Ryland Grace x GN! Reader ┆2.1k words┆more yearning & flashbacks┆part one, part two
Summary: Ryland Grace can't get you off his mind
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
When Ryland started to dream of you, he knew he had enough. He shoved all your photos back into the bag and tossed the bag somewhere on the ship. He didn’t care where it went. He could find it later. Ryland couldn’t float around the ship with an aching heart.
He couldn’t stand to miss you more than he already did.
He had a world to save.
And an alien to team up with.
You had hardly crossed his mind when he met Rocky. Ryland couldn’t stop to think about anything else but translating and working. But then Rocky moved in. And the little engineer would nag him to go to bed after a certain amount of hours.
And he hated it.
The hum and buzz of the ship would lull him to sleep.
Sleep would bring memories of you.
Ryland wondered if you were okay. Were you looking up at the skies right now? At him? He pressed his palms against his eyes, willing himself not to cry.
He dug through all his memories, desperate to find himself again. He would’ve been better off never remembering. As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he felt a stab of guilt. No. You were a huge part of his life and denying himself of you would just be wrong.
The lump in his throat got bigger.
The lock to his apartment clicked open. The door creaked softly before closing. Paper bags rustled and shoes got thrown to the side.
“Knock knock,” your voice chimed softly. “Anybody home?”
Footsteps approached the couch.
“Hey bud…”
Ryland shut his eyes.
You were using that voice. The one you would use with the students whenever they were crying or hurt. It wasn’t mean. But it didn’t help.
“So I bought some Thai takeout and some beer. I don’t know why you like this stuff,” you sat next to him. You began to place everything on the coffee table. The smell made his stomach grumble but he had no appetite.
He had issues with his girlfriend, oops, ex-girlfriend. But Ryland didn’t think it was THAT bad.
Their relationship was easy. In a good way. It felt perfectly normal. Two grown adults with an appropriate and comfortable age gap. They lived a comfortable distance from each other, not close enough to smother but far enough to still put in effort. The two of them went on easy comfortable dates like coffee runs and walks. Plus the occasionally monthly fancy date night that ended in a normal comfortable kiss goodnight.
Comfortable.
Easy.
Normal.
Frankly, a little stale at times.
And then they fought after he was shunned by his peers. His head WASN’T in the clouds! His head was at a perfectly normal altitude and it WASN’T a weird shape!
Now she was off with some Mark Watney. The guy was… Actually really really cool. He would’ve loved to talk to the guy! Well, if he had his old job and wasn’t a middle school teacher.
“Ry? Heeelloooo?” You poked his cheek. “Earth to Ryland Grace?”
“Don’t make space jokes.” He groaned and opened his eyes.
“Oh. Uh. Yeah, sorry.”
He sighed and cracked open one of the to-go containers. Ryland figured he could force down a few bites to appease you. He didn’t want to offend you. Even though he REALLY would prefer being alone right now.
The food was so good.
Dang it.
He inhaled sharply, cheeks still stuffed with food. Ryland shut his eyes and tried to stop the tears from welling up.
He loved whatever this was. You knew him so well.
Ryland pushed you away for so many months because his ex was uncomfortable with you. He had a feeling you weren’t the fondest of his girlfriend even though you really tried to be. Less late night meals. Less spur of the moment invitations out. Less calls. Less texts.
“I’m sorry-” Ryland started but you shook your head.
“No thanks.” You interrupted. “Don’t want it. But I’ll take a ‘thank you’ for the food.”
He cracked a weak smile. “Thanks for the food.”
“And beer.”
“Thank you for the food and the beer.”
You smiled pleased with yourself.
The two of you ate in silence. You got yourself comfortable on his couch and scrolled on your phone while eating. It was like you pressed the play button on the way your dynamic was months ago. Like nothing happened.
He felt a little awkward still. You wouldn’t let him apologize but he felt as if he wronged you.
Ryland was surprised to see that he managed to eat half the plate before feeling that pit in his stomach. He set the food down and you quickly mirrored his actions.
“So,” You started. “How… How have you been?”
“Great,” he spat.
You took it in stride and nodded. “Dumb question, figured.”
He could see that you REALLY wanted to ask more nosy questions. You were biting your lip and searching for a way to be polite. Ryland bit his cheek to stop from smiling. You were so weird…
“Ask your questions.” He spurred you on with a wave of his hand as he laid back into the cushions.
“My questions?”
Ryland raised a brow at you. You huffed and looked away with warm cheeks. He caught you.
“...Is it true she’s dating Mark Watney?”
“Ugh. Yes.”
“SERIOUSLY?” You gasped and grabbed his shoulders.
Ryland nodded as your jaw dropped. He let you shake him violently in shock.
“THE Mark Watney? Holy cheese balls! I knew they were high school friends but-” Then you smacked his shoulder.
“OW!”
“It’s the high school friends that you need to watch out for! I knew it!”
“We’re high school friends!” He pointed out.
“Oh, please! I hated you in high school, that doesn’t count. We didn’t become friends until senior prom!”
“Hated me?! I thought you just thought I was weird! Which was fair because I kinda thought you weird too.”
“No, I hated you.” You confirmed somberly. “And I thought you were weird which didn’t help.”
“Oh.”
“I’ve made it up to you over the years!”
Ryland smiled a bit. It was true. The both of you were each other’s greatest enemies and greatest supporters. He remembered your withering glares in the halls. He also couldn’t help the few scathing comments that left his lips whenever you’d get higher grades.
Months later and you were dragging him to parties in college. Years and years later you were dragging him out of work conferences.
“Yeah, what would I do without you?” He asked half-joking.
A weird expression crossed your face. Oh. He supposed he did go a few months without you. The realization of how much time had passed without you made his stomach churn. Even when his relationship began to take a turn, he didn’t tell you about it. He was scared. Ryland believed you should’ve been mad at him. But his extra key was still on your chain.
“You’d probably be on the couch at 9pm still in your work uniform while holding a TV remote with no batteries in it.” You hummed thoughtfully as your gaze traced his form.
He felt insecure under your gaze. He straightened himself out and looked down. Wow, you were right. Not that he was gonna admit it. He hadn’t even thrown off his bike helmet.
“I was gonna replace the batteries,” he explained himself sheepishly.
You plucked the remote out of his hands. “Go change. I’ll take care of this. Action? Romance? Sci-fi?”
“You’re not funny.” Ryland groaned and stood up.
He heard you giggling as he left. The sound made his dread fade. You were here.
That night, the two of you binged through an action trilogy. Ryland laughed so hard he cried. And then he cried for real. It was such an intense mix of emotions that he didn't know the sole reason for it. His break up? The things she shouted at him before she left? Maybe she was right and he was in over his head. Maybe it was you? You pushed him to keep his spark alive.
He cried in your arms.
You held him tightly.
Even after he insisted he was fine, you insisted on staying over. Just one more movie and he'd give you the bed while he slept on the couch.
"Hey, that's-" Ryland shut up quickly when he saw you.
You were asleep with your head on the armrest and your legs in his lap. A furrow came to your brow as you grumbled and shifted. He froze.
Ryland considered carrying you to his room but frankly with his luck, he'd accidentally smack your head into the doorframe. Then he attempted to slide out from under your legs. Every time he moved a little bit, you'd begin to wake up. Ryland spent 30 minutes writhing and wiggling around before giving up.
Having you close wasn't that bad anyways...
He turned down the TV volume and watched until his vision went dark. His gaze drifted over to you every once in a while. He was lucky. It was as simple as that.
Ryland closed his eyes.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed when you woke up. He felt the absence of your warmth. You snuck off the couch and he heard you go to the bedroom. He felt a tinge of satisfaction. Good. You weren't going to strain your back sleeping on the couch-
Nope.
Your footsteps trailed back into the living room.
He felt his comforter flop against his legs and chest before you settled beside him.
"Goodnight, Ry." You whispered and got under the covers with him. You rested your head on his shoulder before drifting off.
Ryland's heart was racing so fast that he struggled to fall back asleep.
He asked himself a great question earlier.
What WOULD he do without you?
“Grace! Grace! Grace!”
Rocky’s robotic voice came through the laptop. The dull thud of Rocky’s arm against xenonite echoed through his brain.
“Urggh… I’m up! I’m up!” He groaned and rolled out of bed with all the graces of a man in his mid thirties.
He fumbled for his glasses and managed to cover both lenses in fingerprints. Great.
“Grace was leaking.”
Ryland looked down at his pants.
“Not there. Why human have so many places for leaking?” Rocky said, disgusted.
“Great question.”
Ryland touched his face and felt the wetness from his eyes. Oh. He sighed and rubbed his face with his forearm.
“You were talking. A lot.”
“Yeah?” Ryland grimaced. He hadn’t yet told Rocky about you. Explaining science he could do. Explaining human customs and relationships? Ryland wasn’t even sure how to explain it to other people!
