo of voices began to reach your ears. You'd turn your head behind you, eyes narrowed slightly down the corridor before you began to follow the voices cautiously.

"Grace you can't be serious about keeping them here. What if we run out of supplies? Or they try to kill us? What then?" A deep male voice spoke but was quickly cut off by another voice, also male.

"This ship was originally designed to house three people, we'd have more than enough supplies to get us to Erid if they wanted to come with! And I mean- I don't think they'd want to kill us… You watched all the video logs, they don't seem like the type to kill unless they absolutely needed too! They're a medic, after all." The second male would voice his opinion, his tone firm. So you were on a ship with two others, good to know. As you made a left turn to make your way down the next corridor, you quickly caught sight of another window. With caution thrown out the window, you quickly raced over to it to take another look outside. It was there you saw the Skeld, attached to what you could only assume was this ships airlock system. A sigh of relief escaped you before you'd glance back, hearing the voices once more. Behind you was another corridor, much shorter though, and what looked to be a lab was attached at the end of it.

You'd take note of the two males there, one with long darker hair and the other with short blonde hair, glasses hanging off of his face. What really took your interest? The creature in the glass ball that seemed to be looking directly at you.

"Grace, Simon-" The creature began to speak, though similar to the medical room you were in, it sounded automated.

"Not now Rocky." Simon (Or Grace, you didn't know who was who) spoke down to the creature without taking his gaze off the other human before him.

"Urgent! Very urgent! Statement!" The creature spoke again, but both men seemed to just ignore the creature as they continued their argument above him. How rude of them. You'd slowly move away from the window, making your way down the corridor to where they all stood. Rocky, you assumed it's name was given the one male mentioned it, began to roll in the ball, making a quick lap around the two to try and get their attention once more before it began to make it's way over to you.

"Simon! Grace!" Rocky called out again as it stopped just before you to try and properly get a look at you.

"What?!" Both men shouted in unison before turning to look at where Rocky had rolled off to, only for both of them to go silent and wide eyed as you stood there. You'd have crouched down to inspect the ball, your head tilted curiously at it's design. What looked to be glass panels were attached to every side of it, welded together with a thin seal of… Some type of element or metal, you weren't sure. You weren't the scientist of the group, that much was certain.

"Weird…" You'd speak before your gaze turned to the men and your heart all but stopped. You stared with wide eyes at the male with the dark hair; Half of his face, around his cheek area to be exact, were sharp jagged teeth that jutted out from what looked to be a wide scar across his face that branched out just above his nose. He was also missing his left arm, but that wasn't what made you so fearful. It was the teeth, almost looking exactly like those of the imposter that took over Yellow.

As if sensing your sudden fear, Grace quickly moved to stand in front of Simon, his hands held up in defense. "Wait wait wait- Don't freak out, okay? He's not as scary as he looks! I promise!" Grace began, unsure if you were even able to understand his language. Well, you did speak perfect English not even a second ago, so perhaps you did understand. Simon made a face as the fear crossed your features and turned his head away to hide that mutated side of him.

"Simon safe! Everything here safe! Statement!" Rocky spoke as he rolled around you as you stood to your feet, still looking a bit defensive; You had every right to be. You were taken from the comfort (if you even wanted to call it that anymore) of your own ship and were now surrounded by 2 strangers and a rock-like alien. If it wasn't for the lack of knowledge of the ship you were on, you would've bolted and attempted to find your way back to the Skeld. You'd keep your gaze on Simon for a moment longer before shifting your gaze to Grace, finally putting names to faces.

"Where am I? Why did you bring me here?" You'd begin your long list of questions to which Grace would relax a bit; Good, you were gonna trust them for the time being. He'd take that small bit of trust and run with it for as long as you'd let him.

"You're on the Hail Mary, a spaceship from the planet Earth. And I mean… You looked like you were dying on your own ship when we found you. You needed the help so we brought you back to get that help." He'd answer honestly, slowly lowering his hands. "Why don't you come and have a seat in the lab and we can talk…? I'm sure you have a lot of questions to ask us and we have a couple we'd like to ask you as well. I'll get you something to eat too, you're probably starving."

You'd fall silent at that as you thought it over; You didn't have much of a choice to be fair and your stomach eventually gave your answer as it growled loudly. Simon would snort lightly upon hearing it and you'd huff quietly, moving your hands over your stomach as you glared down at it in annoyance. You supposed you did owe them your thanks for saving you, so it was only right that you answered whatever questions they had.

"Fine, but only because food is an option."

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You'd sit at one of the lab tables, balancing yourself on the stool as you shoveled in whatever food Grace had given you. This was much different then the food on the Skeld and honestly? It tasted so much better and you didn't think you could return to what you originally ate on the ship.

"Okay so- First things first." Grace spoke as he paced the lab on the other side of the table you were currently sat at, Simon leaning against the counter on the opposite side with his hand gripping the edge of it as he also watched Grace pace around. Rocky remained seated nearby in his ball, though within view of everyone.

"We found the video logs on your ship and we know about your mission and… Parts of what happened to your crew. Our condolences, by the way." He'd offer, turning to look at you in which you'd give a small nod as 'thanks' as you continued to eat; By the way you were inhaling it, you obviously hadn't eaten in a couple days. "I guess the main thing we want to know is what attacked your crew? Were you able to figure out what it was? Is it a possible threat to the rest of us?" Grace finished as he stopped just beside Simon. You'd finish your meal, pushing the garbage aside into a small pile before you'd lean your arms on the table, looking between Simon and Grace with a content look now that you had been fed.

"I'm still not sure myself what it was if I'm being honest... It must've came from Polus, perhaps a parasite or maybe just an alien with shape-shifting abilities? Then again that wouldn't explain just how it knew Yellow's memories if it was a shape-shifter so I've started to lean more towards parasitic. Though without Yellow's body I'm not exactly able to confirm any of the theories I have…" You'd shrug lightly. "Unless you intend on going to the planet Polus, I don't see it being a threat to anyone here."

"Is your name actually Red?" Simon would ask next, causing Grace to give him a look like 'Are you serious?!' A small laugh would escape you, shaking your head lightly; Grace had informed you several times over (Rocky as well) that Simon wouldn't hurt you, that he wasn't like the monster that had killed your crew.

"No, my name isn't actually Red. When creating the crew for the mission, they grabbed crewmates from various parts of the planet. Some of us had names the others couldn't even pronounce, so they decided to have us go off the colors of our suits. It made things easier, in a way." You'd inform them, watching as Simon gave a slow nod and Grace raised an eyebrow in response; He supposed in a way it would make sense, I mean, who didn't know their colors?

"Anyway- My turn." You'd sit up a little more, leaning over the table to point directly at Rocky. "What's that?"

"Me?" Rocky would speak, slightly annoyed you'd refer to him as a 'that.' "I am Rocky!" He'd shout, starting to roll towards you until Grace stuck his leg out to stop him, picking up where Rocky had left off. "He's an Eridian, from the planet Erid. Which, actually, is where we were headed until we saw your ship just… Floating around in space." Grace spoke, nudging Rocky back with his foot. A small chuckle would escape Simon at the small altercation, even more so as Rocky would grumble something that the computer was unable to pick up on, rolling back to where he once sat to continue what could only be described as his pouting session.

"Erid?" You'd question, tilting your head before you'd frown. "Where are you even from then? Shouldn't you be going home?" You'd question, looking between Grace and Simon. Simon would make a face at your question, looking away a bit before Grace would clear his throat.

"It's uh- A rather complicated story… One that would take hours to explain." He'd begin, waving his hand as he made his way over to lean himself on the table you sat at. "Short story is he doesn't really have a home anymore." He'd point to Simon. "I don't have enough fuel to get home." He'd point to himself. "And he needs to return home to save his planet and we only have enough fuel to get there." He'd point to Rocky. Slowly you'd nod your head, a frown crossing your features.

"I see… I'm sorry for asking." You'd say as you sat back onto the stool. Grace would give a small shrug as he straightened back up. "Ah, don't worry about it. Not like I had anyone waitin' for me anyway. Though, that does bring me to my next question. What are you going to do now?" He'd question you, crossing his arms.

This question had caught you by surprise; What were you going to do now? You could return to Mira HQ, report your findings and then who knows what would happen from there. They'd probably put you in quarantine for awhile before dumping you into some lab to be watched and tested in case that imposter had, in fact, infected you. Perhaps after all that was said and done, you'd be forced to lead another team back to Polus to investigate those creatures further. In the end, you could only see yourself dying on that planet at the hands of another monster, where it'd take control of your own body to lure that new team to their own demise. You'd make a face at the thought, picking at the bandages that wrapped up your arms as more and more scenarios played out in your mind.

Simon would watch you closely, his head tilted ever so slightly. "You don't want to return to wherever you're from, do you?" He'd question, as if reading your very mind. Your eyes would widen as you looked at Simon, mouth slightly agape as if trying to come up with some reasoning to give him. "It's written all over your face, you know. You're afraid to go back, afraid they'll send you back into the same mess you were just in. I know that feeling, I was stuck in something similar." He'd inform you, a knowing look in his eyes. You didn't need to fully understand his story to just know he understood you. You'd hum lowly in response, looking down at the table.

"I'm… Sorry to hear that. And I'm sorry for judging you so quickly. After everything happened I really thought you were one of those things…" You'd apologize, watching as Simon simply shrugged it off before speaking. "It happens, don't worry about it."

Silence fell between the four of you, everyone had their eyes on you and what your decision would be. After some thinking, some serious thought on your end, you'd open your mouth to speak.

"I'd... I'd like to go with you to Erid. If you'll have me,that is. I have medical knowledge, maybe not as much as that machine in the other room but I can be useful!" You'd offer yourself up, looking between the two men with wide eyes. "Whatever supplies are on the Skeld are yours to take. There's food and water, though it's not as good as what you gave me earlier. Not to mention various medical supplies, lab equipment, there's even plants within the O2 lab we could bring aboard if you so wanted."

Simon and Grace would look at each other then down to Rocky, almost as if they were all silently having the conversation that would decide your very fate. You'd bite your lip, already getting antsy and trying to think of something else to offer up that would get them to accept you on board. You'd already offered the food and water, not to mention all the equipment on the ship, what else could you offer-

"Of course you can come with. Why wouldn't we take you along?" Grace would speak up, looking at you with a warm smile. You'd relax immediately into the seat, letting your head fall back for a moment. Similar to when you laid in that bed earlier, you felt at ease; You'd be away from the disaster that had been the past couple of weeks and start new, start somewhere fresh.

With that decision in mind, you'd work with them to gather the supplies you needed off the Skeld and onto the Hail Mary. You informed them of where certain supplies were, of what could be removed and brought with and what had to stay. Simon had knowledge of how to pilot ships, or at least that's what Grace had informed you of since he sorta became the pilot for the Hail Mary when needed, so you had requested he figure out a way to return the ship to Mira HQ. The least you could do was return it to them, along with the bodies of your deceased crewmates that resided within the medical bay. You refused to let Grace or Simon enter that room for that very reason. Only you would go in to retrieve the supplies and say your final goodbyes to the bodies of your crewmates. You'd apologize for not being able to save them and hoped that the stars that surrounded you took their souls and carried them into another world where they weren't subjected to such a terrible fate.

With everything now secured within the Hail Mary and the autopilot that Simon figured out set for departure within the next ten minutes, you sat within the communication room once more. You needed to record one last log, after all. You could hear Captain White already nagging at you to get it done and over with so you all could go about your day. You'd reach out towards the camera, pressing the button to turn it on. The familiar red light began to flash.

"Video Log twenty-five. Red reporting." You'd begin, just as you had so many times before as you adjusted how you sat within the chair. "This is actually the last log, not the previous one, obviously." You'd joke before delving into your final video log. "Thanks to a group of other survivors aboard another ship, I'm still alive and kicking. With that in mind though, I will not be returning to Mira HQ for a number of reasons that I refuse to list in this recording but if you watch the other logs, I'm sure you can piece it together very quickly." You'd inform the camera as if you were talking to researchers back in HQ.

