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Like every other visit they've had post dome construction, Rocky is always punctual and Grace is always late.
'Always so late.' Rocky huffs discordantly from his side of the meeting room xenonite, 'Keep Rocky and present waiting Vλ minutes.'
Grace pants with exertion from the jog he took to not keep his friend waiting any more than he had been.
Doubled over with hands on his knees he puffs, 'Sorry, Sorry I'm here now-' before he suddenly perks up, 'wait did you say present?'
'Mmm.'
Rocky crosses his front arms and leans back, quivering with what Grace can tell is excitement despite the grumpy hums coming from his friend.
'Are you going to keep grumbling about me being late or are you coming in to show me your present?"
'Mm. Fine. Not sure if Grace deserve present now, but Rocky come inside anyway.'
Grace chuckles affectionately as Rocky unfolds himself and scuttles out of the room to the airlock. He steps far to the side, giving plenty of room for Rocky's ball to zoom past like it always does- he knows intimately how badly it hurts to get rammed in the shins by a several hundred pound Eridian inside a bumpy xenonite sphere.
After a moment of equalizing pressure, the airlock hisses open but instead of Rocky rolling out the sound of scrabbling limbs against gravel alerts Grace's attention.
Rocky's arms poke out of the door to test the new terrain before finally he scuttles out, kicking the airlock door shut behind him.
Grace is speechless as Rocky bounds up to him, not in a ball but in a full xenonite bodysuit.
'Grace like present, question?'
Rocky trots in a little circle around Grace's legs before stopping in front and stretching up like a cat arching into a hand. There's excitement tinged in his voice, music notes high and almost sing-song, 'Many many Eridian scientists and engineers thrum over design. Finally finished! Ready for Grace to see!'
The suit is flexible despite being nearly rocktight to Rocky's limbs, clearly shown in the ease of movement and stretching around the joints. Its nothing like the bulky, stiff suit Rocky had once made for Grace so he could board the Eridian's ship without popping like a grape.
No longer was Rocky bound to a giant ball during visits, now he could run and climb and explore the smaller spaces in the human's enclosure with ease.
To Rocky it was cool new science to show is best science friend, but to Grace...
Unkown to Rocky, something about seeing the Eridian free like this sets off something in the human's brain. Having Rocky this close makes his friend feel more real, more tangible. Like he could just reach out and touch, something he's never been able to do before.
So despite the grand achievement, Grace stands frozen and at his friend's hesitant silence, Rocky's confidence wavers.
He falls back to his usual crouch and tilts his carapace questioningly. 'Grace not like, question? Rocky can return to ball, no problem… Rocky want Grace to be happy! Rocky not need to use suit if Grace not want Rocky to!'
From above Grace sniffles, eyes watering. He drops his cane and falls to his knees, gravel crunching painfully under him.
Rocky gives a discordant shriek-like hum and rushes closer.
'Grace's face is leaking!' He puts his front arms up to gently but anxiously touch Grace's chest, 'Happy leak or sad leak, question?!'
Grace's arms wrap around Rocky's body and tug him as close as possible.
'Happy leak, buddy. Really really happy.' Grace's voice cracks with emotion as he hugs Rocky.
'Then why Grace leak, question?! Why hug Rocky, question?'
''Cause I can now.'
Grace tightens his hold on Rocky, and leans his cheek against the top of Rocky's body.
Rocky hums and leans up against Grace, nuzzling into the hug, 'But Grace hug Rocky before. Hug many, many times. When Rocky in ball.'
'I-It's different now. It's-' Grace mulls over his words before settling on, 'It's a human thing. The inherent want to be closer. We wrap our arms around each other to bond and feel close to the people we love. I couldn't hug you fully when you were in your ball and trying to hug you without it would be disastrous for both of us.' His burned arm aches dully at the memory of the only time the pair had touched without any barrier. A scary memory of almost loss, but also a reminder of how they saved each other.
'Oh! Understand now. Grace love Rocky so Grace give hug,' Rocky shifts in Grace's hold so he can try his best to return the hug and awkwardly hooks a limb around Grace's side, 'Rocky love Grace also.'
Grace lets those words echo around him and he cries softly into the xenonite covering Rocky's carapace, fingers digging into the almost vinyl like casing. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed being hugged back, missed being touched at all really, until now. Sure they would never again touch fully, skin to rock, but just feeling the weight of Rocky's limb against his side- claws mimicking Grace's own and twisting into the fabric of his sweater -it was enough to ground him.
After a while the hug grows uncomfortable what with the gravel digging into Grace's knees and the way Rocky's bumpy carapace makes it hard to hold and all, but the pair stick through it until Grace physically can't anymore.
With a groan, Grace tries to stand but his knees click painfully and refuse to budge. Luckily, with Rocky's newfound dexterity he's able to retrieve Grace's cane and hand it to him easily.
'Thanks, Rocky.' Grace grimaces as he uses both his cane and a hand on the top of the Eridian's body to haul himself to his feet.
'Welcome!' Rocky chirps happily before nudging against the side of Grace's leg, 'Rocky and Grace walk to beach now?'
Grace gives a sniffle and a wet chuckle and a ruffle to Rocky's carapace, 'Yeah buddy. We can go to the beach.'
After some quick stretches to breathe life back into Grace's legs, the pair head off down the path towards the little house and the beach shoreline beside it.
'Hey, Rock, do you think with your new suit we could go swimming? Or, hm... You'd probably sink, huh?'
Rocky tilts curiously as he walks, 'What is. Need word. Mm.'
With a soft laugh, Grace does his best to explain swimming, even miming the motions so Rocky can understand to which the Eridian nods and sings along.
During their beach trip some new words are learned, Rocky ends up sinking to the bottom of the lake and has to trudge his way back to shore, and the two best friends laugh about it all in the end.
At the end of the day, as the sun starts to set in the dome, Rocky lays across Grace's lap like an over sized cat while Grace pets the top of his carapace and reads a book aloud to him.
While the Eridian's weight threatens to crush his legs, Grace puts up with it, caring more about the closeness of his friend than the temporary flares of pain he feels now and will no doubt feel tomorrow.