“Explain. Dream, question?” Rocky asked and thumped his arm twice.
“Yes. I was dreaming of… Something I forgot.”
Rocky made a chirping sound that signaled his curiosity. “Important to mission?”
“No- Well- Important to me. Not the mission.”
“You are important to mission. So if important to you, it’s important to mission.” Rocky said, very decidedly. “What memory, question?”
Ryland grimaced and stretched his sore limbs. He got up from his bed and began to go about his daily routine. He got his coffee and breakfast from Armando and perched himself on his seat.
He told Rocky your name and Rocky replied with a melodic sound. Much nicer than the word for Grace…
His heart skipped a beat. “N-No! No, not my mate. Just a friend. We spent a lot of time together. They took good care of me. I've been missing them."
"Grace never mention missing anything on earth. Beside fog. And water."
Ryland leaned back in his seat and nodded. "They would've loved you."
"Of course!" Rocky stood taller in his ball. "Then they must be smart human!"
He laughed fondly. "Very smart. They were a teacher too. A-After I quit my job as a biologist they told me to come work at their school."
“Take care of you a lot. Sound like mate.”
“Maybe they could’ve been.” Ryland said without thinking.
Deep breath in.
Deep breath out.
He set down his coffee mug and groaned into his palms. Maybe you could’ve been?! Ryland groaned even louder and gripped his hair. He thrashed in his seat for a second.
Rocky took a step back. He turned to Armando. Armando turned his camera towards Rocky. The two looked at each other for a moment. Then they turned back to him.
“Not enough sleep, question? Acting… Dumb. Not normal reaction for just friend.”
“No. I’m fine.” Ryland groaned and picked up his cup. He chugged the entire cup before sighing. “Let’s get to work.”
“Don’t be sad, you will see them again after save stars. You will be hero. And commence mating ritual with achievement.” Rocky chirped optimistically.
“Hah! Mating ritual?”
“Yes! Best clothes and song. Worked for Rocky mate. Can teach before we go home.”
Ryland’s heart dropped. No you. No Rocky. No earth. He wouldn’t feel the sun’s light. Nor the warmth from your smile. He forced a determined expression and nodded.
“Yeah. Sounds good.”
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
A/N: WABAM PART TWO??? kinda fire and not at all proofread sorry yall
summary: ryland wakes up alone on a ship far beyond earth with no memory of who he is, only to find out he's not alone and this stranger may know more than he thinks
warnings: uhhh none yet? ryland beefing with a robot hand? waking up from a coma?
a/n: so it begins guys!!! ahh i have a few chapters written but here is the first !!
series masterlist
Flashes erupted behind his eyes. Dull flickers that lacked any shape. Muted red, pulsing faintly; his brain scrambling to keep up.
“What’s two plus two?”
Huh?
The voice didn’t belong to a person. It was too clean, too level, too… British?
It repeated the question, without irritance, for the second time.
Yeah, that’s not a person.
He decided to ignore that for now. His body felt wrong. It wasn’t exactly painful, just not cooperating. His arm wasn’t listening to him; it didn’t so much as twitch when he put all his force into it.
“What’s two plus two?”
Oh my—can you not?
He tried to move again, this time testing to see if his legs were more attentive. Nothing. Or, worse than nothing, there was a delay. His limbs seemed to lag in a strange response to his attempts.
His mouth was sore. It was the first stinging sensation that cut through his groggy haze. It was dry to the point of discomfort, where swallowing felt like trying to force sand down his throat. He tried to anyway.
Bad idea.
Something was pulled from him, making his body seize up as whatever was down there was suddenly yanked free. He choked immediately, saliva going down the wrong way, lungs protesting violently.
It hurt as he coughed, or tried to. The only sound that escaped him was weak, but it was enough to somewhat shock his system, dragging him a little closer to the surface.
His eyes cracked open, and it was far too bright.
He winced as he blinked, each movement of his eyelids needing full manual control. The world around him blurred, smeared in light and shadow.
What the heck is that?!
A hand?
No, no, definitely not a hand.
It was shaped like one, sure, but that is not what a human hand looks like. Skin doesn’t tend to catch the light like that, really. Nor be metallic. It hovered there, still patient.
“What’s two plus two?”
You have got to be kidding!
He squinted at it, brain in some desperate attempt to catch up to the current situation.
“I—“
Trying to speak was a bold decision. His voice, much like his body, was not working. It came out rough, barely there. The robot decided to take the lead and speak for the two of them. Very kind of it.
“You have been in a medically induced coma.”
A what?
He stared at it, eyes finally focusing just enough to take in more of it—the joints, the surgical movements. It wasn’t attached to a person.
“You may experience some memory loss.”
Yeah—no, he got that.
That would explain the everything. The nothing. The bare space where there should have been at least something.
The arms moved closer, then a buzzing sound began.
Was that—was that a razor?
Oh, absolutely not.
“Please remain still,” it said.
No chance of that. There was no version of this scenario where he was going to let a floating metal hand with a razor get any closer to his face.
His body felt like he was dragging it through mud, but the adrenaline started to kick in. He forced his muscles to respond, gathering what little strength he had to swing his heavy body off the small platform.
He could have been more graceful with it, but all things considered, he was just glad to be away from the malicious limb above. His weight hit the ground with a small thud. He almost welcomed the pain.
A wheeze escaped him as he still struggled to get his bearings. All he needs to do is try to push himself up and all will be...
He looked down.
Is he in a bag?
He groaned as he realised his body was trapped in some kind of sack? Medical cocoon? Horrifying sleeping bag from hell? He huffed as he tugged on it uselessly.
“Please return to the medical platform.”
He glanced up, the arm was coming towards him again.
He’s actually going to go ahead and decline that.
He tried to crawl as best as he could, given the circumstances, until something halted his movements.
Is he—is it pulling him?
He flailed as he kicked it or tried his best. His leg shot out uncoordinated as it just about managed to knock the arm off course for a second. A second was all he needed.
He twisted, dragging himself out of the bag—sack—whatever this was, the fabric catching around his legs before finally giving way. He crawled, more scrambled, his palms clumsy as he manoeuvred himself across to the far wall. He needed to put as much distance between himself and the mechanical menace as possible.
“Please return to the medical platform.”
He’d really rather not.
He placed himself on the wall, pressing his back against it as he steadied himself. He hauled himself upright, straining as his legs trembled, but they held. There was a ladder across from him.
Brilliant.
Because walking wasn’t nearly enough of a challenge for him right now.
Behind him, the arm moved again, adjusting its position.
“No, no, no,” he tried to say under his breath, his heavy breathing mostly muffled it.
Using the wall as support, he made his way to the first rung, hand slipping immediately. He didn’t have time to curse himself as he forced his second attempt to hold. His grip hurt as he dragged himself up. One arm, then the other. One leg, following after.
He had no idea where he was going, but at least it was away.
“Please return to the medical platform.”
“I’m busy!” he slurred out, hauling himself up another few feet. His breath was coming out sharper, body slowly catching up with his brain.
He could cry when he reached the top and pulled himself up to the final part as he caught a glimpse of the next room.
There were cots. Rows of them.
People!
Relief hit him as he scrambled forward, moving with much more urgency despite his body’s protest. He could barely contain himself as he reached the nearest one and pulled back the cover. What he saw made his stomach churn.
The skin was too pale, the face beneath gaunt. The skin was stretched far too tightly over brittle bones, the eyes were closed and sunken. He knew he didn’t need to check.
His hand hovered uselessly before he jerked it back. He swallowed as he forced himself to look away. The cot above showed him the exact same thing. Cold and wrong. Not a life was present here.
He shook his head as his hands reached the ladder again, trying to still his breathing. There was nowhere else he could go but up again; perhaps up would give him answers he was so desperately reaching for.
He climbed a little faster this time, adrenaline burning through whatever sluggishness remained. He was still clumsy on his ascent, but at least there was more drive behind his movements.
Metal walls closed in around him as he emerged into a narrow corridor, humming full of machinery that pressed against him from all sides. His eyes darted around, searching for literally anything that would make sense.
He looks to his side.
Is that—a window?
It looked like a window should, but that also could mean anything given the situation. It was a small circular pane of glass set in the far wall. He stumbled towards it, relief surging as his hands reached out to brace himself against the frame as he leaned in.
He begged to see a city, or somewhere in the country, or literally anything that he could recognise.
The only thing he could see for, what he assumed was miles, was the soft twinkle of stars. Hundreds of them, scattered across a black so deep that it swallowed everything else whole.
There was no horizon here, nor ground. He’s not on Earth at all; he’s in space. That is was the sky, he was in the sky. Far away from any semblance of humanity.