Leaning back in your seat, you crossed your arms over your space suit and put your head back a small bit to stare up at the ceiling. "I've gone ahead and logged all the data needed from the mission to Polus and I've even recorded another video to inform you all of a possible parasitic alien residing on the planet that was the reason for everyone being killed. I advise you all not to return there, to abandon the planet all together, but I know how it all works. You'll take my warning and throw it aside until the same situation happens again, and again, and again." You'd sigh, shaking your head as you thought of what poor unfortunate souls would be sent there next.

"Regardless," you'd begin again, lowering your head to look at the flashing red dot upon the camera. "I'll be sending the Skeld back to you, though it's supplies have gone with me. Figured you'd all just toss them anyway once it returned in fear of them being infected so might as well put it to use somewhere else, am I right?" You'd stand from the seat, uncrossing your arms as you leaned forward with your hands on the desk. "Aboard the ship within the medical bay are the bodies of some of the crew, though not all are here. Please, return them to their families or loved ones so proper burial and cremations may be taken care of." With a low hum and some thought if you had missed anything else, you decided to wrap it up, you were running short on time and the Hail Mary and it's crew were waiting for you, after all.

"With all that said and done, I believe it's time for me to take my leave." You'd reach out, your hand hovering over the camera's record button. "Red, officially signing off, and good luck." You'd click it off. You'd move away from the computer after making sure the log saved and the computer turned off, leave the communication room, and make your way through the storage area one last time. You'd stop at the air lock, looking back into the ship once more, taking it all in once more just as you had done the day you boarded it.

"Red coming? Red should come over now. Ship take off soon. Will be stuck alone." Rocky called out from where he was positioned on the other side of the tunnel, gently rocking the ball he resided in as he eagerly awaited their newest companion.

"Y-Yeah you really should come over now-" Grace began, growing nervous as the time ticked down to when the ship would depart. "I'd really rather not get sucked out into space when we're so close to Erid all because we didn't close the airlock in time." Grace called out, a small laugh escaping as you as you'd turn and make your way across and into the Hail Mary where they all stood, Simon just on the other side of where Rocky was.

"Alright, alright. I'm comin." You'd speak, looking back as Grace closed the airlock and ensured it was properly sealed before he'd move away into the main portion of the ship. You'd move towards the nearest window and watched as the Skeld, not even two minutes after you had boarded the Hail Mary, powered itself on and without hesitation, turned itself 180 degrees and blasted off into space in the direction you could only assume the planet where Mira HQ resided in was at. You'd remain beside the window for some time, your eyes glued to the bright light of the ships large thrusters until they disappeared among the stars. With a low hum escaping you, you looked back over to Simon, Grace, and Rocky; These three individuals were now your newest crew, and like hell you'd fail them as you did those on the Skeld. Grace watched you with a warm smile, a hand on his hip while Simon's head was slightly tilted, an eyebrow raised as he expected you to say something or perhaps see what your next move was. Meanwhile, on the floor of the ship, Rocky seemed to be buzzing with excitement within his glass ball.

A masterlist that I've made to house all of the Crewmate!Reader writings I've done for my version of a Bloodymary x Reader fanfic based off of the Among Us game where the reader is a crewmate that lost their crew to the imposter, killing all but reader who is then saved by Simon, Grace, and Rocky. This will contain the main storyline along with any side stories, headcanons, or other lore pieces that are written. This series will remain gender neutral unless otherwise stated! Each writing contains it's own warnings if there are any.

MAIN STORYLINE

Grace, Simon, and Rocky stumble upon the Skeld abandoned in space.

Simon has a nightmare and after hurting you in the process, you decide to comfort him instead.

You and Grace have some one on one time where you both learn about each others pasts.

You begin to realize just how in love with Grace and Simon you are so you recruit Rocky to help you find out if they love you back.

SIDE STORIES

Finding out that Grace used to be a teacher after he scolded you for using such foul language.

You have always taken care of everyone on the Hail Mary, so who helps you in your time of need?

HEADCANONS/EXTRAS

Your first night sleeping aboard the Hail Mary was strange, to say the least. When Rocky had volunteered to watch you sleep, confusion crossed your expression. What in the world did he mean by watching you sleep? Were they those kinds of people? Suddenly you were very scared to even be standing here.

"Watch me sleep?" You questioned, your head tilted as Rocky seemed to nod in your direction, skittering through the xenonite tubes to move closer to you to ensure he didn't lose sight of where you were, as if he couldn't see through the walls. Like Grace had told you before, privacy is a premium when Rocky was around and you began to realize that in full.

"Yes! Rocky watch sleep. Make sure wake up." He confirmed. Grace would look up from the microscope he was looking through, looking from Rocky to you before he looked back into the lenses with a light chuckle.

"I forgot to tell you about that. Eridians don't sleep like we do; They become paralyzed, in a way. If danger comes around while they sleep, they wouldn't be able to tell so someone always watches over others while they sleep. Rocky does it for me, and I do it for him, it's been a thing ever since I met him. Now that there's more of us, we all kinda just… Do it. Don't worry, you'll get used to it before you know it." Grace explained as he continued his work. Simon even gave a nod of agreement from where he sat beside Grace.

"It's weird but you eventually get used to it. It's calming in a… Very weird way." He'd shrug his shoulders. You would let out a quiet 'ah' and would slowly nod, turning your attention to the Eridian that seemed to be looking at you expectantly, ready to skitter through the tubes and into the dormitory to watch over your sleep for the night.

"I understand now. Well, let's get going then." You'd motion with a wave of your hand to Rocky, asking him to follow along as you made your way out of the lab. The thudding of Rocky crawling through the tubes echoed behind you, along with the chants of 'I watch Red! Red sleep good!'. Ever since then, you all managed to come up with some type of system that allowed one of you to remain awake while the rest slept. Tonight was no different then any other night.

Grace, Rocky, and Simon had gone to bed, leaving you awake to do as you pleased. After you had convinced yourself that everyone would be alright if you had slipped out for a few minutes, you quietly made your way out of the dormitory and into the 'don't go crazy room' (A wild nickname, you had commented one day after Grace had told you what he began to call it), your head tilted as you used the laptop Grace had taught you to use to flick through various locations on Earth that peaked your interest.

One second you were in a bustling city, the sound of various vehicles honking and conversations reaching your ears; You weren't fond of the city, too many noises and it always seemed so overstimulating. With a click of the mousepad, you were transported high into the mountains; You never knew mountains could grow to be so tall. Another click and you were now within a wide open field with flowers scattered about and the sun setting in the distance, the faint rustling of the grass making your body ache to feel the wind against your skin again. The more you explored, the more you began to think that Earth was a very interesting place with so much variety to it; It honestly made you wonder if Grace missed what he had left behind. You'd have to ask him if he ever felt up for talking about it.

As you continued to scroll through the laptop, the grunts and groans of Simon reached your ears. Your body stilled, your head whipping around to face the series of corridors that lead back to the dormitory. Did something happen? Maybe he was just waking up from his sleep? No, that wouldn't be right. It had only been an hour since they had gone to bed, he wouldn't be well rested yet. You quickly put the laptop aside, making your way down the now dimmed corridors and back into the dormitory. Once there, you took notice of Grace and Rocky, both still fast asleep in their respected beds. Simon on the other hand was tossing and turning, his face and body covered in what could only be sweat. Panic began to rush through you, adrenaline beginning to pump in your veins as you made your way over to his bed. Was he sick? Did something actually happen while you were gone? You'd quickly move to his bed, your attention immediately drawn to the hushed whispers he spoke.

"Please! You promised- You promised I'd be free afterwards!" He seem to be pleading with someone about his freedom and it made your heart ache in your chest. Whenever Simon wasn't around, Grace would fill you in on the very small details of Simon's past, wanting Simon to tell you about it all whenever he was ready, but Grace didn't want you to be around without being somewhat informed so you knew what topics to talk about and which to avoid. You'd swallow hard as you watched Simon's head thrash against the pillow, his hair falling wildly against the pillow as his hand gripped the blanket that seemed to be barely covering him now. It was a nightmare, not some sickness that suddenly overcame him. He was having a nightmare and you needed to wake him up now before he hurt himself or worse, anyone else.

"Simon." You'd call out to him, moving a hand to gently touch his bicep, though that didn't seem to pull him out of it so you'd move on. Your hand traveled from his bicep to his shoulder, your touch becoming more firm as you called his name again, this time a bit louder alongside a small shake of his shoulder "Simon. You need to wake up."

It didn't work and now you were panicking; Just how deep into this nightmare was he? You would keep one hand on his shoulder, shaking it with a bit more force while you moved your free hand up to his face to gently cup his cheek, being careful of the sharp teeth that stuck out from his cheek. "Simon please- You're scaring me- Wake up." You pleaded in return, watching as he continued to thrash against the bed, his face contorting in what looked like pain as his pleas became more desperate. You'd tighten your hold on him yet again, fingers digging into his shoulder now as the hand on his cheek was pressed more firmly against him.

You're about to open your mouth to shout at him now before he'd suddenly gasp and sit up, his arm reaching out to wrap around your throat without any form of hesitation. A wince would escape you as his hand clutched tightly at your throat, your eyes blown wide as you released your hold against him only to now grab at his hand to try and pull it off your throat, but a small wheeze would escape you as you felt his grip begin to tight and threaten to crush your wind pipe. You knew Simon wasn't weak by any standard, you'd seen him move things around the lab with barely any effort, but this was something else entirely. Simon was still stuck in whatever nightmare he was having and whoever he saw, he thought you were them in this very moment.

"S-Simon- It-It's me-" You'd wheeze out, digging your nails into his arm as you attempted to use pain to bring him to his senses, but it wasn't working. You could hear your heart thumping in your ears, you'd feel the tears begin to well in your eyes, and you'd feel the burning in your chest as the lack of oxygen began to catch up with you. You'd stare into his eyes through his messy hair, trying your hardest to breathe as you noted just how dark his eyes were; It was as if the void of space had taken over his very eyes, absorbing any and all light that dared to look into them. You attempted to speak again despite the pain your body felt, attempted to reason with him, but he'd tighten his hold around your throat at your attempt. The corners of your vision were beginning to go black, your grip slowly loosening around his arm as you let out a quiet, weak cry of his name.

"Simon! Let go!" Grace's voice reached your ears, though it was faint and sounded rather distant. He must of heard the commotion and woken up because one second you're on the verge of blacking out and the next you're suddenly collapsed on the ground, quickly inhaling oxygen as if your life depended on it. Jokes on you, it really did. You'd cough and roll onto your side to lay on the ground for a bit longer, trying to collect your barings as your vision swam. Grace now stood where you once were, having a tight grip on Simon's wrist as he glared down at the dark haired male. It was as if a light switch was flicked, because Simon's eyes were suddenly bright; Whatever darkness once swirled in his eyes had long since gone and he was finally taking in the scene before him. Grace in front of him, hair a complete mess with a serious look Simon swore he'd never seen on Grace's face before while you lay on the floor behind him, trying to gather your senses as you'd cough and wheeze in the oxygen that surrounded you all.

"What.. What happened?" Simon questioned as Grace slowly let go of his wrist. He could've sworn he was back in the Iron Lung, back in that blood ocean and was arguing with Ava over the speaker-

"N-Nightmare." You wheezed, rubbing at your throat as you turned your gaze to Simon, streaks of tears now staining your cheeks. Grace turned to kneel beside you, helping you sit up before he began to look at your throat with squinted eyes; Sure he didn't need the glasses all the time, but trying to see in dim lighting didn't help him much right now. Regardless, he was able to make out the general shape of a handprint around your throat. It'd bruise for sure, but there seemed to be no other serious damage. He'd make a mental note for Armando to do some scans later. Simon, on the other hand, felt his stomach drop, his blood running cold as he stared at your weakened form; A nightmare? He had a nightmare? Right, it made sense. He was saved by Grace and Rocky from the blood ocean, he now lived on the Hail Mary alongside both of them and alongside you. You were trying to wake him from the nightmare, trying to save him, and instead he hurt you.

