Headcanon, where Simon refused to hold Eridian pebbles (Little baby Eridians :>) for the longest time while living on Erid with Grace. Not because he didn’t want to, he thought the little pebbles were adorable. A little freaky at first but kind of cute. The reason he refused was because he didn’t feel like he was safe enough to hold them. All his life he was considered a killer, or not safe or scary. He was named butcher for a reason, people had a right to be afraid. He felt like whatever he’d touch would be shattered. And something as smaller than the palm of his hand, he could easily crush them. So he kept his distance every time hatching season came around, watching Grace holding handfuls of pebbles in his arms, smiling brightly as he listened to their tiny songs. However, Grace noticed how distant Simon became when around pebbles, watching him and the pebbles several feet away. He would be smiling at him when their eyes meet but his smile never met his eyes, glancing at the pebbles like he was longing to be in the same position as him.
Grace would later ask why he was distant when Grace was around the little pebbles, noticing how he never sat near or held them with him. He tried to deny it at first, but he knew Grace wouldn’t let it go until he finally confessed so he told him his worries. He told him how he was afraid to hold them because he could easily crush them or step on them on accident. He wasn’t safe to be around. He was too harsh of a person.
Grace didn’t believe what he was hearing, Simon was anything but harsh. He was one of the most gentle people Grace had ever met. Sure he was a little rough when they first met, pinning Grace to the wall by the throat, but he was scared. He was in a new place with no knowledge on how he got there, anyone would do the same thing in his circumstance. But after that, he had never laid a hand on Grace out of malice, he was always careful. The same man who thought himself too rough, was the same one that would hold him close at night, careful not to crush him under his arm. The same man that always watched his step on the ship, not wanting to bump or break anything. The same man that spoke softly to the plants they had on the ship, gently holding the leaves between his fingers. The same man that held a leaf pendant that Grace made him, Holding it up gently into the light watching the colors dance from the colorful resin. Grace then holds Simon close feeling him reach up his hand to hold his arm, yet again hold his arm gently between his fingers. He reassured him that he had nothing to worry about. He was anything but harsh or rough. So he managed to convince Simon to join him on the next time they saw the pebbles.
Simon wanted to refuse, still afraid that he’d might hurt them, but the look in Grace bright eyes made him change his mind, sitting right next to Grace as they waited for the pebbles. His heart was pounding at first watching the little pebbles swarm them, some tumbling over each other to get to them but Grace placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before picking up one of the pebbles and holding the little one out to him. He was hesitant at first before holding out a shaky hand, letting the pebble walk onto it. He sat there frozen stiff, as the pebble tapped his palm to check if it was safe, not daring to move in fear he might crush or drop them. But to his surprise the pebble trills in happiness before snuggling into his palm. Suddenly all the fear he had subsides as he looks at the pebble in all pulling them close as they continued to emit happy noises. This then prompted the other pebbles to trill in delight, happy to finally meet Grace’s mate, all of them beginning to clim onto the former convict, swarming him until he is encased by little pebbles.
Simon couldn’t help but tear up with joy, listening to their happy music as they swarmed him feeling this little feet tap on his lap, head and shoulders. All he could feel was relief that he didn’t scare them.
Grace watched the whole thing with a smile, listening to the little pebbles sing as Simon began to talk to them, cooing to them in a whisper. He knew that Simon couldn’t understand them yet, to Simon it sounded like music frequency, but all Grace could hear was the the little pebbles calling Simon a gentle giant over and over.