This was a ship, a ship that was moving fast from the looks of it, the stars not completely static. They shifted ever so slightly, streaking in a way that made his stomach drop for the fifth time since he woke.
He’s hurtling through space.
His hand tightened on the metal; it felt cold and endless beneath his fingers as he eyed the impossible expanse beyond the glass.
Okay, that’s… not ideal.
He couldn’t allow the thought to linger, his urgency shoving it aside in an attempt to compartmentalise. This required focus.
He pushed himself away from the terrifying view a little too fast, his feet stumbling on the metal floor as his balance betrayed him. He still kept his hand on the wall for support, straggering forward with no other option.
He had to be logical here. He was going to assess the situation, gather information, and most importantly, not panic.
“Why is there an atomic-resolution scanning electron microscope?”
He stared at the contraption.
Yep, he was sure that’s what it was.
Why does he know that?!
He frowned, not knowing how the technical term popped into his head so quickly.
“Am I smart?!”
There was no response.
Rude.
He tore himself away from the machine before he could spiral further. Each doorway he passed, he added it to his memory, trying to build a mental map of the place as best he could. There seemed to be nothing stored there that would be of use to him anymore.
There was a full lab, every piece of equipment one could possibly need lining the walls. Workstations set up and ready to go, tools that he recognised in an unsettling way.
This must be a very well-funded science project.
He kept moving forward, another room, darker than the last. This one was dominated by screens, rows and rows of them, glowing softly in the space. He approached them cautiously, eyes focusing on their displays. It was a lush forest.
It was green and familiar, with sunlight filtering through the leaves, shifting gently in the gentle breeze that definitely did not exist here. The resolution was fantastic; every leaf and flicker of light was clear. If he tried hard enough, he could almost imagine it as a window…
He should keep moving.
“Hello?” he called out, voice echoing as he continued his journey. “Anyone?—alive, preferably?”
There was no response as he pressed further. He checked room after room, clambering everywhere, voice growing a little sharper each time he called out.
“Okay, seriously, if anyone can hear me, now would be a great time to—”
There was another screen on the wall, only this time it didn’t show a forest. It showed him. He stepped closer, tilting his head slightly. His reflection was… not great.
His hair was long, just brushing his shoulders and had most likely not seen a comb in a while. His face…
Is that a beard?
He reached up, brushing against his jaw. He didn’t even know he was capable of growing one. Good to know.
“Please record video diary.”
He flinched as the voice called out again.
“Oh my god,” he snapped, spinning around. “Can you—stop doing that?”
Silence once more. He dragged a hand down his face, deciding to ignore the voice.
He turned a corner, beginning to think that all of this wandering wasn’t helping. He hadn’t found anything useful, just more questions, more weirdly specific knowledge that he had for some reason, and no answers.
His feet stuttered as he reached another room, but this one looked important. The walls were stacked with buttons and switches. There were so many, paired with displays flickering and data streaming that was nothing more than gibberish at first glance.
It felt like a trap, but he entered anyway, making his way to the chair in the middle.
“Pilot detected.”
Nope, no, not a pilot.
He shot out of the seat immediately and sighed, time to try the talking thing again.
“S—speak to person in charge,” he tried, wincing slightly at how ridiculous that sounded. “The—uh—the captain?”
“Captain Yao Li Jie. Deceased.”
Ah, great news.
“Okay, uh—” he said quickly, shifting his weight, eyes darting around the room. “Where are the—uh—living people?”
“Dr Ryland Grace.”
Okay, one person. The computer continued and said another name, one that also had no meaning behind it, but he stilled his movements.
He didn’t recognise it, but there was something behind it. The syllables connected in a way that made his feet halt. He waited for more names.
“End of manifest.”
The silence that settled over the space was final. There were two. There were only two of them here.
Statistically, it was not ideal. But two is better than one, right? Even though he wasn’t completely sure of which of the names actually belonged to him. But by some small miracle, there was someone else. Someone alive here that was not in the cots he previously saw. That was something.
He turned away, pacing now as his agitation built. His gaze caught on a display that was slightly different from the others.
A map!
One of those would be very useful right about now.
He leaned in as he scanned it, eyes catching on something he could deduce was the sun. Finally, something familiar. He straightened as he got oriented.
“Right, so—where are we? Neptune? Pluto?”
He glanced back at the room.
“Okay, uh—call Earth?” he tried.
He had to give it a shot.
“Current transmission time to Earth: eleven years, ten months, fourteen days, and six hours.”
Eleven years…
Surely that was a mistake; he didn’t know the computer well enough yet, hardly on a first-name basis with the thing. It could make mistakes in theory, though hopefully not about the other person somewhere on this ship.
He moved his hand across the map display, he scrolled, and scrolled, and scrolled. But the more he looked, the worse it got. The positions were off, the layout becoming unfamiliar as he focused on it more. And slowly and terrifyingly, it all clicked into place.
“That’s not—” he whispered. He leaned closer, eyes narrowing.
That’s not our sun.
Once again, he was only allowed a moment of recalibration before his ears perked up, a small whirr of a sound cutting through the ship. It was distant and coming from below, somewhere deeper within the ship.
He listened again, verifying. It was a little irregular, not like the hum that surrounded the space. No, this was an anomaly.
His head snapped toward the doorway as the sound continued, the spiral of impossible distances and foreign stars ripped from his mind as his legs began to move.
He still moved too fast for his body, nearly clipping the edge of the doorway on his way out and catching himself on the frame before pushing off again. He reached the ladder and started down, which he immediately realised was far worse than going up. He gripped the rungs tighter than necessary as his foot slipped slightly on the first step.
“Hello?” he tried again. “If that’s—if that’s a person, I’m—coming, I’m just—”
His foot slipped again.
Damn it!
He caught himself, forehead knocking on the metal rung above his head. He hissed but kept going.
“What’s two plus two?”
“Oh my god,” he breathed.
Not the damn computer, again. But as much as he disliked the thing, the familiar line of questioning could only mean one logical thing.
Someone is waking up.
And is most likely going to be subjected to the same torture he was.
Yeah, he had to get to you—fast.
It had to be one of the names he heard. He climbed faster, his caution abandoned for urgency as he half-slid down the remaining distance, his original room coming into view down the corridor. Only this time, from his position, his platform was not the only one.
He heard a cough as he urged himself closer; it was weak, but it was enough. He stopped in the doorway as his eyes fixed on you. Another person. Someone alive.
Oh, thank god.
He was about to lunge for you, but he stopped himself. The mechanical hand was twitching just above you, looking as menacing as ever. But as much as he hated to admit it, it might be best for it to do its work. It got him awake—reluctantly—but safely. He should leave it be for now.
You stirred slightly, with a small groan. The small turn of your head, paired with your sluggish movements, gave him a sense of deja vu, but it was enough to render him motionless.
The robot whirred above you and he followed it, immediate irritation flaring.
“What’s two plus two?”
For the love of—can it not read the room?!
You are clearly not in any position to engage in even the most basic arithmetic.
You shifted again, a sound leaving you that was more breath than voice. He stilled again, feeling useless as she watched.
It was then that your eyes fluttered. He could see the effort behind it as you struggled. He remembered that feeling and was not envious of you.
“Hey—it’s okay, you’re—”
You seemed to immediately latch on to his voice, eyes darting over to where he stood sheepishly in the corner. You squinted as he came into focus, straining against the blur. After a few moments, they found him and locked him in his place.
He could feel the shift in your expression, the way you stared at him with confusion. He went to give you a soft smile, anything to help you with the transition. Anything to try and do it more gracefully than he—
“Ry?”
a/n: the first of many, so buckle up guys. i've already got a few parts of this written out so this should be getting released on a semi-regular basis.
i have planned it out fully, but as always nothing is set in stone, so if you have any ideas they might be better than mine and i'd love to try and include them!
hopefully i got the tone down, i have read the book but i shall be taking liberties with both the film and book in terms of the timeline and plot here. it will be a mishmash. also POVs will be switching too so we get both hehe
as always hope you enjoyed, this is only the intro, this fandom is so lovely, genuinely and i hope you stick along for this ride <3
thinking about phm again and i thought about how rocky will outlive grace and be all alone but then to make that worse in some kind of revenge scheme against me my brain spat out "but rocky will never be alone again. grace made sure of that."
Ryland Grace x GN! Reader ┆1.9k words┆ pre-project hail mary, fluff, submissive ryland, little bit of a jealous reader, reader is a kinda mean but Ryland is exactly where he wants to be ┆one shot
Summary: Your beloved roommate, Ryland Grace, can’t stop crying around you.
A/N: i saw some tweet about how ryan gosling looks pretty when he cries and i couldn't stop thinking about it.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Ryland Grace is 80% sure you’re mad at him. Now he’s not exactly sure WHAT he did. But you must be punishing him.