"I.. It was so real…" Simon began, moving his head into his hand as he rubbed at his forehead, feeling the sweat that covered his skin as his head. You'd carefully get up with Grace's help, a quiet conversation happening between the both of you as you got to your feet. 'You alright?' 'I'm fine, really. Let me help him.' 'Red he hurt you! I don't think that's a good ide-' 'Shit happens, now move.'

"Vivid." You corrected Simon as you moved to kneel in front of him now and away from Grace, gently taking his hand away from his head to hold it in your own. "Not real, it just felt real." You'd squeeze his hand, to which he'd return the feeling. Despite him hurting you, you would continue to trust him; He didn't do it on purpose, he didn't do it with malicious intent. He did it out of fear, a reaction that he thought was best for the situation presented to him. He was in fight or flight and you couldn't blame him for it.

"Come on. Let's go cool off." You tugged on Simon's hand, pulling him out from the bed and onto his feet. The coolness of the floor caused a shiver to run through Simon as he stood. The sensation was certainly needed, it was helping him become grounded in the moment. To remind him that this was real and what he was dreaming about just moments ago was nothing more than a dream. Grace would watch you two quietly, now sitting back on the edge of the bed.

"Do I need to come with in case somethin happens again?" Grace questioned with a small yawn, moving a hand up to rub tiredly at one of his eyes but you would shake your head, looking at Grace and offering him a small smile. "No, we'll be alright. Go on back to bed." Grace didn't need to be told twice after that. He'd give Simon one last look to ensure he was alright, that he wasn't stuck in whatever state he was in earlier before he'd move himself back into bed. You would lead Simon away from the dormitory and into the don't go crazy room.

Once there, you'd have him sit along the walkway and told him to stay where he was before you left the room just as quickly as you had entered it with him. It couldn't have been more than five minutes that he sat there and yet to him it felt so much longer then it was. It gave Simon time to think on his actions, think on what just happened and think about whether it would happen again; His past was filled with nothing but pain and violence, it was bound to follow him no matter what corner of the universe he decided to call his home. He'd make a face at the thought before he'd turn his attention to the side as he heard your footsteps and you'd reappear within the room, some spare blankets in your arms along with what looked like his pillow.

"Here, stand up for a second." You requested to which Simon would follow your orders with some confusion. You would drop some of the blankets onto the walkway, taking one of the more softer ones and wrapping it around his shoulders as best you could. Once the blanket was around him, you'd take the remainder of the blankets and make what would be a makeshift bed along the walkway. You would sit once it was all to your liking, taking his pillow and placing it in your lap before you'd pat it, looking up to Simon now. "Come on." Simon would frown in response, glancing at the pillow then towards you as he adjusted the blanket around him with his one arm.

"Red, I don't think-"

"I don't care what you think, Simon. Now lay down and put your head on the pillow before I make you." You demanded, your eyes narrowing on him. Simon would sigh in response; He wouldn't argue with you, not after what he did to you at least. He'd move to lay himself down against the makeshift bed, his head now resting upon the pillow that rested in your lap as he moved the blanket to now lay over him. You would let out a content hum, gently moving your hand into his hair to move it away from his face.

Simon would tense at the action, not used to such soft touches but he'd slowly lean into them. You gently leaned over to the side, your hand never leaving his hair as you continued to comb through it, as you would use your free hand to scroll through the laptop you had pulled closer just moments earlier. You were searching for a specific video, one of the few videos that Grace had played before and Simon seemed to really enjoy it. It took some time and the more time it took, the more confused Simon became until the video suddenly appeared on the screens around you both.

It was a view of another wide open field, mountains far off in the distance along with what looked to be a small cottage off to the side with smoking coming from it's chimney, but the part of the video that really stole the show was where the camera had been placed. It was situated to look as though whoever watched was resting under a large oak tree, it's branches spread far and wide with it's bright green leaves providing ample shade to the grass below it. The faint sounds of the wind rustling through the leaves could be heard along with what Grace had described to be birds chirping in the distance. It was calming, soothing, and just what Simon needed.

You wouldn't say anything as you let the video play and kept your eyes glued to Simon to see his reactions. Your fingers never stopped combing through his hair, never stopped gently scratching his scalp whenever you returned to the roots of his hair to repeat the process again. At some point, you even moved your free hand to gently rub at his back to add onto the soothing comfort you provided. 'No wonder you became a medic, you know exactly what people need and when they need it.' Simon thought for a second.

Despite all the comfort you were showing him, despite all your best efforts to bring him some sense of peace, his mind continued to return to what happened earlier. He had hurt you, his actions would be bruised into your skin for the next several days, and then they'd disappear physically. To Simon though, he wouldn't forget what he did; That image would be burned into his memory for as long as he lived and it'd join the other dark and haunting memories of his past. He could feel the tears begin to prick his eyes, could feel them begin to run down his face and soak into the pillow before a sob escaped his body.

"Shhh… It's okay, Simon… It was just a dream. Everything's okay now… Just let it out, alright?" You comforted him, watching as he continued to break down against you. It made your heart shatter to see him like this, to see him beating himself up over something that he had no control over in his moment of weakness.

"I… I can't…" He rasped, trying to calm his crying but it only seemed to grow stronger. It was as if everything that occurred to him thus far had decided to come crashing down all in this one moment. Everything that happened in his past, everything that occurred in the blood ocean, and what just happened now all merged into one being and broke through whatever wall Simon had worked so hard to built. You'd hum in response as he continued to cry into your lap, into the pillow you had placed there. He needed this, he needed to cry it all out even if it broke you in the process. He was always so wound up, so tightly bound and pent up in unexpressed emotions that you knew at some point would come crashing down one way or another. Earlier, they began to seep through the cracks in a form of violence, now they broke through in the form of tears.

"Deep breaths… Come on, breathe with me." You instructed him, guiding him through his breakdown as best you could. First you'd get him to stop crying after a couple more minutes, watching as he hiccuped and bit back sobs. "You're doing such a good job, Simon… Stay with me now, okay?" You would praise him before moving onto the next step which was matching his breathing with your own. You'd gently turn his head so he could watch you, his dark brown eyes glazed over with tears that all but seemed to refuse to fall. You'd hold his gaze as you'd slowly inhale then hold the breath for a few short seconds before, exhaling and repeating the process about another three more times until he calmed down significantly.

Now, he just looked extremely exhausted yet he looked at peace. A small smile graced your features as you leaned back to adjust your position into something a bit more comfortable.

"I'll watch over you. Get some sleep, Simon. You deserve it." You caught the way he looked up at you after you had spoken to him, his eyes swirling with exhaustion as they met your own gaze and you caught the way his mouth fell open to argue, but you'd beat him to the punch before any noise could even leave his throat. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. Now sleep." You stated, watching as his mouth closed and he gave a small nod in response. Simon would shift around a bit, his head never leaving your lap as he got himself comfortable. The sounds of the wind rustling the leaves, the chirping of the birds, and your hand gently rubbing at his back brought him more peace then he'd ever be given in his lifetime.

"Thank you, Red… For forgiving me and helping me." He'd mumble quietly, another hum escaping you in response.

"You're welcome, Simon. Now sleep before I have to drug you." You joked, a quiet chuckle rattling through Simon's exhausted body. Before you even realized it, Simon had drifted off to sleep. The only way you realized this was the way his breathing had slowed and evened out, how his body went limp against you and he finally relaxed. You would watch him for a moment longer, moving a few strands of hair away from his face before you'd look back up at the screens once more, watching the video that played before you as you kept a close watch over Simon.

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"Simon? Red?" Grace's voice broke through the silence of the ship, the faint thudding of the xenonite ball filling the remaining silence behind him as Rocky rolled after Grace to find their missing companions, repeating their names after Grace had just said them in that automated tone to ensure they covered all the bases. Simon and Red didn't return to the dormitory last night and Grace began to fear the worse had possibly happened, but what he didn't expect was where and how he found them.

Standing on the edge of the walkway into the don't go crazy room, Grace immediately took notice of Simon who was still fast asleep, his head buried into the pillow that was within Red's lap. Red was, for the lack of better terms, contorted into a weird position so they could sleep on Simon's shoulder without the need for a pillow or blanket. It did not look comfortable by any means and Grace could already hear Red complaining about how sore they were when they woke up, but for now, he'd let them sleep a bit longer.

"Simon and Red sleeping? Question?" Rocky questioned, trying to look past Grace to see the two but he refused to move aside. Grace would turn on his heels, ignoring the faint twinge of jealousy he got from seeing Red so close to Simon, but he'd give a quick nod to Rocky anyway.

"Yeah, they're asleep. Let's let them sleep a bit longer and go get breakfast ready so when they wake up we can all eat." Grace spoke, guiding Rocky away from the two before Rocky could begin to shout to wake them up.

"Son of a bitch!" You hissed as you stood up from the stool you once sat on, grabbing at your hand as you raised it closer to your face, looking over the finger you had just pricked with a needle. You were organizing what medical supplies you had brought over from the Skeld in the lab while the others worked on their own projects, something you all seemed to be doing more and more recently. Perhaps it was the intimacy of being near others again, or perhaps it was just the calmness of hearing others work that encouraged the others to do the same. You weren't sure but you certainly wouldn't complain. Regardless, when you went to grab another set of disposable syringes, one of the caps seemed to have come off during transport which resulted in the predicament you now found yourself in.

"Language." Grace warned from where he stood in front of the whiteboard, not even looking over as he spun the marker in his hand as he looked over whatever scientific formula he had thrown up there just moments before to work with Rocky on.

Silence followed after his statement as your head slowly turned to look at him, confusion and disbelief swirling in your eyes. Did he just give you a warning because of your choice of wording? Simon also seemed to be staring at him from where he stood near the small collection of plants he was tending too, turning his attention from Grace to you to ensure he actually heard what he heard. After you had turned your own head to make eye contact with him to confirm what he heard had in fact been said, he looked back towards Grace. Rocky even seemed to be staring at him from where he laid in the mess of tubes he had created within the Hail Mary.

Sensing the several set of eyes that now watched him, Grace turned his head away from the whiteboard to look at everyone. He looked confused, glasses askew on his face as he attempted to look at all three of you simultaneously.

"…Was it something I said?" He'd question nervously, fidgeting with the marker in his hand even more now. "Why is everyone looking at me like I said something crazy?"

"Because you did." You'd begin, leaning over the table to grab a small patch of gauze to place against the tip of your finger after you had noticed the small bubble of blood beginning to appear; It was a small prick, nothing too crazy you noted. It would heal over within the next couple of seconds. "What do you mean by language? Are you seriously trying to scold me like I'm a kid or something?"

"Oh- That- Um…" Grace would laugh nervously, rubbing the back of his head as he attempted to explain his teacher instincts that seemed to be as sharp as ever, even when he was so far away from Earth. "It's just a habit, really- I mean, I used to be a middle school science teacher and you know how kids can be. They say the wildest things and sometimes you just have to reel them back in before things get out of hand! Like, before I left they started going crazy on whatever this whole '6 7' thing was-" He was rambling. Just like he always did whenever he was nervous or excited or just, you know, Ryland Grace. Rocky and Simon had warned you about his ramblings and over the past couple of days you had been on the Hail Mary, you had only heard one or two so far.

Simon would sigh, shaking his head as he turned his attention back to the plant he was treating, cutting Grace off before the rambling spiraled into a new subject entirely. "Grace, we're all adults here. I'm pretty sure we can handle some bad language. Well, I think we're all adults at least." He'd look towards you and Rocky while saying this which would cause a gasp to come from you, a hand flying to your chest in fake hurt.

