Tune 🜸 Ryland Grace
f! reader
ao3 link
wc: 1,500+
summary: rocky finds out you can sing,
tags: tooth rotting fluff, first kiss, so much fluff
a/n: love you all! this post is gorg hello
divider cred: me!
The Hail Mary had been… something. You’d woken a few weeks after Grace, with jumbled memories of an aircraft carrier and lots of karaoke at the forefront of your mind. A few slow days had passed as the two of you slowly figured out yourselves and the ship. You had been put on as an assistant pilot, semi-decent at the science (you thank the stars every day for Grace and his mind), and the two of you slowly fell into a rhythm.
Rocky had been the saving grace for the two of you—a breath of fresh air and motivation to keep going. Grace watched from afar, fascinated by the way you listened to Rocky. He always read off the screen of his computer while you sat, back to the xenonite, and analyzed the melodic tunes the Rocky let out. “Were you good with music?” He asks one day as your eyes trace Rocky’s form as he sleeps.
“I think so. From what I can remember, I played piano and guitar, and I think I loved to sing.” The man lets out a soft hmph, making you smile and turn to look at him. “The first memories that came back were karaoke on the ship.”
“I wonder if Rocky would like you to sing.” Your brow raises as your face pinches in thought.
“Maybe.”
“You shy?” He teases gently, making you wave him back before looking back at the alien.
“Maybe I’ll sing.”
🜸
The hamster ball was certainly… something. You couldn’t stop laughing as Grace chased Rocky through the ship. “Rocky! Rocky!” The alien skids to a stop, facing the man as you bite back a giggle. “Guess what?”
“What, question?”
“She’s a singer.” You watch Rocky’s whole body freeze before happily perking up and moving closer to you.
“Human, sing! Demand!” Grace shakes with quiet laughter as your jaw drops at the word.
“Demand?” You ask, astonished.
“Eridians use music as communication! Want to hear human music from favorite human!”
“I thought I was your favorite human!” Grace interjects with a soft pout, making you snicker.
“Grace not sing. Grace is now second favorite human.” Your laughter gets louder, and Grace can’t help but smile at the sound.
“I never said yes.” A noise that can only be described as a pathetic whine leaves Rocky’s carapace, and he starts to ram his ball into the side of your arm.
“Please, please, please, please, please, please, Grace, help convince other human please.”
“You’re really going to leave Rock hanging like that?” You open your mouth to speak, but fall short with a long sigh.
“Fine! Fine! I’ll sing.” Rocky excitedly does jazz hands and spins around in his xenonite ball.
“Sing! Sing! Sing!” You move to one of the computers, scrolling through the endless catalog of music Stratt had uploaded, smiling as you settle on a song. Grace and Rocky sit politely like two excited puppies.
I took my love, I took it down
Climbed a mountain, and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
'Til the landslide brought me down
Excited jitters immediately leave Rocky, his form spinning around in his ball, Grace smiling at the familiar tune.
Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
Grace can’t help but watch you, enamored, butterflies attacking his chest as pink fills his cheeks. Rocky swayed to the slow beat, attention completely zeroed in on the soundwaves of your voice.
Well, I've been 'fraid of changin'
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I'm gettin' older, too
Rocky stiffens for a moment as Grace’s voice joins yours, the lyrics familiar on his lips. Rocky’s carapace turns to look between the two of you excitedly. “Grace sing!”
🜸
Grace slipped his glasses off his nose to slowly rub his face, the lack of sleep catching up to him. He stretches his arms out with a soft groan, standing to head towards the bed. He stops at the top of the hatch, hearing a soft melody from your lips. He peers in to find Rocky’s xenonite ball on your chest as you sang softly to the alien.
“Rocky likes human songs. Likes meaning.” The alien says softly, making your smile widen.
“Eridian songs have meaning, don’t they?”
“Not like humans. Song on Erid has purpose, not meaning.”
“Can you sing one?”