Every night after you came home from work, and he got done with grading papers, you had a movie and dinner. Last month, he chose all the Back to the Future films. Last week, you chose Up.
The both of you ended up crying on the couch. He cracked first. How could he not? A meek whimper left his lips. Ryland felt you turn and stare a hole into the side of his face. His face flushed from the sudden attention.
“You’re such a baby,” You teased as you wiped your own watery eyes.
“I am not! I’m just- It’s-“
You snickered. His face went even more hot.
The breath from his lungs disappeared when you wiped his tears. The feeling of your soft palm against his cheeks was enough for him to forget crying entirely. Your thumb stroked the scruff on his jaw.
Ryland blinked quickly, trying to get rid of his blurry vision. He wanted to see you. He ALWAYS wanted to see you.
Even if you were grinning like a devil. The colors and light from the TV made your features glow.
His lip quivered. He tried to stop it by pressing the back of his palm against his lips. Breathe. Breathe. He opened his mouth to protest but you interrupted by handing him your water.
"Drink." You hummed, finally looking away. "Crybaby."
Another sad embarrassed whimper. He played it off poorly with a loud cough.
"HAOUGGHK-"
You shot him a look. "Ew!"
Ryland rolled his eyes and took the cup with a mumbled thank you. He tried not to think about how your lips may have previously touched the same spot.
“I’m not a crybaby, you’re so…” He grumbled after he finally caught his breath. “Ridiculous.”
Next movie night, he wouldn't humiliate himself like this. You seemed much too pleased with yourself. Why did you get to have all the satisfaction of teasing him? That hardly seemed fair.
...
You wanted him dead.
The Notebook, La la Land, Me Before You, The Fault in Our Stars, 5 Feet Apart, 20th Century Girl, and Bridge to Terabithia.
His tears ranged from sniffles to heaving sobs. After the third cry, he gave up on trying to seem nonchalant. Who was he trying to fool? You? His roommate of how many years?
You'd tease him relentlessly. You pinched his side and squished his face. “Crybaby” had become your affectionate name for him. Even after mocking him, you’d wipe his tears. He would push your hand away and you’d intertwine your fingers. He never pulled back his hand when you started to stroke his hand with your thumb.
Ryland would glare and argue with you every time, but he found that you’d only smile wider.
What on earth was up with you?! Ryland swears he's never cried so much in his life. Besides maybe when he was in school for his doctorate.
"Are you mad at me?" He grabbed the remote before you could. It was your night to pick a movie but his eyes were still puffy from two nights ago.
You squinted at him, confused. Ryland hated how good you were at making him feel silly.
“Is it because I keep leaving my socks everywhere? Because my papers take up the entire dining table?” He pressed. "Or because I keep making those corny dad jokes that you hate?"
"I love your jokes."
"It's been hard to make jokes when you pick the saddest movies possible!"
"A Man Called Otto was sweet!"
He sent you a glare.
“It’s not my fault you’re such a crybaby,” You retorted. “Now give me the remote!”
Ryland held it out of reach. “Promise me it won’t be sad?”
“If you say please.”
His knees felt a little weak, he was relieved he was sitting down. Ryland’s fingers weakened around the remote. He couldn’t find a hint of humor on your face. His lips parted, ready to give in but he stopped himself.
“You’re not funny,” He gritted out. “I’m not doing that.”
“Aww, you’re not?”
You sat even closer. Something about your mocking tone made his heart race. His anger sizzled into something warm but embarrassing. He couldn’t look away from you. Your tone of voice was pure honey.
“N-No!”
“Why are you stuttering?” You laughed. “Are you gonna cry, baby?”
Fuck.
Frick.
Ryland got dizzy. His heart pounded in his chest rapidly. Stars exploded in his stomach. He got similar feelings on rollercoasters or when you’d lean your head on his shoulder. It felt wildly irrational. And he didn’t hate it. He HATED that he couldn’t hate it.
“You’re the worst,” He choked out.
You only tilted your head. You still had that glimmer in your eye behind the sweet expression.
He quietly lowered the remote.
“Please?”
With a reluctant hum, you took the remote. “Alright!”
You picked a pretty good action flick. Ryland had seen it before and it was one of his favorites. But he found it hard to focus. His heart wouldn’t calm down from your earlier exchange. And not to mention… You seemed extremely focused on the movie. Unlike most nights, you weren’t constantly glancing at him. Ryland got used to your constant assuring touches. He was used to your sweet and sour words.
And now you were quiet. You occasionally laughed or made a snarky joke about the movie. You were acting like everything was normal.
Ryland squirmed restlessly. Was the air tense? Or was he the only one feeling it?
His eyes kept drifting towards you. He couldn’t help it. A small part of him wanted to admit he DID like your attention. But you were so mean!...
He couldn’t take it anymore. Not even two hours into the movie and your lack of teasing broke him. Ryland grabbed the remote and paused the movie. Pure adrenaline was the fuel to his actions.
You turned to him, curious. “Bathroom break?”
“Why do you keep picking sad movies?”
“Are you back on this?” You groaned and flopped backwards into the couch cushions.
“Yes! Tell me! I don’t get it.” He exclaimed, frustrated.
You groaned and rubbed your face.
“I just like sad movies! It’s- Well,” You turned your face towards him. “Cathartic no?”
“Is that really all?”
You huffed and crossed your arms. “Okay. Fine.”
He could feel his confidence faltering but he liked the way you seemed embarrassed. You weren’t as high and mighty as you wanted to seem.
“You… are a good looking man,” You admitted. “I mean Ms. Adler and Ms. May are flirting with you all the time.”
He blinked. It was frankly a little embarrassing that you noticed.
“I… What do they have to do with anything?”
You scowled and shook your head. “Nothing!”
“Don’t get mad at me for something you said!” Ryland said defensively. He pressed his thumb against the furrow in your brow to smoothen it out.
That got a genuine smile out of you.
You pulled away his hand and held it. A shiver went up his spine as your fingertips traced his veins. His skin felt tingly and sensitive whenever you caressed him so tenderly. It felt even nicer when you didn’t even put too much thought behind it. It was just an instinct. Something you couldn’t help but do.
Ryland was guilty of actions like that too.
You chastised him for constantly doting on you. He’d hand you tissues before you’d sneeze. He’d keep hand sanitizer in his pocket because he knew you could be a stickler for germs. He’d buy you multivitamins and leave them out by the counter so you wouldn’t forget.
Even though you’d fight him on it, it would always go in one ear and out the other.
He was like your nagging wife.
“Don’t get mad at me. And don’t judge me!” You pointed a finger in his face.
He rolled his eyes and swatted away your finger.
“I won’t!”
Ryland was most definitely going to judge you. Just a little bit. Sorry.
With a sharp exhale, you finally spat it out.
“You’re really pretty when you cry. I wasn’t trying to be mean… It just got a little out of hand.”
There it was.
You said it as plainly as you could’ve.
Dozens of questions swam through his mind. Butterflies danced in his stomach again. Ryland had so many feelings on the matter. But none of them were bad. He couldn’t help but focus on one part.
“Only when I cry?” That was the one question that managed to leave his lips.
You looked bewildered. You opened your mouth yet no words came out.
“Not only when you cry.” You admitted, a little confused. “Is that what you’re worried about?”
“Well if you think I’m pretty even when I’m not crying, then what was the point of making me cry?!”
“It’s about your genuine emotions! The vulnerability!”
Ryland felt his jaw go slack.
“Well, what about calling me a crybaby? Or teasing me the entire time?”
You shrank into the cushions. He caught you red handed.
“You like making fun of me!”
“I’m sorry!” You groaned and shook your head. You pressed your forehead against your joined hands. Then you peered up at him.
Ah crap. Ryland could hardly accept your compliment when you looked like that. So pretty and worried. How could you find him good looking?
“I know you’re mad and I really am sorry…”
Ryland frowned and shook his head. “I’m not mad.”
This clearly caught you off guard. You squinted at him like you misheard him. So he said it again. You sat up straighter.
“Really? A-Are you disappointed?”
“No?”
“Uhm… Upset?”
“No.”
You stared at him in disbelief. “Why not?”
Ryland fumbled with his words for a moment. He adjusted his glasses as he tried to find the right thing to say. It was a little hard to focus when he now knew you thought he was pretty. Wow. It made his heart do a little flip.
“I-I don’t know.”
Great reply, Grace.
He tensed up a little as you scooted to sit closer. You cleared your throat and asked a question that made his stomach drop.
“Did you like it? Not the crying but everything else?”
He couldn’t even lie. Ryland wondered why his mouth would fail him now as he just stared at you like a goldfish. He closed his eyes tightly and sighed. Ryland ran a hand over his face, his glasses falling off.
“You do?” Your jaw dropped and you leaned in closer. “Really?!”
“You cannot judge me! You like watching me cry!”