"I am an adult I'll have you kno- Wait do I look that young?" You quickly changed your attitude, the gauze forgotten on the table now as you moved a hand to your cheek as if trying to figure out just how you looked from the feeling alone.

"Rocky is adult! Rocky is 2,530 years!" Rocky would shout, standing up from where he once laid as he began to stomp his legs against the xenonite tube. You would immediately turn your attention to Rocky, eyes wide.

"Wait what-" You'd start, but Grace would quickly correct him.

"He means that in Eridian years. In Earth years he's 291. Though… I guess in a way that'd be a different number for you?" Grace questioned as he leaned against the table now, suddenly curious about you. It had only been a couple of days, yet they didn't seem to know much about you despite what they knew from the logs they watched and what you had told them the day you joined them. You'd turn your attention to Grace, letting your hands fall back onto the table as you gently shrugged.

"We'll have to take a day and find out what's the same and what's not. I mean, we have all this time anyway." You'd offer to Grace, watching as his eyes all but seemed to light up; He was always so eager to learn new things, and learning about another alien species, even if they were already so similar to humans, brought him nothing but excitement. That excitement was cut short though as a quiet 'fuck' came from Simon as he must have tended to one of the plants wrong or there was a small inconvenience on his end, whichever it was though Grace could just feel his disappointment rising.

"Guys come on… Please don't make me start a swear jar." Grace groaned, putting his head into his hands now to rub at his face at the thought of having to teach two grown adults not to swear or else there would be consequences; In a way, he really was back in the classroom. He began to wonder if any of his old techniques would work on you and Simon, he'd have to test them out at some point. You'd laugh at Grace's response, Simon would simply roll his eyes in response, and Rocky seemed to be confused as he looked between all three of you.

"What is swear jar? Does 'fuck' go in swear jar, question? What else go in swear jar?" Rocky began to ramble off his questions, which caused Grace to groan even louder.

It was one thing to take care of others, it was another thing to be taken care of. You loved taking care of others, it all seemed to come naturally to you even before the extensive medical training you received back in MIRA. You were almost always helping someone else, whether it was family or friends or even coworkers, you were there for them no matter what. It was easy for you to put the needs of others before your own so it was even easier for you to realize what someone else needed before you realized you needed it yourself. When it came to Simon and Grace, you knew what they needed long before they even thought of it or had the chance to say it out loud.

When it came to Simon, you just simply needed to exist. To stay beside him and let him know that everything he was currently apart of was real and not some trick his mind was playing on him. He needed the conversations you'd provide him with day in and day out. Some days you would be asking him about the plants he was taking care of and if they had any medical properties or were just there to look pretty, other days you'd ask him if he had a favorite color or perhaps a favorite food. All simple conversations, yet ones that kept him grounded in the moment and let him know that you cared about him and his well being. Whenever you would catch him slipping into a dark place, his face twisting into one of fear, you would quickly act by taking hold of his hand, gently squeezing it and whispering hushed words of affection to let him know everything was alright and he didn't need to worry because you, alongside Grace and Rocky, were here for him no matter what he went through. Through it all, Simon began to realize just how much he needed you beside him.

When it came to Grace, you needed to help him with just simply keeping himself alive. He was a man of science so it was extremely easy for him to just forget the basic human body needs like sleeping and eating whenever he suddenly delved deep into an experiment he was working on. You knew how important his work was, even if there really was no one to report the findings too besides whoever was nearby at the time, but you allowed him to work for as long as he needed until you deemed so otherwise. You made sure that he took breaks in between testings by bringing him water, coffee, or some small snacks you managed to find while digging through the supplies you brought from the Skeld. Sure they may not have been as good as the food from Earth but hey, nutrients are nutrients.

When he began to reach high numbers of hours without sleep, you were the first to usher him to bed. Rocky would always join you in after he realized what was going on and just how long the two of them had been working for. "Red, come on! I'm almost at a breakthrough!" Grace would complain as you shoved him out of the lab and into the corridor with whatever strength you had which, to Grace's surprise, was quite a bit. "And the breakthrough can wait until tomorrow when you have the right amount of energy to celebrate it. Now, off to bed." You would scold him, watching as he'd pout but eventually go to bed. It was one night after you had scolded him to go to bed that he began to realize just how much you cared for his well being. He realized then and there just how much he, just like Simon, needed you beside him.

At one point, you'd even begun to take care of Rocky too. While you didn't know anything about Eridians, Rocky was nice enough to sit with you whenever he wasn't with Grace to tell you all there was to know about him and his species. You had taken one of the laptops you brought over from the Skeld and made a whole log of everything the two of you talked about so you could have it on hand if anything were to happen to Rocky on the way back to Erid. You learned that Eridians relied on echolocation to see, that their hearing skills were extremely accurate and could hear so much as a pin drop, that they survived in an ammonia high pressure atmosphere (thus explaining the tubing and ball he rolled around in as oxygen would kill him if exposed for too long), and that the biology that makes up their bodies is extremely detailed and would take you quite some time to properly process. The thing that surprised you the most was the fact that Eridians have five hearts, one located near each of their main leg joints.

"Red only have one heart?! Question statement?!" Rocky had shouted one day as you explained your own biological makeup to the Eridian, a small laugh escaping you as you nodded. "Yeah, I only have one. Right around here." You explained as you moved your hand to cover where your heart resided, feeling it beat against your ribcage. "Though there's different points around my body that also give off a replication of a heart beat. They're called pulse points and it's where my arteries pass close enough to the skins surface so you can feel it." You would show Rocky just where you were talking about, completely oblivious to the way Grace and Simon stood nearby to watch the biology lesson you and Rocky were having. "Grace and Simon only have one heart? Question?" Rocky asked. You gave a nod and began another more in detailed explanation of how the human body worked.

After your lesson with Rocky, you had left the lab to properly begin to learn just how the Eridian body worked via your laptop and the vast amount of notes you had taken. Once you were gone, Rocky would turn his attention to the two males who still stood near one of the labs many counters. "Rocky likes Red." He simply stated to which both Grace and Simon would answer at the same time. "Me too."

That left just you now, and who took care of you? Well it should be yourself, but recently you've been slacking in that department. Recently, a vast majority of your nights have left you sleepless as the very same nightmares that once plague Simon and Grace now seemed to pick you as their next target. You would vividly recall the look of that monster, the way the yellow spacesuit of your crewmate that was once a vibrant, bright color now stained red and torn wide open from the chest down to reveal the razor sharp teeth of this creatures gaping maw, it's jagged tongue lashing wildly.

You would be frozen to the spot in your dreams, forced to watch as it killed your crewmates over and over and over again, forced to listen to their screams and cries for you to help them despite being unable to do so; One night in particular, Grace and Simon's bodies were added the mix of your own crew. The monster would eventually turn to look at you each and every time, the visor of the helmet cracked and broken to reveal multiple sets of blood shot eyes that seemed to stare deep into your soul. Each time it would speak to you in that horrible, twisted voice that was anything but human. "Don't think you can escape me, little Red, because you're next." It lunged at you with incredible speed with nothing but the intent to kill on its mind.

You always woke with a gasp escaping you as the monster was mere centimeters from your face, shaking in your bed as you looked around the room and would only begin to relax as you spotted the sleeping forms of Grace and Simon nearby with Rocky fast asleep in his contraption of a bed. You wiped away the tears that formed in your eyes before slipping out of the room, blanket wrapped tightly around you as you would make your way to the window just outside the dorm and sit yourself against the frame. You pulled your knees close to your chest, attempting to make yourself small as you watched the stars twinkle before they'd become blurry in your vision before you'd allow yourself to just silently cry. It eventually became a routine thing for the past couple of days and if Grace, Simon, or Rocky was on watch, you'd lie to them and say you were just fine before you'd leave without another word.

Those nights, alongside just forgetting your other basic needs, were catching up to you quickly. Simon was the first to notice. You weren't as engaged in his conversations as you were before and almost seemed to be staring at the plants with a distant look in your eyes. He would ask you time and time again if you were alright and each time you'd snap back to reality, forcing that smile and telling him you were just tired and he didn't need to worry. Grace and Rocky would be the next to notice. Whenever you sat at the table in the lab and listened to Grace ramble on and on about the success of their experiment, you were nodding off with your chin resting in your hand.

"And so we- Red?" Grace asked as he finally turned to look at you, a frown on his face as he adjusted the glasses on his face to see you properly. You jerked a bit upon hearing your name, your eyes suddenly opening as you looked to Grace, inhaling quietly as you stretched in your seat before relaxing a bit.

"Hm? Yeah Grace?" You answered him though the tiredness was evident in your voice and the overall look on your face. You looked just as you did when they first found you on board the Skeld and it was making Grace's heart ache to see you in such a state.

"Are you alright? You look exhausted…" Grace questioned, moving to lean against the counter as he tilted his head slightly to get a better look at you. You would frown as you watched him, letting your hand drop onto the counter as you leaned back in the stool to try and avoid his gaze.

"I'm alright Grace, really. I'm just tired." You answered him.

"When Red last sleep? Question?" Rocky spoke as he scuttled through the tube to look down at you from above. You craned your neck to look up at the Eridian, making a face at the pain that suddenly ran through your neck as it was positioned at a weird angle.

"I slept a few hours ago." You answered Rocky now, but neither him nor Grace believed you. Before either could make accusations though, you got to your feet. "I'm gonna… Just go over here." You spoke quickly, slipping out of the lab and muttering a quiet 'sorry' as you almost ran into Simon on your way out. Simon watched as you rounded the corridor, making your way to the don't go crazy room before he'd turn to look at Grace and Rocky. His expression matched Grace's in an instant.

"So, we're all in agreement something is wrong, right?" Simon asked as he fully stepped into the lab and over to the table you had sat at just recently. Grace nodded with a small sigh, moving a hand to rub up at his face.

"Yeah, something's really wrong. They look like they haven't slept in ages. And who knows the last time they ate now that I think about it." Grace replied as his hand would fall from his face before coming to rest upon the table, fingers tapping against the counter. The three of them would look between one another, as if quietly having a conversation before the automated voice of Rocky broke through the silence.

"Red take care of Rocky, Simon, and Grace. We take care of Red. Statement."

You weren't sure how long you were sitting there for just watching the screens as they showed a video of some sort of beach somewhere on Earth, you honestly didn't spend much time looking at the names to care as you picked one at random. The sounds of the waves crashing against the shore and the sounds of seagulls in the distance were the only noises you heard as you attempted to put yourself back together. The medical side of you immediately knew what was wrong; You were burning the candle on both ends and they were now meeting right in the middle causing your burn out. The exhaustion, on top of also not eating or drinking anything in the past couple of days also proved to be a big factor into your now weakened state.

You were so deep into your own head you didn't hear the noises of your crewmates growing closer until you felt Rocky's xenonite ball suddenly roll over your thigh to rest into your lap with a faint 'thud'. A small wince escaping you as you shot the Eridian a small glare. Did he forget just how heavy he was? Let alone how heavy the xenonite ball he rolled around in was? Just when you were about to complain to him, you felt something suddenly drape around your shoulders. Your attention was now turned to look at the cream colored cardigan that belonged to Grace now resting around you before you'd look up to see Simon standing there, Grace moving around him to sit down on the walkway on your right side with arms full of what looked to be various sized silver pouches.

"What's going on?" You questioned, suddenly alert and worried. This was new; Very, very new. Sure you all grouped up together from time to time to work on things, watch movies together, or talk in the cockpit whenever the flight cords needed to be corrected on the journey to Erid, but never like this.

"We should be asking you that." Simon returned the question as he sat himself down on your left side, looking at you with concern. "You've been acting odd this past week. Don't think we didn't notice."

"You haven't eaten much, not to mention we haven't seen you drink or eat anything in the past twenty-four hours." Grace added on, placing the pile of silver pouches beside him; Ah, now it dawned on you. Those pouches were snacks and water, they were beginning to piece together just what was wrong with you. You frowned as you turned your attention to Grace, opening your mouth to speak but were cut off again.

