So after much diplomacy, and meetings, and conversations that Grace is too bored to understand, he's FINALLY allowed down to Erid's surface.
After settling into the biodome and getting back to full health; Grace is finally allowed out into the public, and he's sitting in the train, staring wide eyed at everything. As he examines two Eridian's get off the train, and five pile on, he realises something.
And the realisation goes like this:
Rocky is a lot rougher around the edges than most of the other Eridian's so far... I wonder how that works? Do they, polish their skins? Is that possible, or would it hurt them? Is it some kind of environmental reaction? Come to think of it, those two have bags- actual BAGS- like a leather handbag, instead of Rocky's engineer toolbelt - all stained and oily. And Rocky's clothes are so much worse than everyone else's, this is like- the equivalent of him choosing to wear a mechanic's jumpsuit in his everyday life. The other Eridian's have polished body's and arms, beautifully smooth crafted jewellery, they have soft, draping, breezy clothes, and they also don't have-
"Are those TATTOOS?!?" Grace yelps -on the train in front of, and briefly startling, everyone- as he points at Rocky's arm through the zenonite barrier of his suit, pressing right up against the carving in Rocky's nearest arm.
"No fret- scare public," Rocky says gesturing at how everyone on the train is frozen in freaked out silence.
"Sorry," Grace whispers mortified, as the train car settles into soft murmurs again.
"Why make such big deal about carvings, question? Human word 'Tattoos' mean, question?"
"You have tattoos.." Grace says, eye's huge, and Rocky sighs, calls him idiot, and settles beside him. Meanwhile, Grace is having a mind melt down six ways to Sunday, because his best friend in the whole universe, the best engineer, smartest, funniest, most loveable person Grace has ever met, who Grace perceived to be a happy, chirpy, hopeful labrador... Is actually some bad boy with tattoos, who wears his stained work clothes everywhere, and who's idea of 'a nice outfit' is a backwards cap, and a sweatband saying 'Got u babe'.
And Grace is supposed to be normal about all this.
He's supposed to be normal, about Rocky being super smart, an incredible craftsman, who could lift Grace with a single arm. While also being a tatted up, roughly shaved, and prefers the Eridian form of beer type of guy. And, being so sharp and witty that he makes Grace laugh more than any one, and being stubborn enough to push Grace's thoughts more than any one, and is more achingly gentle with Grace's fragile heart than anyone else in the whole universe.
Grace briefly registers that:
1) The hypothetical demisexuality that's been dormant for years is no longer dormant. 2) He's definitely into Rocky 3) He is interested in building a home, a life, a family with a rock.
"This our stop," Rocky nudges him up, and Grace feels dizzy at the lightness of Rock's touch, the amount of power he holds back so easily in order to be so delicate with Grace.
"Right!" Grace squeaks, and gets up shakily to head for the door.
"Grace still okay for interview? Sick? Nerves?"
"Uh, it's nothing Rock. Don't worry about it..."
Rocky positions his body in the 'I am suspicious of you' look, before they both have to step off the train. "Not too late to back out. Fake sickness. Fake emotions. Go back home, just us."
Grace pauses for a moment, and looks at the flow of Eridian's getting off the train and heading for the exit. He thinks about the interview, the papers, finally sharing himself with the world. He glances down at Rocky.
"Yeah. I got terribly scared, I was so sick, you thought I might die if I didn't go straight back to the biodome. And locked it down completely. And told the science team you'd take care of me."
"Deal," Rocky says, holding up his fist, and Grace gives it a little bump as they turn around, and get right back on the train heading home again. And the whole trip back, even though he doesn't have a mouth, so it shouldn't be possible, Grace is pretty sure Rocky is smirking at him.