“I’m not judging you! And you like it!”
The two of you were at an awkward standstill. The two of you learned a lot about yourselves. And each other. Maybe a little too much.
“How about a sad movie once a month?” You suggested softly to break the ice.
Ryland’s body heat and heart rate have been high for this entire conversation.
“I wouldn’t mind it twice a month.” He admitted as he looked away.
Surprisingly though, you shook your head. “We don’t have to!”
…
Ryland’s heart was pounding now. His face was red and hot but he mustered all his courage. He stuttered out your name.
“Please?”
He saw the gears turn in your head. You paused and your eyebrows shot up. A small amused grin tugged at your lips. There was a hint of excitement in your eyes.
“Oh, crybaby. You’re something.”
Ryland Grace was 100% sure you weren’t mad at him now. But now he was sure he was in love with his roommate. And he was 99.99% sure this was going to get him into trouble.
omg i literally live for ur writing i had to request this one to u (but no pressure!!)
how about one where grace and reader is working closely, maybe grace is looking at some samples and reader is staying close to watch, then rocky takes a look and goes
"why grace heartbeat so fast, question?"
lmaoo then grace is like dying inside bcs hes nervous!! around reader and prays rocky shuts up by saying "no its not", then rocky (not so innocently) is like
"yes, grace heartbeat faster than reader heartbeat, statement."
sorry if its long!!😭😭
ROCKY MY BELOVED.
Title: Observation King.
Pairing: Ryland Grace x Reader.
Rating: K. ( PRETTY FLUFFY ).
Words: 4.3 K
Summary: Read the ask, haha.
Ryland Grace Masterlist.
Ryland was hovering over the microscope. Not territorially, but more… Nervously, his fingers anxiously picking at the edge of the lab table. The soft hum of the ship filled the otherwise deadspace, steady and predictable and something about that made him feel slightly better.
Slightly, like he wasn’t about to jump out of his skin watching rather boring protozoa and microbes move around on a slide. Forcing his hands to grab the edge instead of nibbling at it with his fingertips, Ryland forced some sort of precision into his body but everything else about him felt… off.
He was too aware, and not at the very interesting slide of life from another freakin’ planet.
He was too aware of you.
You were staring at the screen, right over his shoulder, with your arms crossed in contemplation as you made out the different types of microbes and such that were on the slide. Not your forte, more Ryland’s but you were giving it a whirl and he was helping you identify. Or at least, he was supposed to teach you but there was a deafening quiet that filled the air.
You were close enough to him that if you wanted to, you could definitely see the tension in his jaw when you moved forward, leaning yourself against the chair he was in to get a better view, you could see the way the poor scientist was trying to focus.
It became clear maybe a second or two into this that focusing was becoming a battle he was going to lose, no matter the variables. Ryland dropped his head forward for a moment, collecting his thoughts before throwing his head back, a bit more enthusiastic about the situation and readjusted his glasses so he could look at the screen you were paying attention to.
“See this here?” He raised his arm, the annoying bright fluorescence of the lab bouncing off the toned muscles given to him by the computer. Not that he wanted to show them off but… Ryland felt almost disgusted in himself at the admittance that he imagined you wanted to check them him out. Woohoo, look at me, beach body buff, admire my stupid muscles.
“This is an Archaea.”
He was definitely aiming for a casual, even voice but it came out just a fraction tighter than usual. Ryland shifted in his seat and coughed into his hand. Smooth man, smooth.
“And that’s different than a protozoa.” That was said under your breath, taking mental notes as you leaned forward, your body now following where he was pointing.
Okay, so pointing was a big mistake. Ryland could feel the heat of your body against him when you raised your hand up to grab the screen, bringing it a bit closer. He stiffened, summoning what little unfortunate willpower he had left to not look over and come face to well… Chest with you.
“Yup, yup.” He was quick to say and scooted forward in the seat, almost to the point where he was clinging on by just two inches and supporting more of his body on his legs. His quads were going to thank him tomorrow in the form of intensely sore movements.
“Different things. Very different. Yeah, I can uh… Suggest some books for you to read about the differences,” He pushed his glasses up, your eyes catching the shine of the golden frames as you gazed down at him. “Uh… Very… Thrilling content.”
Furrowing your eyebrows, you leaned back and stared at him, mild perplexity written on your expression. You wanted to ask something, but before you were able, the familiar voice cut in from the laptop on the counter next to you.
“Grace heart rate erratic. Grace okay, question?”
Ryland… Froze. And not in the typical ‘oh, hahaha funny you noticed that’ sort of way. More in the ‘I’m caught in a line-up, but I’m totally innocent’ sort of way, his eyes widening at the words as they processed in his brain.
The blonde let out a short and awkward laugh, a somewhat strangled sound in his throat that didn't quite land the way he wanted to, his grip tightening almost noticeably on the edge of the table. “It’s… Not. Totally normal. It’s a totally normal heartbeat happening right now.”
You tilted your head slightly and studied him like he was one of the microbes on the slide. He couldn’t even bring himself to move out of fear that one of you - let’s be real here - Rocky would notice and say something.
“Are you… sure?”
“Grace incorrect.”
Ryland squeezed his blue eyes shut for half a second before they flew open and he was gazing… Glaring at the Eridian on the other side of the xenonite wall. “Please stop talking.”
Rocky tilted his carapace slightly. It was clear he understood the words, not the implication of emotion that Ryland was using though which you thought was quite amusing considering a lot of Rocky’s language was up to listening interpretation. You bit your bottom lip, leaning back against the metal wall of the ship and glanced between the two of them.
“Grace heart rate faster than (Last Name).” Rocky was adamant to say.
You looked at Ryland again, curiosity seeping into your pores as you added gently, “Mine feels pretty normal so I guess Rocky is using it as the baseline in this observation.”
“(Last Name) correct.”
Ryland could quite literally feel the heat climbing steadily up his neck, spreading across his skin in a blotchy mess that felt impossible to hide. He refused to look at you, focusing instead on a completely unimportant section of the screen like it was anchoring him back to the Tau Ceti system.
“I mean…”
He puffed his cheeks, bringing one of his hands down to rub against the outside of his clothed thigh, maybe in some subconscious way to get his palms to stop feeling so clammy as the other hand gestured vaguely upwards towards the display. You watched in baited amusement, his motion incredibly choppy and almost… Inhuman.
“Science is… Uh stressful… Lots of pressure. Very high-stakes. Heartbeats… Happen.”
“Uh-huh.” You hummed, crossing your chest and telling him in body motion alone that you were not convinced.
Beside you in his crushing atmosphere, Rocky made a thoughtful sound, like the engineer he was, working out a problem. He tilted ever so slightly, angling himself as if refining measurements guided by vibrations and subtle rhythm of sound.
“Grace exhibit strange behavior when close to (Last Name).”
Ryland choked on the air, hands falling onto the lab table with a ‘thwump’ and in one remarkably quick motion, he was trailing towards the Eridian, his long legs moving without a real plan as he ended up with his face precariously close to the xenonite, almost to the point where he had it pressed, you could vaguely see his breath condensating against it as he pleaded to the five-legged alien.
“Woahhhh-okay, that’s enough data collection for today buddy, let’s give it a rest.”
“Did Rocky just suggest I make you nervous?” You bit your lip, a smile threatening to come to the surface.
Ryland sputtered, pressing his forehead against the cooling xenonite and closed his eyes, “He… Suggested something to that degree, yes. Bu-But his basis is---”
“New observation.”
He physically tensed, his shoulderblades feeling rigid like they were going to snap. “No, no follow ups. We are done with the observations.”
“Grace temperature increase.” Rocky announced anyway, his computerized voice mixing with the thrumming notes from his carapace. Calm and precise in a way that just… Made everything worse.
Ryland felt his stomach drop without a beat, feeling your eyes on his body. He felt prickly around the edges, like you could see the moving aura and he became hyper-aware of his body and how he must have looked to you. He felt sticky warm, he could still feel you close by. God, it must be obvious if Rocky was able to sense it. Uncertainly, he shifted on the balls of his feet so he could spot a glance at you, hoping to the universe that whatever heat was on his face was not that perceptible to the visual spectrum.
Aaaannnndddd, you were looking at him. Of course you were. He couldn’t be lucky enough that your attention was on something else. But, instead of pulling away as his blue gaze met yours, you leaned in, almost imperceptively, but just enough to catch Ryland off guard as he leaned back in response. He opened his mouth to say something, probably something stupid and along the lines of ‘Stop looking at me!’ like one his students in the middle of a fight with their best friend who well… Wouldn’t stop staring at them like they were some foreign object.
But, unfortunately, Ryland’s lottery did not end there.
“Grace temperature increase significant. Approximately 1% of baseline human temperature.”
“That’s pretty significant.”