“Will sing Rocky favorite song! Is song Rocky mother sing to Rocky when Rocky pebble! Betime song for human!” Grace finds himself leaning against the cool metal of the doorway, watching as Rocky’s carapace starts to emit different frequencies of noise. The song sounded slightly disjointed, some of the frequencies too high or low for you or Grace to hear with human ears, but your smile softened nonetheless.
“That’s so beautiful, Rock… How is your mother?” Your fingers press into the softest layer of the xenonite ball, gently holding Rocky’s claws.
“Rocky mother die. Lived very long, happy life with many pebbles! Rocky have many siblings!”
“I’m sorry, Rocky…” Your grip tightens around the stone claws.
“Is not bad! Death on Erid a celebration! Rocky mother was doctor! Did many amazing things for Erid.”
“Why Grace watching, question?” Grace freezes in his spot as you look back at the man. “Grace spying, question?”
“Just watching, Rock.”
“Grace heart rate elevate. More blood in cheeks.”
“Ergo, you’re blushing. You tease gently.
“Thanks. I got that.” Grace quips sarcastically. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Grace need female human betime song!” Rocky spins, making you groan.
“Careful, Rocky… you’re heavy.” A soft apology thrums through the aliens as he curls back up on your chest.
“Grace come listen to song.”
“Is that ok with you?” The blonde man asks gently.
“Course.” You murmur gently. “Any requests?”
“You’re the one singing; do whatever you please.” He settles on the floor next to your bunk, arms folded gently on the side of your bed, skin warm against yours as his eyes fix on you.
A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're fast asleep
In dreams you will lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep
Grace watches your profile with a gentle smile, feeling Rocky’s happy vibrations through the contact of your arm with his.
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling through
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
The dream that you wish will come true
He feels his eyelids start to drop, the weight of his head growing heavier as your voice fills his mind, the petrova line and astrophage disappearing for a long moment. Rocky's noises slowly cease as sleep invades his mind. You glance between the two, smiling at the sleeping bodies you’ve become sandwiched between.
🜸
When Grace wakes up, he groans at the soreness from the position he’d slept in but pauses as his eyes open, finding your face right in front of his own. Your chest rose and fell with soft breaths, and Rocky snuggled asleep on your chest.
As much as his back hurt, he couldn’t find it within himself to move. It felt like the closest he’d ever be able to get to you without taking the terrifying step of asking the only other human he was with in space to date him.
He snaps out of his daze as you murmur and your eyes flutter open. “Grace?”
“Your lullaby really worked… Rocky was right.” He whispers, leaning forward to kiss your forehead, mind still hazy with sleep. The action makes your stomach flutter as a smile graces your lips.
“I’m that good?” You quip softly.
“Can I kiss you?” He breathes out suddenly, making your brows raise. “I’m sorry–”
“You really want to?”
“If you’ll let me.”
“I’ve got morning breath.” You blurt softly, making the man let out a soft laugh.
“If you kiss me now… we can probably share a couple more after we brush our teeth?” He suggests gently, making a giggle slip from your lips.
“If you really don’t mind–” The warmth is immediate, and it makes your eyes flutter shut with a soft hum. The hum makes Rocky perk up from sleep, letting out a shriek-like noise, the two of you pulling apart.
“What is? Disgust! Disgust! Disgust!” Grace is redder than you’ve ever seen him as you try to force out some words to explain to the alien what is going on.
“It a– a human thing! It’s called a kiss.” Grace whispers, eyes focused on the suddenly interesting bedding.
“Is kiss like Rocky and Adrian in Rocky movie? Is declaration of love?”
“Something like that,” you murmur.
“Grace, no longer idiot! Grace smart smart smart to kiss other human!” Rocky’s jazz hands make you smile.
“What does that mean?”
“Rocky’s speaking nonsense–” Grace blurts.
“No! Rocky not speak nonsense! Rocky only speak sense! Grace speak over and over in lab about female human! Too shy to initiate mating and courting rituals!” Grace somehow gets redder as your laughter grows louder.