"Is Red okay? Question?" Rocky asked, looking up at you as you turned your attention to look down at him. As you were about to answer his question, you felt your throat growing tight and the tears beginning to well in your eyes; No, no you weren't okay. You hadn't been okay all week but you kept telling yourself otherwise. You opened your mouth to speak, to try and tell them what was wrong, but nothing was coming out. Simon moved himself closer to you, wrapping his arm around your shoulders to gently squeeze at them and pull you against him.

"Hey hey… Come on, it's alright..." Simon began to comfort you, Grace moving closer on your opposite side to rest his hand on your lower back to rub at it in slow, comforting circles, though he watched you with worry.

"You've been helping us a lot lately and… I'm sorry that we didn't notice you were starting to struggle sooner." Grace began, keeping his hand on your lower back as the tears started to fall freely from your face and be absorbed into Simon's shirt; You'd have to apologize for that later. "But we're here now, and we're gonna help you just as much as you've helped us this past week."

You would shut your eyes, burying your head further into Simon as the tears ran down your face faster and the sobs began; You were so, so tired and the fact that they all noticed it broke you. They weren't supposed to take care of you, you were supposed to take care of them. As a medic, that was your job; To provide aid and care to those unable to do so themselves.

"I-I'm sorry." You choked out, trying hard to calm yourself down. "Y-You guys shouldn't have to see me like this, let alone help me." You confessed what you thought to the three of them, all of them falling into a mix of shock and confusion. Simon tightened his hold on you, a frown crossing his lips as the initial shock wore off. Didn't need to help you? Just what were you on? Perhaps it was the lack of sleep getting to you, even Grace said some weird shit when he was on such a small amount of sleep.

"Shouldn't have to help you? Red, come on now." Simon spoke, moving his arm from around you to gently push you away, his hand finding your chin to gently grab and have you look at him. He felt his heart shatter upon seeing the tears running down your face, at how red and puffy your eyes had suddenly gotten in such a short period of time and the overall exhaustion that was etched into your expression. Just how long were you hurting? And why didn't him, Grace, and Rocky notice sooner? His thumb would move across your face, gently wiping at the tears that fell before he'd release your face to take hold of your left hand. "You need to learn to lean on us from time to time, huh?" Simon added onto his previous statement and as you opened your mouth to speak, Grace cut you off instead.

"I agree with Simon. Like I said before, you've helped us so much these past couple of days, Rocky included. It's only right that we help you when you need it. You may be a medic, yes, but that doesn't define you as a whole. You're still a person under that title, someone who eats and breathes and sleeps just like the rest of us. You may think you have to do all this on your own, that you have to sacrifice so much just to help others and I get it, I really do! But at the end of the day, you gotta look after yourself as well. You can't help others if you yourself are out of commission." Grace spoke with such a soft, caring tone that it honestly made you sob harder. You felt his hand leave your back, taking hold of your right hand to gently squeeze it where they allowed you some time to cry it out.

"Now, are you gonna tell us what's been going on? Or do we have to keep getting all sappy with you?" Grace tried to joke after a couple minutes, a broken chuckle escaping you as you looked between the two men then down at Rocky who let out a few notes as if to sooth you in his own Eridian way.

"Alright, alright… Don't bombard me with the sappiness." You'd joke back, the tears coming to a slow but gradual stop as you kept hold of their hands, squeezing them both. "I've been having repetitive nightmares of that creature that infected Yellow. Each night I keep seeing my crew members die, each night that thing looks at me and charges at me with intent to kill and then I wake up. There… There was even a night where both you and Simon were killed and I couldn't do anything about it." You looked from Grace to Simon, watching as their eyes widened in response before you'd look back down to Rocky as to not picture their mangled bodies below that horrible monster.

"What was it you told me that one night?" Simon questioned, trying to recall word for word what you had told him when he had his own nightmare. "It wasn't real, just vivid, even if it felt real." He repeated your words back at you, watching as you slowly relaxed at his words. Right, you did tell him that and you helped him through it, helped ground him in this reality and not the one he was stuck in.

"I mean, come on," Simon added, letting go of your hand to wave his own around in the air. "Do you really think I'd let Grace or you die like that?" You turned to look at Simon, gently shaking your head in response. From what you've gathered, Simon was one hell of a man and you highly doubt he'd go down without one hell of a fight.

"No, I don't think you would." You answered him, looking down as Rocky gently shook the ball as if to get your attention.

"Rocky protect! Rocky very strong, stronger than Simon." Rocky raised his arms and moved them into a position as if trying to flex what non-existent muscles he had. It caused you to laugh, an actual genuine laugh and not something that was forced. Simon rolled his eyes at Rocky's remark, lifting his own arm to flex his bicep. You turned your attention back to Simon as you saw his arm move before suddenly all your worries about some stupid nightmare were gone. The bulge of muscle that strained against the fabric of the shirt he wore clearly wiped your mind clear but you'd quickly look away as to not get caught staring. You looked towards Grace now, noticing the way his own face had a faint blush to it like yours did as he stared at Simon's bicep. He'd quickly clear his throat once he caught you looking at him, shaking his head as a result to try and put his brain back into play.

"Right well um, the point is that nothing is going to happen to you, not while we're around at least." Grace comforted, squeezing your hand gently. "So don't let those thoughts destroy you like this again, alright?"

You agreed with a nod of your head and a squeeze of your hand in his. A smile crossed his face before he'd let go of your hand to dig through the pile of snacks, finding a simple pack of crackers and one of the water pouches before he'd pass them off to you.

"We'll start off with something light first before giving you something heavier to eat later on." Grace informed, watching as you took both packs and, using Rocky's ball as a makeshift table, opened the pack of crackers and began to eat them. You took it slow, knowing that if you inhaled the entire pack in one go you would certainly give yourself an upset stomach and you really didn't want to puke now that you had somewhat of an appetite back. As you ate, Simon watched over you while Grace grabbed the laptop nearby and began to scroll through the file folder of movies that were uploaded, attempting to find something for you all to watch. Once he found a suitable movie and pressed play, he placed the laptop aside and began to watch it with you, Simon, and Rocky.

Throughout the movie, Simon and Grace would check in on you and ensure you were doing okay, slowly giving you a bit more food whenever you requested it. Whenever they asked how you were feeling, you answered honestly and told them you were doing much better now then you were just hours before. At one point you had leaned forward against Rocky's ball, your arms crossed on the surface with your head resting on your arms. Slowly your eyes would shut as the halfway point of the movie was reached and with the warmth from the xenonite ball, the faint scent of Grace on his cardigan and the feeling of Simon's hand now gently rubbing at your back, you quickly were pulled into a gentle and peaceful slumber.

Simon's gaze would turn away from the screen to look at you as he felt a shift in your breathing, his head slightly tilted to try and get a better look at you before he'd smile softly. "They're asleep…" Simon whispered, taking in the slow rise and fall of your back as you lay hunched over. Grace looked over, leaning forward a bit to check on you himself before he'd let out a small, quiet laugh.

"Yeah, yeah they are… Good, they need it." Grace remarked, adjusting how he was sitting so he'd be able to stay there for several hours more. Rocky would look up at you from his position though he wouldn't dare rattle the ball, knowing right now you needed this sleep more than you would need any other kind of sleep in your entire life.

That night after Grace had seen you and Simon fast asleep against one another, Grace couldn't help but feel jealous for some unknown reason. If anything, he should've been annoyed or upset at the fact that just hours beforehand, Simon attempted to kill you. Of course it wasn't his fault, the nightmare he was experiencing must've been one hell of a dream for him to lash out the way he did. He reacted the same way after he awoke on the Hail Mary for the first time after being saved, but for Grace to feel jealous over such a small interaction? He didn't know if that was the right emotion to feel at first. Though as time went on and you began to spend more and more time with Simon, perhaps Grace had every right to be jealous. Maybe it was the lack of human interaction or the severe lack of physical touch that made him react in such a way, all Grace knew was that this wasn't him at all. He wasn't one to get jealous over things like this and yet here he was, feeling that little green entity flood his veins and infect him in ways he didn't know it could.

When the opportunity finally arose for Grace to have some one on one time alone with you for the first time in what felt like forever, he gladly took the chance. While Rocky and Simon retired for the night within the dormitory, you and Grace took over watch duty. You both remained in the dorm until Simon and Rocky had finally fallen asleep, even waiting an extra ten minutes to ensure both were in a deep sleep before you made your way to the don't go crazy room for the remainder of the night. It seemed like the hot spot for nightly getaways. Once there, you arranged the blankets and pillows just as you had the night you brought Simon here after his nightmare before sitting yourself down, pulling a blanket up to wrap around you. Grace followed suit, sitting on your right side after he had grabbed the laptop that rested nearby to start whatever activity you both would do to pass the time faster.

"Alright, where would you like to go tonight?" Grace questioned as he opened the laptop, clicking on a few file folders until he found the correct one he was searching for before turning his attention to you, adjusting his glasses to rest properly on the bridge of his nose. You gave a low hum as you thought quietly, bringing a hand up to gently tap your chin before you turned your attention to Grace with your answer in mind.

"How about you show me your favorite places on Earth? Or places you've heard about that are really cool." You answered, moving your hand to rest comfortably in your lap as you sat with your legs crossed. His favorite places? Oh man that was hard. Grace would look down at the laptop, fingers lightly drumming on the laptops edge as he tried to think of just where to show you. Where would he show you? It had to be something cool, something you hadn't already seen when he was showing you and Simon places previously. So, he brought up several locations that had always interested him when he resided back on Earth. From the ice caves of Vatnajökull Iceland to the Atacama Desert in Chile to even the Grand Canyon in the United States, he showed you everything and watched as you stared at the screens with wide, bright eyes. Earth really was a beautiful place and in some ways, Grace really wished he could've taken you there to show you himself.

"Did I show you the city I used to live in?" Grace suddenly asked as he began to move the mouse through the files, attempting to find anything related to San Francisco that may have been recorded. You would perk your head before gently shaking it in response.

"No, you haven't actually. You've shown us a lot of other pretty places though. What was it like? Is it another city like New York?" You began to list off your questions to which Grace smiled, happy to have your attention on him and actually be interested in his life, even if it was his old one. Grace would nod in response as he pulled up a video of someone sightseeing in San Francisco.

"Yeah, it's another city like New York only it's on the waaaay other side of the United States near the Pacific Ocean." Grace began to explain, slipping right into his teacher role without even realizing it. You'd watch him with interested eyes, occasionally tearing your gaze away from him to look at the video that played on the screens around you. "During late summer almost early fall, because of the ocean and the San Francisco Bay, we'd always get this fog that would roll in. I suppose it's were I get my love of the stuff from. It always looked so cool in the early morning just as the sun began to rise." Grace would reminisce, leaning back on his hands after he had changed the screen to a scenic view of the Golden Gate bridge with fog rolling through.

"That looks so pretty…" You'd gasp, attention drawn to the screen. "I can see why you like it so much." You'd look to Grace, immediately noticing the way he seemed to stare longingly at the screen. A comfortable silence would fall for a moment only to be broken by you after some consideration.

"Do you miss it? Earth, I mean." You'd ask hesitantly, unsure if you were touching on a sensitive topic. Grace would remain quiet, his brows furrowing as he thought over your question. Did he miss it? Sure, in some ways he did but he was almost positive he was missing the old Earth and not whatever state it was currently in.

"In a way, yeah. I do. I miss my old job at the school, I miss seeing the fog, I certainly miss the food." He'd joke to which you'd laugh lightly at, but he'd answer your question honestly. "But I feel like I'm missing the old Earth, not the current Earth."

"What do you mean by 'current Earth?'" You questioned him before it suddenly dawned on you. "Actually, I don't think you've ever fully explained why you were out here in the first place." You'd pull your legs up to your chest, wrapping your arms around them as you rested your chin on your knees, readying yourself for whatever story Grace was about to tell you. He turned to look at you, noting just how interested you were.