Came your voice. It sounded normal, but something under the tone shifted to… Playfulness that Ryland was unsure of. Were you… making fun of him? Great. Just another shot to his ego. Whatever ego he had left, that is. Rocky had a weird way of absolutely demolishing it at times like this with incredible blunt precision. Like, instead of being beaten down with a physical blunt object, you were being beaten down with blunt words.
Ryland leaned his upper half against the xenonite wall, bending his elbows so he could push his glasses upwards into his hair, getting lost somewhere in the golden thickness as he dragged his hand down his face, slow and painful. He pressed his fingers to his eyelids and pinched until he saw stars, “Ohhhh my god.”
It was your turn again to glance at Rocky, oblivious and clearly satisfied with himself to Ryland who looked like he wanted to slam his head against the xenonite and end it all. Amusement rose in your chest alongside the dawning realization of what Rocky had been observing in today’s mishaps. “I mean, you are kinda hot, Dr. Grace.”
Rocky shifted, his body scraping lightly against the surface below as he repositioned, closer to you this time. “(Last Name) cause Grace reaction intentionally, question?”
Ryland snapped his head up so face, he nearly knocked over from exerted force. His balance was caught at the last second as he spat, “Do not answer that!”
You paused, mouth open at his reaction and for a second… You considered answering the curious Eridian. But, maybe some things just needed to stay between you and the scientist. You glanced down at Rocky, “I don’t think I’m really doing anything.”
That was innocently put. Ryland glanced at you, his eyes narrow. There was… A tiny slight tilt in your voice that gave it away. You were enjoying this.
There was a hard silence.
“Should I be doing something…?”
Ryland’s hard gaze shifted into one of… Confusion. What… Did you just say? The two of you just… Stared at one another, unaware for the few seconds that spared to hear Rocky’s low humming, thoughtful like he was processing fresh data points and slotting them into place, very neatly, very calmly and very deductively.
“(Last Name) proximity equal increase Grace heart rate, increase temperature, decrease speech efficiency.”
“Got it,” You were replying to Rocky, nodding as if taking notes again. “So if I just…” You shifted closer to Ryland, biting down on your bottom lip and chewing it tentatively. That action caught him off guard, his eyes watching before they met your gaze once again.
He straightened up slightly, both from your motion and the absurdity of Rocky’s statement. He needed to cling to the one part of this he thought he could argue, grasping like it was a lifeline. “My speech--- My speech is fine!” Well, that was a great time to stutter like an imbecile.
“Counterpoint.” Rocky said immediately. “Grace words earlier. ‘Very high-stakes. Heartbeats. Happen.’ Not logical statement.”
You giggled, unable to stop it this time as you brought a hand to cover your mouth, “That… That was pretty bad, Dr. Grace.”
“That was…” He groaned, “Those were completely normal, Human words!”
His voice cracked right at the end, completely undermining the statement. His ears felt like they were on fire, Ryland tugging his larger body away from the xenonite and trailing across the small lab area, hands on his hips. You were watching him, it was painfully obvious to the tiny hairs on his body that seemed to react to even the minute attention you so blessed him with.
There was a pause in the air. Just long enough to be clearly intentional, like everyone was in agreement of the bombshell that was about to fall on you all.
Then…
“Is human courtship attempt, question?”
Heat swelled against your cheeks at that revelation as you trailed your eyes from the computer where Rocky’s voice just made the announcement of the century at Tau Ceti, to Ryland across the room who was… Well, it was hard to tell what he was thinking as he had his arms gestured out, almost frozen in place and his mouth propped open. Shocked, clearly.
“Oh…” Your voice peeped.
The chaos erupted. Ryland shot across the room, nearly tumbling over the stray lab chair he had been sitting in at the start of all of this, mumbled a few very clean and very teacher-esque profanities under his breath in the process before coming up on Rocky, crouching down and grabbing the xenonite wall like it was the only thing stopping him from strangling the poor Eridian.
“Absolutely not!!” Ryland sounded strangled, this sitting somewhere between a protest and a total system failure from the brain. “I am not… Oh my g--- That is not… Rocky!”
“Rocky can help, question?”
He tilted towards you again, oblivious to Ryland’s desperate pleading stance. Or not oblivious. Rocky was right, he was confident in that and just getting adamant denial from Ryland was going to prolong the Erdian’s desire for knowledge and experimentation based on his conclusion. A.K.A, don’t waste my time, Human.
“Rocky good at problem-solve.”
“No!” Ryland said immediately, panic threading through the sharp word as he crawled backwards on his hands and knees to look at Rocky, almost bumping into you in the process. He became hyper-aware of the distance between the two of you again. Great.
“No assisting. There will be zero assisting because nothing is happening!”
You tilted your head and crouched down to Ryland’s level. For all things that are holy--- His blue eyes met yours again, this time more frantically. You could see his tense breathing, the push and pull of his chest. “I’d… like to hear Rocky’s ideas.”
Ryland fell back. Hard. Straight onto his butt with a loud groan like you had just betrayed him on a fundamental level, his legs spreading out, eyes wide and breath trying to catch up for a split second before he forced himself into recovery mode.
“No,” His voice dropped in urgency, “We are not crowdsourcing my… My… This….” He gestured between the two of you, “Whatever this is!”
“What is this?”
You countered, and that seemed to stop all motion from the scientist in front of you. Slowly, Ryland dropped his large hands into his lap because he… didn't have an answer to that without admitting to Rocky’s conclusion. Not that it was correct. Ryland was pretty sure he’d know if he had a crush on you. He let his head fall back slightly, raising one of his hands and grasping his glasses in the process. Maybe the ceiling would offer an escape route.
“Grace reaction not expected.”
“You could say that again, Rock.”
You muttered under your breath as Ryland tried so desperately to collect himself and his thoughts. His chest was rising and falling just a little too fast, he knew you were still staring at him and now he was… Flushed from embarrassment and had nowhere to run, which to him, was very often a default setting.
It got quiet again, which you and Ryland had learned, was never a good sign.
“Have more observations.”
Ryland groaned.
You perked up.
“Grace heart rate increase.” Rocky said, “Twelve percent over baseline.”
“Wait, what was it before?” Your curiosity got the best of you much to Ryland’s well… again, embarrassment.
“Correction, now fifteen percent.”
Ryland squeezed his eyes shut, “Please stop measuring me.”
You let out a soft whistle under your breath along with a quiet spoken ‘wow’ like you were impressed.
Ryland’s brain did a little jump with serotonin at that thought. Ah, so you thought something of his was impressive! This was good, this was very good! No it is not, Ryland! This is the worst thing to be impressed by! He had better things for you to be impressed by!
“That’s pft…” He puffed his cheeks out, “That’s okay, I’m just stressed.” He muttered quickly, “This is a stressful situation!”
You leaned towards him. “Still curious what this situation is.”
Ryland leaned back, mouth open at your shift in proximity.
“Define ‘situation’.”
Ryland opened his mouth to say something - probably snarky, but nothing but air came out.
He closed it.
Then opened it again.
His brain… Had completely short-circuited.
“Grace explain.”
“...Science…”
Ryland explained weakly, his shoulders raising as if it were a question and not an answer as he once again fixated on some part of the ceiling that was not your face. Ryland hated that he could sense you moving next to him in your crouched position, searching for his stare no doubt to make this even worse for him. But, if he weren’t tugged into his own self-absorption, he’d linger enough to realize that there was a pretty cute blush against your face as well.
You snorted quietly, looking at Rocky and just knowing that the flustered blonde sitting in front of you was thinking the same thing you were. Bossy.
“Data comparison.”
Rocky continued. Ryland felt his chest heave.
“Grace heart rate earlier during observation analysis, baseline. Grace heart rate with (Last Name) close proximity, elevated.”
Your mouth popped open as you watched Ryland tug his hand against the back of his neck. “That’s uhm… pretty specific.”
“You’re cherry-picking data!” Ryland pointed at the clueless Eridian who didn't shift at all at the sharp gesture. It lacked any and all conviction thus making it very… Unconvincing.
“Selecting relevant data.”
“Stop selecting it like you’re on some game show.”
“No understand.”
Ryland threw his arms into the air dramatically before they came down and rested on the back of his head like he was stretching. It was hard not to watch; even harder to not admire as you sat back on your heels next to him with a small smile playing on your lips.
“Grace temperature increase by 1.4 standard degree.”
You leaned in, holding out your hand like Ryland was a campfire, “Can confirm findings. He feels hot.”
Ryland made a strangled noise when he looked at your hand, only inches away from touching his bicep. “This cannot be accurately scientific---”
“Now 1.6 degrees.”
“Rocky!” Ryland sounded like he was on the verge of tears but that wasn’t the case for you as you felt a small laugh bubble to the surface. You threw your head back and let it out, hard and captivating in the air for the poor scientist who was left metaphorically reeling in space without a tether. He watched you shamelessly. The way your neck exposed itself, the way your laugh sounded, and how happy and joyful you looked.
