Lil One-Shot I wrote!
Based off of @idgabuck's Streamer!Simon x Teacher!Grace AU!!
WC: 1395 (I went a lil crazy...)
Simon has been streaming for just over two-and-a-half hours at this point, jumping around the Minecraft world he has been playing on for the past few streams, when his phone vibrates aggressively on his desk. He doesn't answer the first time. He usually doesnāt when he is streaming, but when it begins to vibrate again seconds later, he knows something is up. He gives a quick glance at chat, before picking his phone up from his desk. Rylandās contact name stares up at him from the screen and Simon canāt help the small pit that forms in his stomach.
As soon as the call connects, Rylandās voice is pleading and begging in his ear for help. Simonās face pales, blood draining from his face at his husbandās tone. Simon has heard the other man angry, sad, exhausted, grieving even, but he has never heard him like this. āAngel? Whatās going on, darling? Talk to me.ā
āTheyāre trying to kill me, Simon- They want to send me to space on this suicide mission to another solar system! You have to come get me! I donāt want to die.. I donāt want to go, Simon! They canāt- canāt make me go!ā
Simon almost drops his phone at the revelation that someone is apparently trying to kill his husband, the device slipping from his grip and in his attempt to catch the device, puts it on speaker. āRyland what do you mean they are trying to send you to space?! Who is they? You need to take a deep breath my love. Talk to me!ā
āStratt- and- and the government! I donāt know! They want me on this Project Hail Mary mission to Tau Ceti that I told you about, but since the explosion killed their scientist, they want to send me instead! Iām not an astronaut- I- I donāt know what to do.ā
Simon sits speechless for a few moments, staring blankly at his computer screen. They want to send Rylandā his Rylandā to space on a suicide mission. He doesnāt know what to say, doesn't know how to respond. He looks at chat briefly; theyāre all collectively screaming at him to go to Ryland. He doesnāt even think after that. Heās out of his chair without even ending the stream. He canāt afford to waste a single minute when Ryland is in danger.
āRyland, angel, you need to tell me where you are. Where do I need to go to find you?ā
āThe biology research and testing laboratory in Sacramento. They want to bring me to Mirny, Russia for launch in 3 days.ā
āFuck.. Iām on my way, alright? Iām coming to get you.ā
What should have been a thirty-minute drive takes Simon sixteen. He doesnāt remember much after he gets in the car, only that he blows through more than one red light to get to Ryland. He hardly parks before getting out of the car and rushing through the front doors of the laboratoryā straight past the two military guards standing at the entrance. He walks right past the front desk, ignoring the calls from the receptionist. Bursting through a set of double doors, he calls Rylandās name desperately. He has no clue how to navigate this place, or where Ryland is, but heās running on pure adrenaline. Worst-case scenarios run through his head: What if they already took Ryland away? What if he resisted and they hurt himā or worse?
There is a set of doors that lead to an outside facility, a sign reading āmedbayā and āholdingā. Simon doesnāt even have a chance to fully process the words on the sign before the doors are flying open under the sheer force he is throwing himself into them with.Ā
Once heās outside, security has been alerted of his presence in the building, and are chasing after him. The guards try to corner him against the fence of what he assumes to be the building with all the holding cells. He tries to ignore the implications of his husband being held in this lab like a prisoner; the thoughts only motivating him further. His husband is being held against his will to be sent on a suicide mission, and theyāre holding him like heās the dangerous one! Ryland would never hurt a soul! He catches and releases any and all bugs outside instead of killing them!Ā
Simon scales the tall fence surrounding the holding building, jumping over it into a small courtyard type patch of grass and concrete. He turns, and is suddenly face-to-face with a blond, middle-aged woman in a black cardigan.
āMr. Grace. I figured it wouldnāt have been long until you showed up. My name is Eva Stratt. Iām the lead coordinator of Project Hail Mary. I think itās about time we sit and have a chat.ā
āWhere is Ryland?ā Simon presses before Stratt can even finish her introduction, desperate to find him and bring him home.
āI understand your concern Mr. Grace, but Dr. Grace is a crucial piece of this very complicated puzzle we have found ourselves having to piece together in order to save the world. Iām sure you understand.ā
āNo, I donāt, actually! I donāt understand why it had to be Ryland! Heās not an astronaut! He-He didnāt sign up for this!ā Simon is yelling now, face flushed from running and climbing. āYou need to release him! Now!ā
āIām afraid I canāt do that, Mr. Grace. The fate of the world depends on this mission launching on schedule. Dr. Grace is the only viable candidate.āĀ
āThatās bullshit!ā
āI apologize, Mr. Grace. My hands are tied.ā
āSo thatās it? You send my husbandā my best friendā into space to die and Iām just supposed to accept it?!ā Simon is almost at a loss for wordsā almost. āYou have to have someone else capable of doing the job! Ryland cannot be the only one qualified enough for this!ā
āPlease do not make this any harder than it already is. I do not want to haveĀ my men drag you out.ā
Simon scoffs to hide the dread that is quickly spreading through his gut, āCan I at least say goodbye?ā
āYou may, but it must be quick.ā
Stratt leads him into the holding building, down a dark hallway where Ryland is being kept. His footsteps echo, the noise ringing in his ears. When they reach Rylandās cell, he is already lying in a medical bed, wires and tubes hooked up to him. Heās unconscious, presumably in a coma.Ā
Simonās rage boils over. āWhat the fuck did you do to him?! Thisā This isnāt fair! Youāre killing him! This is murder! He doesnāt want this!ā
āIām doing what I need to do, Mr. Grace. I understand that this is difficult for you, but itās for the greater good of humanity.ā
āI donāt want to live in a worldāthis humanityā without Ryland! I donāt think you understand! I donāt think youāve ever felt anything in your entire life! Thatās the only reason I can think of why you are okay with tearing him away from me like this!ā
Stratt stiffens only slightly, but enough for Simon to catch it. Heās hit a nerve. A large one at that, because Stratt turns to the guards standing behind him, and gestures for them to take him away. Simon kicks, and swings at them, but they grab hold of his arms.
Heās thrown out into the parking lot, standing defeated. He attempts to get back past them, but they point large automatic weapons at him. Heās left no choice but to relent and go back to his car. The drive home is silent, Simonās thoughts and emotions too loud and too much for him to properly voice in that moment.Ā
Walking through the threshold, Simon is made abruptly aware of the silence. Their house was never quiet. Ever. From his streaming, or Rylandās audiobooks or podcasts, there was always some noise. In that moment, Simon is made abruptly aware of the fact that he never shut off his stream. It is still running in his office. It has been forā¦ four hours now.Ā
Fuck.
Simon wanders down the hallway to his office, the door creaking open too loudly in the newly found quiet of the house. He stands in front of his monitor for a moment. āIām sorryā¦ā He mutters, and the stream cuts off.