"I really didn't tell you? Huh… Guess it escaped me." He replied, sitting up to take hold of the laptop before he'd begin to scroll through it again. "I hope you're ready for a serious lesson in science because I'm gonna have to explain some stuff first." He would joke which would cause you to giggle lightly, nodding seriously.

"Teach away, Mr. Grace." You teased which caused Grace to freeze for a split second, his mouth going dry as he glanced at you for a split second. It had been awhile since he had heard someone call him mr, let alone telling him to 'teach away.' It stirred something in him. He was unsure of exactly what it was but he'd offer you a sheepish smile in return before he'd look back down at the laptop before him.

"So, some years back on Earth, there was a radio telescope enthusiast named Irina Petrova and she noticed that there was this streak of infrared light that connected our star, Sol, or otherwise known as the sun, to one of the planets in our solar system named Venus." Grace would pull up various videos and pictures to help you understand just what he was explaining, occasionally looking at you through the top of his glasses to ensure you were paying attention; Habit, he supposed, from his days of teaching. It wasn't like he was going to test you or anything on this so what did it matter if you were fully grasping what he told you? The look on your face informed him that you were paying attention to every word he was saying and absorbing it in that brain of yours though.

"That streak of infrared light became known as the Petrova Line and that line was filled with these tiny 'space dots' that were dimming the sun. Now, Earth needs the sun to survive so all the greatest minds on Earth got together to try and figure out just what these tiny dots were and how to fix the issue."

"You're one of those great minds then." You'd look to Grace with wide eyes as a small grin appeared on your face. If he was on this ship, then surely he must've been one of those great minds, right? To be picked to fix whatever issue this was out of however many people resided on Earth? It was a wild idea to you. Grace would blush lightly at your statement, feeling his heart skip a beat; Why'd it skip a beat? It's never done that before whenever you were around, so why was he feeling it all of a sudden? He'd come back to that later, he had to teach you first and foremost. Anyway, he'd clear his throat as he gave a small nod in response.

"Yeah, I was. I uh, I was the one who found out how these space dots, known as astrophage, breed. I should probably also mention that astrophage is currently what fuels our ship and also keeps us from being blasted with space radiation as it's located in the walls." He motioned around you, watching as your eyes widened in response.

"So that's why you couldn't use the fuel reserves in the Skeld! We were running on a gas and you were running on… That astro stuff!" You put together quickly, realization hitting you all at once. Grace would laugh lightly at your reaction, giving another nod.

"Yeah, exactly. After figuring out how astrophage bred, I was introduced to the project Hail Mary. They had found out there was a star in another galaxy that wasn't affected by astrophage despite so many others becoming infected, so they wanted to send a crew to investigate and have them send back their findings to save the sun and Earth." Grace's expression would change, his fingers hovering over the laptop as the flashbacks seemed to hit him all over again. You immediately noticed the change in his demeanor, he was remembering something that he certainly didn't want too, just as Simon had that night you helped him.

You decided to scoot yourself closer to him, moving to rest a hand over his and intertwine your fingers together, your thumb gently running over the back of his hand in a comforting manner. He'd freeze up, his heart pounding in his chest now; Was it warm in this room? Wow it certainly felt warm in there. Were his hands sweaty? God he hoped not. He couldn't focus on anything other than the closeness of you and the fact that you were now holding his hand.

"If you'd rather not tell me all the details Grace, I'm perfectly okay with it. I can put everything together from what you do tell me." You comforted him, gently squeezing his hand as he'd swallow hard and gently squeeze your hand in return. You seemed to really have a knack for comforting others, first it was Simon with his nightmare and now it was him and his past.

"Thank you, Red… In the end some things occurred on Earth. The scientist that were supposed to go on the trip died and I was picked as their replacement though not uh… Not by volunteer at least." He started again, looking at you and noticing how your face twisted in confusion but you'd keep your tongue bit, not wanting to dig up such harsh and painful memories for him. "Fast forward and I wake up in the Hail Mary 11 light years later with the other two members of my crew deceased. I uh… I never found out why it was only me that survived but um... Here I am anyway! Alive and well!" He joked, though you knew inside he was still hurting; Being the only member of your crew alive would do that to you, it would bring about questions that would remain unanswered forever. You both were alike in that way, being the sole survivors of your crews.

"So, when did you meet Rocky anyway? Did he find you or did you find him? How'd you guys even learn to chat with one another? I feel like that must've been really hard." You urged Grace to continue his story, to turn the subject onto a more happier note. Grace always seemed so excited to talk about Rocky and you were interested on how the two met.

"Rocky- Oh man." Grace began, letting out a small laugh. "The first alien I've ever met and I'm almost positive he thought I was stupid the entire time. He saw my ship because of the astrophage coming out of the end of it and decided he wanted to meet me. When it finally came time to meet face to uh, rock I guess, I was really afraid he was gonna eat me or something." Grace shook his head at the memory. "It took us so long to finally be able to communicate with each other. I had to set up a whole program just to try and translate his sound wavelengths that were then put into a translator that I had to encode various English words into just to understand him."

"Wow, that must've really taken awhile." You spoke, now leaning yourself against Grace as you watched the screens in front of you as they played a video about Earth and it's solar system, though you were still highly engaged into what he said. You could feel the way Grace tensed when you leaned against him, though he seemed to calm down just as quickly.

"Yeah, it took a couple of days but we made it work. I found out he was having the same problem we were back on Earth and we teamed up to work together. We found out there was a micro-organism that's native to the planet Adrian that could kill off astrophage. After a very dangerous mission to retrieve some from the planets atmosphere, I ran it through some tests and managed to make enough taumoeba to save our planets and then some."

"I'm glad you're both alive after that mission. I do have a question though." You looked up at him. "You mentioned when I first met you that you didn't have enough fuel to go home. What was that about?" Grace would let out a small breath, looking down at the laptop.

"Originally… There was no way back home for the Hail Mary crew like I mentioned during our first meeting. We had four probes that we would fill with our findings and send them back to Earth. Once we were done, we were simply supposed to die." Grace began to explain, watching as your eyes widened with nothing but sadness.

"What?! They were just going to leave you all to die out here?!" You screamed as you moved off him though you were quickly muffled as Grace used his other hand to cover your mouth, giving you a warning look as if to say 'Be quiet!' without speaking it. You quickly remembered where you were and who was sleeping just down the corridors and suddenly felt embarrassed. You nodded quietly to let Grace know you would listen to him, watching as he slowly removed his hand away from your mouth. "Sorry. I'm just… That's just…" You didn't even know where to begin; How could they, the people of Earth and all these great minds, decide to just leave the Hail Mary crew abandoned in space? After everything they would've done?! It made your blood boil.

"It's fine. I've accepted it and moved on. Besides, I did attempt to return home. Rocky gave me enough of his astrophage to make the trip but the taumoeba broke its containment and leaked out. We used xenonite to breed it, the very material that makes up Rocky's ship." He began to explain and as you watched him, you began to connect the dots quickly.

"Rocky's portion of the taumoeba would break its containment as well and leave him stranded because the ship is the leak itself!" You gasped, moving your hands over your mouth before you'd slowly lower them back into your lap. "He would've been stranded and died."

"Exactly. So, it was either return home or save Rocky. You can obviously see which decision I made. Probably the best decision I did make because not only did I save Rocky, I also saved Simon. And now we saved you." Grace spoke, looking at you with a warm smile as he lifted his hand to gently poke at your nose, a grin spreading across your face as a result of his action. He was such a dork.

"Now that you know my story, do I get to know yours? I mean, we saw bits and pieces from the logs you all had saved on that computer on your ship, but there's gotta be more to it, right? Like, what's your planet like? What did you used to do before you became a medic? Do you have any family, friends, anything like that?" Grace began to question you now, putting on a random video on the screens before he'd place the laptop aside. You couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the onslaught of questions he had for you.

"Hey whoa- Let's take it slow, yeah?" You'd tease as uncrossed your legs to let them dangle off the side of the walkway, your hands gripping the edge so you wouldn't somehow fall forward and injure yourself; That wouldn't be fun and would be rather embarrassing for you.

"Ziemia, my home planet, is like Earth in some ways. We have trees and grass and all that fun stuff like Earth does only some plants are colored different. Like, there's this one tree I remember that used to have purple leaves but there were some that also were blue or even yellow." You'd laugh a bit at the memory, that purple tree was your favorite tree ever and you never knew why. Perhaps it was the shade it always brought you whenever you needed a moment away from HQ or perhaps you just enjoyed the color, you never found out.

"We also have buildings, though it's not as crowded as New York or San Francisco like you showed. All the buildings surround Mira HQ, which was were I worked and learned how to do the whole astronaut thing. It's the tallest building on Ziemia and I mean it is tall." You'd raise your hand as high as it would go above you for emphasis. "I'm talking this building would go waaaaay past the clouds! I'm almost certain they would've kept building it into space if they had the materials for it." You joked, turning your attention to look at Grace and would blush lightly at just how intently he was listening to you before you'd look away and towards the screens as you allowed your arm to drop back down. "Honestly most of the planet works there, I'm sure my parents did too at one point. There's no lack of work, whether you're working in the offices filing away reports or you're in the lab running tests and sorting the samples that were brought back or even in the ship bays, there was always a job posting for the place. The whole reason for HQ was to collect samples of various wildlife, crystals, and data from other planets within MIRA bases; Thus our reason for going to Polus."

"I remember that name. That's the planet you went too for the mission you all were on, right? Something about an outpost going dark for a couple months?" Grace recalled, tapping his chin as he ransacked his memory for it. You were a bit surprised he remembered such a small detail.

"Yeah, that's right. Me, along with seven others, were picked out of several employees to take the journey to the outpost on Polus to investigate why the group of scientists there suddenly stopped reporting their findings. This mission was my first large scale one involving a crew of a larger size including a captain. Normally the ones I attended were to nearby moons that only required a crew of three, myself included in case someone needed medical aid. Those recordings you and Simon found on the Skeld were apparently mandated for such a larger scale mission so that's why I looked so grumpy in the first one." You and Grace laughed at the memory of that first recording.

"Yeah, you didn't look too happy having to record one. I started recording logs for Earth as well, it was strange at first but I got used to it. Rocky was even involved in a few." Grace told you, another laugh escaping you at the thought of Rocky recording a log for Earth.

"Please, you have to show me one of your logs. It's only fair since you saw mine!" You teased Grace, a blush forming on his face as he gently rubbed the back of his head.

"Ah- Maybe I'll try to dig one up so you can watch, but anyway please continue. I apologize for my interruption." Grace apologized.

"It's alright. Anyway, the trip there didn't take as long as Mira HQ informed us but Polus is a very strange planet to begin with. It's literally missing half of the planet! It's just this giant crescent shaped planet with its core just out and about! Don't even get me started on it's climate- There's literally snow everywhere! Ugh it was so cold there and I was so ready to turn back around and board the jump ship to return to the Skeld." You recalled, shuddering as if feeling the cold breeze even now within the metal walls of the Hail Mary and it's very controlled climate.

"Wait- Half of the planet was missing?" Grace repeated, his brows furrowed together as he attempted to picture the very planet you described; If it wasn't for the threat of an alien parasite killing everyone on board the Hail Mary at this moment, he'd consider going just to see the planet for himself.

"Yes! It's just- It's so weird." You sighed, shaking your head as you pulled the blanket tighter around you. "The outpost luckily wasn't very far from where we landed so we all split up to see if we could find anyone or anything." You frowned, your grip tightening on the blanket as you recalled that day. "I found it so weird that I never found a body or skeletal remain there but now that I really think back on it, whatever killed them probably threw their bodies into the pit of lava that was found after they drilled into the planet for research purposes."