For a moment, Ryland just stared. Completely, utterly doomed.
The molecular biologist was still flushed from the face down, probably all the way down to where the sun didn't shine, his shoulders were taut and tense like he had yet to decide if it was worth it to flee or argue further. All that he could hear now was how your laugh lingered, full chested until it softened around the edges and he felt something in him snap.
A small, reluctant huff slipped past his pink lips. It barely classified as a chuckle. More like… The subtle idea of one. Ryland found himself shaking his head at your reaction, letting his glasses slide down the bridge of his nose at the motion, eyes dropping to your smile as if it were somehow going to spare him. “This is… highly unscientific.” His voice had lost all bite.
You nodded in agreement, wiping a little tear away from the corner of your eye as small giggles were still escaping from your lungs. It was hard to breathe, Ryland finding it for you and huffing out another breath that tangled into a quiet giggle of his own. It was low and uneven, like he wasn’t used to letting moments like this happen. Heck… When was the last time he… really laughed…?
You leaned against him suddenly, still giggling, trying to catch your breath. His warmth pressed against your side, grounding you, and the close contact seemed to crack his composure further.
Ryland exhaled whatever air was left in his lungs, letting a louder chuckle leave him, shoulders loosening as it finally all came out. A soft chuckle bled hard into an obnoxious laugh. It was threaded so carefully with traces of embarrassment but it was almost unmistakably genuine, coming straight from his chest.
“This is---” Ryland giggled, the sound hitting your ears blissfully as you had moved to rest your forehead against his shouldercap, still trying to compose yourself in the fit of laughter. “This is not---”
“Scientific.” You mimicked his voice and the whole thing started over again.
Ryland this time throwing back his head with a small, “I do not sound like that!”
To which you adamantly nodded your head, squeezing his arm as you almost threw yourself back in intense howl. “You totally do!”
Ryland opened his mouth to further the argument, but nothing came out except another helpless burst of laughter. It knocked whatever protest he had left away from the conversation, his head tipping back as he gave in completely this time, no restraint, no worry that he was being too much or too absurd. All that mattered was this moment with you.
“You are---” Ryland wheezed, his breath hitching a bit as he dragged his hand across his mouth and beard, smiling against his palm, unable to stop the chuckling. “You are a terrible lab partner.”
You gave him a cheeky grin, another huff of laughter against his shoulder, “And yet you’re having the time of your life.”
“That is grossly inaccurate data representation.” He gestured vaguely at the ship as if to say ‘look where we are and re-think your statement!’
“Grace statement false.”
The two of you paused for a moment, sharing a glance like you had an inside joke before immediately dissolving into chaos again.
Ryland groaned through his laughter, his cheeks now pink from over-exertion. His head fell forward, almost bumping straight into yours.
“You’re enabling him!” He accused, letting his forehead almost sink straight into yours as you lifted your head to look him straight in the face. Ryland looked cute. More than cute, you tilted your head as your giggles began dying down, lifting your hand to wipe at the literal tears that had formed around the creases of your eyes. He was… charming… Almost irresistible as your eyes spotted a glance at his mouth.
Annnnd that did not go unnoticed because it was returned right away, Ryland’s glasses shining with the slight movement of his head to get a better glance at what he was staring at. You could see his breathing shift. It wasn’t a dramatic or loud movement, but enough that you felt it where your foreheads kissed. The laughter that once consumed you turned down to almost impenetrable silence.
Neither of you were willing to pull away, your hand still lingering on his upper arm. Not to keep yourself steady anymore, but to… Hold because you wanted to. Ryland could feel the tickle of your finger tips against his heated skin and goosebumps rose there as a result as your motion turned from one of grasping to one of complete complacency and trust.
His eyes flickered up and down. From your lips, to your eyes back to your lips again. There was still something warm floating between the two of you but in the blink of an eye, it got heavier than the ship itself.
“I uhm…” The scientist started again, voice an octave lower and caressing your ears, along with the breath from his mouth against your face. His hand was hovering awkwardly between you, stuck between running away and grabbing you full force. “Uh… still…”
“Unscientific?” You offered with an amusement grin, the smile around your eyes making Ryland want to melt straight into the metal floor.
“Deeply compromised methodology.” He stared at your mouth.
You stared at his right back, no reserve. “Then… We should probably… stop…” Except neither of you moved. There was no will power to lean back, you didn't think to give him the space that your words implied.
“Probably…” Ryland echoed. He swallowed and you could see the bob of his Adam's apple, all too enticing as you pushed yourself to close what little gap there was.
“Grace (Last Name) close proximity. (Last Name) heart rate now elevated.”
If a pen dropped, it would probably cause the greatest earthquake. In space.
Ryland sighed, dropping his head as you shifted back onto your heels, red in the face. There was just enough space between the two of you to miss the closeness, Ryland throwing his hand up to physically block Rocky’s attempt at observation. “Rocky! You cannot just announce that!”
“More information.” Rocky was succinct.
“Don’t you dar---”
“(Last Name) showing high probability of reciprocal---”
“Rocky.”
Silence.
I'm going more in the vein of the book for this one folks.
You know that little diner Ryland stops at every morning for breakfast before work? Could you imagine being the server for him as he usually shows up right at the tail end of your shift. You're usually tired and exhausted after pulling an all nighter but you slowly start to recognize him and when you see him come in in the morning, you're seating him in your section so you can serve him.
Like this goes on for months.
Like, obviously there's the small talk involved like "You come here a lot"
and Ryland is just... "Yeah, I'm not....... good at cooking. I hate it actually. Benefits of being single. I get to eat here every morning, and the food is good."
"Makes sense. This is probably the cheapest diner to get quality food on this side of San Fran." And you're screaming at yourself interally bc did he intentionally tell you he was single?
He starts going subconciously because he's got interest in you but he's not aware he's got interest in you. You lay it on pretty thick too, pretty flirty, cutesy with him, making sure his coffee is always full, he's getting the BEST cuts of bacon ( you save them for him ), fresh eggs, you even give him a to-go cup of coffee on the house ( lowkey comes out of your pay but it's a dollar, you're fine lol )
He starts reccomending like really nerdy books and movies for you to watch. He never implies that you two should like, go on a date to watch one of the movies, but there has to be interest right?
and Ryland is just like ":) Such great customer service, this server deserves a raise" Because he is truly that oblivious to the flirtation and he just likes your company LMAO
”if you like project Hail Mary then you might like some of these boo-“ NO TELL ME ANOTHER BOOK THAT HAS THE MAIN CHARACTER WHO IS DOOMED TO DIE MAKE AN ALIEN FRIEND THAT BOTH OF THEM WOULD SACRIFICE THE WORLD FOR THE OTHER AND THE CHANCE THE TRAJECTORY OF THIER LIVES AND CIVILISATIONS ALL BECAUSE THEY MET EACH OTHER.
𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘆: entertainment in the Hail Mary is hard to find, but one thing is music. Dancing can lead to fun things😆
𝗧𝗮𝗴𝘀: @localpanicattack (idk if you wanna be tagged for the one shots but I did just in case)
𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 2.1k
𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: like one swear word. It’s fluff central
𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: none!
︼︼︼︼︼︼︼︼︼︼︼︼︼︼︼︼︼
You shouldn’t be this happy. No, you shouldn’t.
Nothing about your situation was “happy”. Stuck in space. A one way trip. No one but you, an alien, and Ryland Grace.
There wouldn’t be a way to get home. Not that you knew yet. You’d been sent to save the world. A Hail Mary. Then one day you’d have to end it. Never get home.
So why were you smiling? Why were you laughing? Why were you spinning and dancing along to Billy Joel, having the time of your life?
You were weightless. Dancing among the air of zero gravity, among the cosmos and the cluttered ship that was The Hail Mary.
And you weren’t the only one.
Ryland Grace, genius science teacher and your co-missionary partner, was currently singing “Uptown girl” and doing unneeded dramatic spins.
Along with Grace, Rocky. The alien in this same damned predicament as you guys, spinning through the zero G in his glass ball compartment. Singing along, though it sounded more flat and talking oil than singing. But he was having fun.
“𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻, 𝘀𝗵𝗲’𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝘂𝘆 𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻!♩♫” all three of you sing along.
Grace takes your hand, sending jolts of something unnamed through your body. He spins you, sending you through a seemingly endless rotation without gravity. You laugh,
“Grace! Help me stop!” You say through stifles laughs.
He laughs too.
“And what if I don’t?” His voice carry’s a smugness over the music playing through his computer in the corner.
You were getting dizzy now, flailing and still spinning, trying to grab onto something.
“Ryland Grace, if you don’t help me stop-!” You can’t even finish your half hearted laughing threat.
Ryland pushes off the metal wall of the Hail Mary with his feet, launching towards you. You feel the warm and gentle impact of him. His hands on your waist, sending yet another spark through you.
You’re both spinning now, propelling gently. You’re still laughing, forehead to his chest. He’s warm, and taller than you. Your hands are at the back of his neck, where his hairline starts. Your fingers just barely splaying into his soft blonde hair. You could feel the soft but firm lines of his torso against yours. His carved and fit body, is always gentle with you.
You guys fall into quiet smiles. Slowly spinning in silence. Rocky is still chirping and humming, bouncing around. You yet again huff a laugh to yourself.
“He’s having a great time,” you murmur.
Grace snorts,
“No kidding.”
Suddenly, the music fades into the languid rhythm of “Vienna”. The momentum of Rylands earlier push had sent us in a continues way towards the way. We bump into it gently and it stops our spins.
“Y’know,” he says suddenly, “any good gentleman would ask you to waltz.”
He says it with an air of confidence, but there’s unmistakably a blush that’s dusts his neck and the tips of his ears.
You grin.
“Ryland, are you asking me to slow dance with you in zero gravity?”
His eyes crinkle as he grins more bashfully.
“I mean- yeah. Only if you want to. Might be fun. Y’know, zero gravity romance. Guarantee of me not stepping on your feet.”
You hum,
“Yeah. Very romantic.” You say sarcastically.
“We don’t have to if you don’t want to-“
“No, no- sorry I do!” You laugh. “I do.”
His eyes momentarily widen. Then he relaxes and nods.
Rocky chirps from his corner.
“𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘇, 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?“
Grace shrugs and looks at him.
“It’s like dancing bud. But slower. Between two people.”
“𝗮𝗵. 𝗢𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 ♫♪♩♩”
The scientists quickly bounds over with a small push to his computer, the one that contains translations to Rocky. He quickly types in “waltz”. He pushes back off to you again.
“Well my lady,” he says with faux seriousness, “shall you give me this dance?”
You give him a mock bow,
“I shall, my good sir.”
He takes your hand gently, like he’s being careful. He tugs you to him softly. Your bodies bump before rebounding to a small distance. His hand hovers beside your waist, and he’s suddenly quiet, pink cheeks again.
You guide his hand with yours to your waist, and you wrap your arms around his neck. You don’t look at him, instead you keep your head down. You don’t think you’d be able to stop yourself from just kissing him if you looked at him and were that close. He has enough height on you that you can rest your temple to the space on his collarbone.
You and him have danced around something for weeks. You both know it. Though none have said anything. But you knew.
You knew how his eyes lingered on you for a moment to long in passing. You knew how you couldn’t ever stop yourself from standing closer to him than necessary.
He was attractive, sure, but it wasn’t only that. He was attentive. He was smart. He knew how to make you smile on days that were really hard from homesickness.
And now, floating around in the slowest rotation, everything unspoken bound around you, and you think you’d could swim in it.
Ryland chuckles suddenly,
“I don’t think this qualifies as dancing.”
It doesn’t. You two are just floating around. Any sway you would do during a dance is useless in zero G. But it somehow feels right. Like just the small distance and closeness of your bodies was enough.
You hum,
“Nah. But I still like it.”
He rests his chin on your head, shifting his arms so there around your neck, his biceps sit on your shoulders. You shift as well, until your arms are fully around his torso, hands resting on his back. You’re basically just hugging at this point. Rocky has gone silent in his area. He’s watching. You don’t care.
You’re aware of everything.
How your body molds to fit against his perfectly, how he smells faintly of pinewood and something sweet, how the soft stubble that stretches from his jaw to slightly onto his neck brushes against your head. Your heart is ponding in a thrilling way, and there’s the slight fear in the back of your mind that he could hear it.
You could stay there forever, you thought. Just Ryland and you and Rocky. Swaying among the stars.
And a thought comes to you suddenly. A scary, but honest thought.
This is my home.
But it wasn’t. You knew that. Home was earth. Home was oceans and blue sky and concerts. Home was late night parties… parties where you stayed to the side. Parties where you e never danced. Parties where you had no friends to get drunk with.
So yeah…. Maybe home wasn’t the best… and this, albeit, weird situation was crazy… but it felt more like you belonged.
Vienna finally fades out. The end of Rylands playlist fills the silence. All that’s left is the soft drum of breathing. Neither of you move away.
He turns his head to look at you. And for a moment you’re close. Before you can chicken out, you gently tug his collar. You pull him down, and plant a kiss to his cheek. Gentle and lasting.
When you move away he’s frozen, a smile playing at his lips, and a mark on his cheek. Your tinted lip gloss. the perfect print of your lips.
You laugh softly,
“Hold still, you doofus.”
You reach up and wipe the mark off his cheek. He catches your hands suddenly. Keeping it on his cheek.
There’s a long silence where you just… look at each other. His pretty blue eyes, your (color) eyes. Time slows down… for you at least.
You’d unconsciously drifted closer again. So close that your nose brushed. And it would only take a small effort to lean forward and-
“Wow. You’re pretty,” he says with an awed expression. Like it’s the first time he’s seen your face. His voice cracked on the word pretty like it was physically hard to admit it.
You smile softly. Heat rushing to your cheeks.
“You just saying that?” You whisper quietly.
He shakes his head.
“You think I’de lie about that?” He murmurs, forehead brushing yours.
You swallow, leaning the smallest fraction forward.
He gets the hint, and meets you halfway.
The kiss is almost nothing. Just the brush of his against yours. When you don’t pull away, he presses his to yours more firmly.
Your hands slip to the back of his head, tangling with the locks of his hair. He hums quietly, a sound that sends a shiver up your spine, and his hands find your waist.
The kiss is so slow. So languid that it kills you. Like the holding back.
When you part for a moment, he chases your lips, diving right back in. You press into him more and you ca feel him loosen. You can feel him finally just fall into the kiss. You tilt your head until your mouths slot together.
The moment is perfect. The warmth of him. The he taste. The brush of his tongue to your lower lip. Everything is perfect-
“𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀“
Rocky. Of course.
You break apart with a laugh.
“𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?“
“It’s called a kiss.”
“𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀“
You both laugh, and you couldn’t think of any other place you’d rather be.
Ryland Grace x GN! Alien! Reader
eridian grace, fluff, first meeting, a little suggestive at the end
part one?
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Ryland who hasn’t been touched in years meeting you, an alien who communicates through touch and your colorful skin.
You crashed into his biodome wall by accident. You terrified him and the rest of the planet.
He couldn’t help but find you radiant. Your skin was ever shifting like stars and sunsets and gems. You were the brightest thing on Erid and nobody understood the magnitude of your beauty but him.
Eridian scientists and Ryland combined efforts and it didn't take too long to make a translator. You could hold a remote that would translate your thoughts into English. Only Ryland understood the added intricacies of your ever changing skin.
You were wildly popular with Eridians, their curiosity unending. Ryland was almost jealous. But you seemed even more fascinated by him.
Despite your fancy new translator, you constantly tried to be by his side.
Ryland was fascinated by the differences you and him had. While Erid was dark and even his own home was hugged in fog, your planet was bright and lush. He lived and breathed science while you thrived in the arts.
You stayed on Erid while your ship was being repaired. Ryland spent hours watching you draw on his dingy whiteboard. Pictures of your home, other members of your family, and plants he’s never seen before.
Ryland was tempted to hide himself in his home after you tried to teach him how to dance. Have you ever had your best friend and their partner laugh at you? Yeah not fun.
Ryland started to ask Adrian to lower the temperature in the biodome. Whenever he was around you, his hands got clammy and his ears went hot.
You’re constantly asking to hold his hand. It was the alternative to how you normally do it. When you first put your hands on his chest, his knees nearly buckled.
Communicating was less talking and more sensing and sharing each other’s emotions and intentions.
You thought Grace was scared of you. While he assured you he wasn't, he never corrected you. He'd rather keep that a secret for the time being.
You clung closer to him whenever his heart would race or you would sense his nervousness. Something about this is what would soothe people on your planet. "Yeah! I-It definitely helps. I don't mind." He nodded quickly. Liar...
“I could’ve eaten you.” Your electronic voice chirped through the translator. Ryland chokes on his spit.
You were beautiful, especially to your town’s standards. You played bait with your dazzling patterns while your hunter friends lingered nearby. Ryland would’ve been an instant snack.
“Don’t worry,” You assured him. “I won’t bite you.”
Ryland pulled his hand away but not fast enough.
“Grace?! You’d like that?!”
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
a/n: lowkey almost got carried away at the end there lol maybe another day
2087
germansingergirl
blakekathryn
jbbartram-illu
tangentwithtanner
janainaart
izzy806
origamiaround
vaporwave
yousharknotpass