Grace frowned as he watched your facial expression shift at having to recall such memories so just as you did for him earlier, he scooted himself closer and despite hesitating, gently wrapped his arm around you and pulled you against his side. You blinked as you suddenly felt yourself against something hard and turned your head to look up at Grace, taking note of the faint blush that crossed his features. "Like you told me earlier, if you're unable to talk about certain things… You don't have to mention them. I can fill in the blanks pretty well." You gave him a small smile as you moved to rest your head against him for the second time that evening.

"Thank you, Grace. Now where was I…" You thought for but a moment. "Right. After we all regrouped on the jump ship we informed each other of what we found and what we saw before making our way back to the Skeld. I'm unsure if you heard in my log or not but once we returned to the Skeld, Yellow began to act extremely weird. I really should've taken him in to have him inspected but I really did believe it was just nerves and not some parasitic alien that wanted to kill us all. It wasn't long after we departed that the killings began… Pink getting sick first, Green being strangled in electrical, Blue being shot and Orange being poisoned…" You would grip the blanket even tighter as the memories came flooding back to you and as if sensing them, Grace tightened his hold on you. Grace knew you blamed yourself for not being able to save them, he knew you wished you could go back and do something more and yet there was no way to do so. All you could do now was live in the present and help not only himself, Simon, and Rocky, but you needed to help yourself as well.

"It's alright Red, you don't have to keep explaining anymore… I can put together everything that happened leading up to us finding you." Grace comforted you, gently rubbing at your side as you relaxed at his words. Grace was an extremely caring man and you're forever grateful that he and Simon had found you and allowed you to stay with them, Rocky included. You'd turn your head to look at Grace, looking over his face for a moment.

"You can call me [Y/N], Grace. If you want too, that is." You offered, watching the way his eyes widened and his heart seemed to stop. You offered your name to him, your actual name and not some color coded nickname. This was your actual birth name and it fit you perfectly. He wondered if you offered Simon the same thing or if perhaps this was only a him thing. He'd have to try and wiggle that information out of Simon later when he talked to him. Regardless, he was grateful that you trusted him enough to share something so personal with him.

"[Y/N]? I think that fits you perfectly." Grace said as he attempted to keep his heart from running overtime now that it began to beat again, but he could already feel the burning sensation on his face and down his neck. What was he doing? There was no way he was getting all flustered and getting butterflies in his stomach just because you told him your name. You'd laugh lightly at his words, resting your head back against him.

"You think so? Well, I'm glad someone does." You'd hum, shutting your eyes for a moment or two. The silence that followed was nothing but comforting for the two of you. Your relationship was taking another step forward with all the new information that you two shared with one another and Grace couldn't wait to see where it would go next. He'd open his mouth to speak, about to ask you something else until he heard your light breathing beside him. Grace would tilt his head down to look at you and go quiet as he noticed you had fallen asleep against him.

You fell asleep against him.

Grace could feel the blush starting all over again, only this time more prominent as his heart all but jumped in his chest. He had only just learned your past and you had only been on board the Hail Mary about two maybe three months now, maybe even longer. Space was weird with the whole thing. Despite that, there was no way he was falling for you this hard, was he? He supposed when you were as touch starved as he was, you'd take anything you could get.

Grace would carefully adjust you both as to not wake you, positioning you both in a way where he would be comfortable while your slept. He'd watch over you tonight, just as he watched over Rocky many nights ago when it was just the two of them. It'd give him time to sort out the very many thoughts that ran through his mind, give him time to eject that little green entity called jealously from his veins, and give him time to decide what steps needed to be taken next.

Being stuck in space was one thing, but being stuck in space with not one, but two extremely good looking men? That was another thing entirely. Over the course of the trip to Erid you had grown close with both Grace and Simon; You learned their likes and dislikes, some old hobbies they used to have before everything went to shit in their respective lives, and everything else that fit in the in-between. The topic of love lives fell within this in-between line one random evening when you had brought it up.

"It wasn't exactly normal for those of us in Eden to have romantic relationships." Simon informed you and Grace one day after the topic arose, a distant look in his eyes at having to recall it. "The Father was the one who would decide if we were allowed such privileges and would pick whoever we were to get married too to ensure Eden would grow and prosper. Honestly, we were lucky to have the platonic relationships we formed."

"I had a girlfriend at some point." Grace told his story next, messing with the expo marker in his hand as he thought back to his life on Earth. "We were together about a good… Eight months I think it was before she left me for some guy named Mark." Rocky suddenly cut Grace off mid sentence with his quiet 'Rocky hate Mark' comment before Grace continued on. "She uh, she used to say I had my head in the clouds too much and wasn't grounded enough. Wonder what she would say if she saw me now." He questioned before shrugging it off, his attention along with Simon's now on you. You blinked in response before gently shrugging your shoulders.

"I don't have much to say in terms of my own love life. I never saw myself in any kind of relationship on Ziemia because I was so deep into my studies. After that it was mission after mission until the Polus mission." You stated simply. "No juice gossip to report, sorry."

"Rocky have mate! Miss Adrian dearly... Rocky see Adrian soon!" Rocky shouted and you quickly whipped your head to look at him in shock while Grace simply laughed at your reaction. How did he have someone before any of you did? You supposed you'd never know.

After that, the topic was never really brought up again until recently when you began to notice your heart beating a bit faster around the two men in question. You noticed yourself staring at Simon a bit longer than normal, you caught yourself staying up later so you could listen to Grace rant on and on about his experiments and the outcomes of every single one. Overall, you caught yourself craving their presence and attention more and more with each passing second. In a way, it scared you; Were you actually falling for them, or was it just some side effect of being away from civilization for so long? Feelings were bound to arise, sure, but what if Simon and Grace didn't feel the way you did in return? You couldn't live with the embarrassment of rejection so you've just been bottling those feelings up and tossing them out of the metaphorical airlock in your mind.

Today, those feelings seemed to have flown right back and smacked into you at full speed because you found yourself sitting in the don't go crazy room, watching some sappy love story movie that you had found in the list of movies that were installed onto the laptop. The Notebook you think it was called? Honestly, you couldn't remember. You just found it and put it on to have as background noise while you tried to sort out just what you were going to do about these feelings.

"Red deep in thought. What is on mind, question?" Rocky spoke as he rolled his xenonite ball over to you, his carapace tilting slightly as he watched you curiously. It was rare for you and Rocky to have alone time with one another, but whenever it happened it was usually some deep meaning of life kinda talk. You never understood how you both would get onto the topics when there was already such a variety of topics to talk about, it just seemed to happen.

"Well um… If I tell you, you gotta keep it a secret, alright?" You turned yourself away from the screens, the movie long since forgotten as you adjusted yourself so you were now sitting cross legged on the walkway, leaning over to give Rocky a stern look. "This is like, a life or death kinda secret." You informed him, watching as he seemed to stand straighter at your words; This was a serious matter, so he was going to take it as such.

"Rocky keep Red secret! Rocky good at keeping secrets." Rocky spoke, though you were a little skeptical on if he could really keep what you were about to tell him a secret or not. With a small sigh and putting your trust in the Eridian, you leaned forward even further and dropped your voice to a hush whisper as if Simon or Grace could possibly hear you from where they were in the lab with the sounds of the movie playing behind you.

"I… I'm falling in love with Grace and Simon." You started, watching as the Eridian let out a small, high pitched noise before you quickly threw yourself over the ball as if to try and silence him. Jokes on you, because that did nothing to deafen the Eridian's pure excitement over your statement. You'd look up and down the hall, swallowing hard as you saw the familiar faces of Grace and Simon leaning out of the lab to look down the hallway at the two of you in a mix of confusion and concern.

Grace's hair was an absolute mess and his glasses were askew on his face meaning he was loosing his mind over some experiment he was working on, the top half of his spacesuit wrapped around his waist with one of his many science pun shirts on underneath it. Meanwhile Simon looked more composed then Grace, his hair was a little messy but it was that neat and clean kinda messy; He was probably the only person who could pull off such a look and have it work out in their favor. It didn't help that most of the shirts on the ship barely fit him so his muscles were more prominent, including the one he wore right now; A black shirt, most likely from Grace, with white words across the top that simply stated 'I had potential' with what looked to be the start of a curve on one side of the shirt before it dropped into a line with a ball resting on the end of it. The shirt paired well with the pants and boots he had originally arrived in though everything was thoroughly cleaned of any blood that came from that ocean.

You could feel your heart pounding in your chest, your face beginning to turn red as they continued to stare at the two of you as if waiting for you to explain just what was going on. 'Why did they both have to be so damn handsome? Why couldn't I have been rescued by some ugly aliens instead so I wouldn't have to suffer right now?' You cursed to yourself before forcing a smile to your face, letting out a nervous chuckle.

"Everything okay down there?" Simon asked as he went to step out of the lab and into the hall.

"We're good! Just- Go back to whatever you were doing before! Don't mind us!" You shouted, waving your hands around as if to shoo Simon and Grace off as Rocky seemed to physically vibrate in the ball below you, obviously still not over your previous statement. Simon would glance at Grace who, in return, would give him the same look before they'd move back into the lab without another word. You could probably take a guess and say they were most likely going to talk about whatever just happened and come up with some theories about what you both were talking about. You exhaled once they were gone, relaxing for a moment before you slid yourself off the xenonite ball, glaring at Rocky once you were sitting back in your original spot though he clearly didn't seem to care about the look you were giving him.

"Red want mate! Red want mates! Statement!" Rocky corrected, his whole body continuing to shake in excitement; He was way too into this conversation and it made you realize you shouldn't have said anything and just quietly suffered like you had been. You blushed darkly regardless, putting your head into your hands as you quietly whined in response.

"Rocky please- Not so loud- I don't even know if they like me back." You admitted, running your hands up and through your hair in frustration before you allowed your hands to collapse down into your lap as you frowned, staring at the ceiling. There was only three of you on this spaceship, so like you put together before feelings were bound to arise, but it had you wondering if you were actually falling for them or if your mind just craved the connection because there was no other connection to be made. It made your stomach twist, it made your heart hurt, and it made you want to throw yourself out the airlock without another thought.

"Rocky find out! Rocky find out for Red!" Rocky offered, gently shaking the ball from side to side. You turned your attention from the ceiling to the Eridian, your brows furrowing.

"Rocky I just told you I don't want them to find out about this." You reminded him, watching as the Eridian stopped his movements. He let out a noise that was similar to a scoff, folding two of his arms over his carapace as if crossing his arms though it looked a little uncomfortable.

"Grace and Simon no find out. Rocky keep secret a secret. Red trust Rocky?" He questioned. You fell silent as you watched him, shifting your gaze to the side as you thought it over. If anyone was to help you find out, it was Rocky. Not because he was the only other person on the ship, but because he could see things you couldn't, hear things you couldn't. Grace confided in Rocky like he was his own personal diary sometimes, so he'd be able to figure out if Grace had a thing for you or not within the next day probably. Simon though, he was different. While Grace would ramble on and on about whatever he talked about and let things slip, Simon rarely opened up about his feelings unless he felt the timing was right.

You looked towards Rocky, exhaling before you sat up straight and nodded, your decision made. "I trust you, Rocky." You lifted your hand, turning it into a fist to gently press against one side of the ball as your way of shaking hands to an agreement.

Rocky let out another noise, excitement evident at the thought of you trusting him with something so serious before he'd press his own fist against the wall where your own resided. "Fist my bump!"

"That's still not right, Rock."

"Grace want mate, question?" Rocky suddenly sprung one evening, watching as Grace spit out the coffee he had been drinking not even three seconds prior to the question being sprung. It was currently just him and Rocky in the lab, you and Simon having left for the cockpit to ensure everything was still set on the correct path to arrive on Erid.

"R-Rocky what-" Grace coughed into his arm, attempting to dislodge whatever coffee had gone down his throat unexpectedly while looking around for something to clean up the counter with. After he found a rag nearby, he quickly wiped the counter off before looking to Rocky with wide eyes. "W-Where is this coming from?"

"Grace lonely. Grace need mate! Like Simon, or Red!" Rocky offered, bouncing in one of the xenonite tubes he had built in the lab. Grace continued to stare at Rocky in shock before a faint blush began to cross his face and he quickly shook his head.

"No. Rocky I don't need a mate-" Grace began but Rocky cut him off.

"Heartbeat says otherwise! Beat faster at mention of Simon! At mention of Red!" Rocky exclaimed. Grace could only blush harder now; Rocky had caught him, he knew he did, but he wouldn't admit it off the bat. You and Simon were the only others he had engaged with in a very long time, it was only common for feelings to develop but the more and more Grace thought on it, the more and more he realized it wasn't just because it was only the three of you, but because he actually felt something for you both. You both always seemed to engage with his ramblings, always supported his experiments and theories even if they were absolutely insane at times, and overall just allowed him to be him. You both didn't care if his head was so far into the clouds because you were right there with him. Despite this, he just couldn't admit to it right away.

"Rocky, humans do things different. We don't just suddenly jump to being 'mates.' We have to have time to bond-"

"Lots of time to bond since arrival! Grace already bonded with Simon and Red! Statement!" Rocky shouted, a small 'thump' being heard as he gently hit the wall of the xenonite tube; He was really into this whole mate topic and it caught Grace so off guard. He only brought up mates once before, back when they were still getting to know each other and it was only after Rocky admitted to having one himself, so why the sudden interest again? "Grace scared, question?" He added on.

Grace fell silent, sitting himself down on the stool as he watched his best friend as he thought the question over. Was he scared? Maybe a little, yeah. His past relationship didn't go so well and it was kinda the reason he never sought out anything more afterwards even if there were several single parents who approached him quite often during parent teacher conferences. If he went ahead and confessed and you you or Simon didn't feel the same way, well it would certainly be an extremely awkward ride to Erid and an even more awkward life knowing you two would still be with him given there wasn't exactly anywhere else you all could go. Grace sighed quietly, moving a hand up to rub at his face before running a hand through his hair, adjusting his glasses afterwards to look at Rocky as he rested his chin on his palm to think it over once more.

"Alright, yeah. I'm a little scared." Grace admitted, surprised when Rocky seemed to calm down and laid down in the tube.

"Rocky help Grace admit feelings, then Grace get mates!" Rocky offered, just as he did to you a day or two ago. Grace made a small face at the thought; Was it right to trust Rocky with such a serious and emotional task? Probably not. Then again, they were pretty much heroes to the galaxy after combining their efforts to handle the astrophage problem. Surely he could handle this, right?

"Rocky help me admit my feelings." Grace confirmed, watching as Rocky quickly stood in the tube, letting out happy musical notes.

"Grace get mates! Grace get mates!"

When it came to Simon, Rocky's relationship with him wasn't exactly the best. Simon didn't hate Rocky, and Rocky didn't hate Simon either, but when the only other alien you've met is a giant eel that has it out for you, Simon had every right to be skeptical of other aliens. So, Rocky had to force you to go with him to talk to Simon. You hated the idea, despised it actually, but went with regardless. He was withholding Grace's answer from you anyway and he swore to you that once you found out where Simon stood with his feelings, he'd tell you as soon as you both were alone again.

That brought you to your current predicament; You, Simon, and Rocky resided in the lab while Grace had left to take a nap to quickly recharge before his next round of experiments. You were working on your laptop, properly categorizing and labeling the various notes you had scattered around the counter on Eridian biology while Simon took care of what plants you had brought over from the Skeld for him to have. They were by no means normal plants, that was for sure, but it was fun to watch Simon try to figure out the proper way to take care of them and nurse them back to life since you hadn't really taken care of them since your crew died. You were a medic, sure, but you certainly didn't have a green thumb like Simon did. Rocky sat nearby in his ball working on whatever project he decided to fiddle with while remaining by your side.

You and Rocky had come up with a plan. one that may result in you getting hurt in the process, but hey, love hurts, right? After some time and a silent nod from you to Rocky, you'd get up from your seat with some of the papers you had scattered on the counter in your hand as you attempted to look interested in them.

"Hey Si, can you help me with thi-" You started as you took a step towards Simon before you yelped, the papers that were once in your hand now flying through the air as Rocky rolled his ball out to be in your way and effectively trip you; You would certainly suffer one hell of a bruise to the shin later from just how hard you hit that xenonite ball, but it was all in the name of science love. You quickly shut your eyes to mentally prepared yourself to collide with the ground of the lab, yet it never came. Instead, you fell right against Simon and into his arm, a soft grunt escaping him as he knelt down to properly rest your weight against him and hold you against his chest without the support of his other arm. Slowly you'd open your eyes upon realizing what happened, looking at the floor where your papers now remain scattered about before looking up at him with wide eyes, mouth agape; Your theory was right after all.

"If Red in danger, Simon help! Rocky trip Red, Simon catch Red! Simon heart beat fast if holding Red and Red know answer!" Rocky shouted earlier as he ran the idea past you and despite it sounding so cliche and stupid, you agreed to it anyway.

"Gotta be more careful there, Red. You could've seriously gotten hurt." Simon warned, though his tone was soft and lacked any form of scolding like it should've held, even if it was Rocky's fault you had tripped. His voice had pulled you away from your thoughts and you swallowed hard, one of your hands having fallen against his chest to brace yourself and wow, was he toned under that shirt of his. You could feel the blush rising to your cheeks, your hand remaining frozen against his chest before you'd feel it; Just how fast his heart was beating against your hand.

"R-Right- Um- T-Thank you, Simon. For catching me." You thanked him as you caught the way he looked at you; The softness in his eyes, the way he looked you over to ensure you weren't injured anywhere else before his brown eyes meet your gaze again. As he opened his mouth to speak, Rocky spoke in his place.

"Simon heart beat fast! Simon like Red! Simon want mate! Statement!" Rocky shouted, arms now raised and waving wildly in his ball. Simon, immediately taken back by the sudden outburst from Rocky, froze to the spot as his grip seemed to tighten on you. Like you? That was one hell of an understatement. Over the course of traveling with you and getting to properly know you, Simon had begun to fall madly in love with you. You treated him like another human and not the convict he actually was, treated him with nothing but kindness, and when when he was going through rough times, you never called him out on it and instead let him work it out himself with your supporting words and actions. Grace was the same way, helping Simon out in times you couldn't and despite being a total airhead at times, it made Simon laugh. Something he hadn't done in years. You both changed him from the man he was when he first arrived on the Hail Mary and he loved you both for it, but by god was he afraid to speak it.

"R-Rocky that's not-" You began, already putting together just how Simon felt for you but Simon was quick to clear his throat, helping you onto his feet as he stood.

"No it's um- I-it's alright. I uh, I need to go." Simon quickly spoke, looking you over one last time to ensure you were alright before he'd quickly leave to head to the dorm, leaving you and Rocky alone. Rocky would watch Simon leave before looking at you.

"Rocky think went well! Red have answer!" Rocky shouted, rather proud of himself.

You could only sigh in response as you shook your head, moving a hand to run it through your hair. You had your answer yes, but you also had a really bruised shin that needed treatment.

"Red, what's going on? You have been acting really weird the past couple of days, not to mention Rocky hasn't been any better. I think it's time to tell us what's going on." Grace confronted you, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he gave you a look. Simon stood beside him, hand on his hip as he also gave you a look. Despite having your answers on how both men felt about you, you just couldn't bring yourself to admit it to Grace and Simon, so instead you've just been avoiding them both for as long as you could. Grace came to the dorm? Suddenly you were in the lab busying yourself with something. Simon saw you and went to talk to you? Suddenly you were very tired and wanted to nap. It was very obvious now that both men had had enough and managed to corner you in the lab with no way out. You swallowed hard as you sat at the counter, messing with your fingers as you avoided looking at either of them; Rocky sat above you in his tube, watching to see what you would do and what you would say. Everything you two had done was leading up to this crucial moment, it was only a matter of if you would take the chance.

"Red… Please… If something serious is going on, I think it's only fair we know. Remember what we told you? You're not doing this alone. We're here to help you." Simon reminded you which caused you to tense up, cursing yourself quietly. Why was he always using your own words against you? You hated it and at the same time, you loved it. It let you know that your words actually stuck with him, that he took them to heart and applied them to his day to day life.

You would hesitate before you'd lift your head to look up and meet their gazes, but in doing so you'd feel your heart stop in the process; Grace was looking at you over the top of his glasses, concern swirling around in his blue eyes. Sure he spoke with a stern voice just moments ago, but you could see it in his stance, in the way he watched your every move; He was worried. He wanted to help you with whatever you were going through and if he had to start being stern with you to get you to open up, he'd do it. Simon was the same way. Despite his posture being firm and grounded, his expression was anything but; It was soft, concerned just like Grace's. These men were your everything and it was only fair you finally tell them what you were feeling.

"Aright, alright. Just… You may want to sit for this..." You offered, continuing to mess with your fingers, a nervous tick you had developed while on board the ship. Grace glanced at Simon to see if he would join him and after realizing Simon wouldn't sit, Grace would sit across from you before he gently reached out to take hold of one of your hands, Simon opting to remain standing behind him. It would take you a few seconds, attempting to find the proper wording as your brain short circuited at the feeling of Grace's touch.

"So, here's the thing right? I um… I had Rocky help me with a little experiment." You started which quickly caught Grace's attention.

"Experiment?" He questioned you but you quickly raised your hand, the one he had previously been holding, to silence him, wanting him to just listen and not question you just yet.

"Yes, an experiment. An experiment to find out if…" 'Here goes nothing.' "...if you both liked me in the same way that I liked you both."

Silence filled the room at your confession. Grace's eyes widened behind his glasses while Simon seemed to tense behind him ever so slightly. That's what this was all about? That's why Rocky was talking about mates so much recently? Because you had caught feelings for the two of them and just couldn't admit to them? It was wild, really, to request the help of Rocky of all people but in a way, Grace and Simon understood where you were coming from.

It caused Simon to lightly laugh at your admission as Grace remained shocked, his own cheeks turning red at the thought of you actually liking not just him, but Simon as well. You felt your cheeks burn at his laugh, immediately glaring in his direction.

"Hey! Why are you laughing?!" You barked, a mix of feelings starting to swell in your chest; A bit of rage, a large amount of embarrassment, and some others you honestly couldn't think of in this moment.

"Because it's funny, Red. You seriously allowed yourself to trip over Rocky just to find out if I had feelings for you?" Simon questioned you which shut you up almost immediately. Yeah, he had a point, it was a rather stupid plan when you really sat down to think about it.

"Wait, that's where that bruise came from?" Grace first asked before he suddenly switched gears to a new topic. "Rocky, you knew this entire time that Red liked us?!" Grace shouted at the Eridian, quickly turning the attention away from you and to the alien who let out a noise equivalent to a laugh.

"Rocky knew whole time! Rocky kept secret like Red asked! Grace not say to keep secret, so Red knows about Grace! Simon, Grace, and Red become mates! Statement!" He shouted back at Grace, waving his arms around as the three of you simply turned a dark shade of red the more and more the Eridian insisted you all become mates.

You hid your face in your hands, your cheeks burning with embarrassment and Grace just couldn't even look at you right now let alone Simon. Simon wasn't any better than either of you, having to look away and try to think of something to calm himself from just how flustered he had become, a sight that wasn't normal for him at all. This was turning into an absolute mess of a love confession and before anyone could say anything more, the voice of Mary broke through the rowdiness of the lab.

"Arrival to planet Erid in one hour."

Everyone froze at those words and suddenly you all were able to look at each other, any signs of embarrassment were clearly washed away as the reality of what was happening next set in. One hour from now, Rocky would be welcomed home. In one hour, he'd present the taumoeba that he and Grace had found and modified to solve the astrophage problem and they'd work on saving his planet and star. In one hour, you, Simon, and Grace would begin your new lives on a planet that none of you knew anything about despite what Rocky had explained beforehand.