//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8: Saving Grace 
// Story: By Grace 
// by TheAmazingMe 
//------------------------------//

With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Grace shoved his anxieties aside and opened the front door. The entire houseboat was dark, the curtains drawn and the lights out. Igniting his horn, Grace looked around for the light switch. As soon as he flipped the switch, he could hear Juri sniffling in his room. Feeling about as low as a tadpole, Grace walked over to Juri's room and tapped on the door with a hoof.

Hooves pounded on the floor in what Grace could only figure was a gallop and Juri opened the door so hard it banged off the wall and bounced back. Taking stock of the messier-than-usual brown mane and the tearstained streaks coming down from red-rimmed eyes, Grace felt like a total ass. "Juri, I'm sorry." He went to hug the other stallion. Juri returned the favor and the two held each other close. Grace opened his eyes and spotted Juri's opened top drawer. Sitting in plain view was a bottle of pills.

Anger flashed in Grace's stomach. "Juri. What the hell is that?"

Juri looked up in confusion, but then his gaze followed Grace's outstretched hoof. Immediately, Juri looked down at the floor. "I didn't want you to find out this way."

Grace took a deep breath and a step back from the earth pony. "What. The hell. Is that? You give me grief about my pills but you've got a bottle of your own right there? That's such hypocritical bull!"

Juri shook his head, fresh tears streaming down his face. "It's not like that. I swear, these aren't..."

"What the hell are they, then?" Grace yelled. Juri winced at the volume and Grace felt a flash of remorse before his eyes caught the pill bottle again. The bottle was a transparent brown. There was a label on it. It looked a bit like something you'd find--

"They're prescription. I go see a doctor every so often to keep track. Well, I'm supposed to, at least. I've been a little busy so I keep making excuses not to go. And I keep forgetting to take them." It clicked in Grace's head, they looked like something you'd find in a pharmacy. If he thought he felt like an ass before, now he felt like an ass's ass.

"What are they for? You're not sick or...dying or anything, are you?" Grace said, practically choking on the thought.

Juri shook his head. Without meeting his eyes, Juri tapped the side of his head. "They're for my head. The pills help me think normally. Without them, I forget things. Like the dinner I tried making but burned. I also...hear things that aren't there. And when I'm particularly stressed, I can't speak right. Like this morning. If I don't take them, I'm weird. If I do take them, sometimes I'm just so emotionally drained that I push ponies away without even thinking about it. When you left. After everything we said this morning...I was afraid you wouldn't come back. I knew you wouldn't. Nopony has ever...especially when I tell them..."

Grace looked back at the red-coated stallion and noticed his posture. Juri's forehooves hugged himself tightly as he sat on his hind legs. His eyes were squeezed shut tightly, tears still rolling down his face. Without thinking, Grace grabbed Juri and hugged him tightly again. "I'm not leaving you. I came back. I'm sorry. I'm so, so very sorry."

Juri pushed on Grace's chest, not ready to accept the other stallion at his word. "No. You don't understand. I'm not a well-minded pony. You shouldn't have to live with me bringing you down."

Grace snorted. "Are you kidding me? You've been supporting me this entire time! That's amazing, given how much you have to deal with at work. And on top of it all you have this...condition? I would have resigned myself to a much more mediocre life than yours. I practically have!"

"Don't say that." Juri protested feebly.

"I will!" Glancing to his left, Grace noticed Juri's full-length mirror. Juri was in perfect position to look into it, if he turned a bit and opened his eyes. "Here, turn this way." Grace got behind Juri and turned him to the mirror. "What do you see?"

Juri huffed. "I see a red-coated earth pony. Brown mane. Green eyes. Glasses. Scrawny. Nothing much to write home about."

Grace shook his head. "I see a lean stallion, with intelligence burning behind those glasses in eyes the color of finely polished emeralds. When he remembers to take care of it, his tan mane reminds me of freshly turned soil. He's as eager to soak up information as that soil would water. His coat is like shining new copper, gleaming in quite a fetching manner, if I may be so bold. I see a strong pony. I see a pony who gets a little wrapped up in understanding criminal behavior that he forgets to monitor his own. If he has a flaw, it is that he cares. And I wouldn't call that a flaw at all. Nothing like me. You don't deserve to be tied down with me, if anything."

Juri turned around and poked Grace in the nose. "No. I should have decked you when you said that earlier. You don't get to decide that you don't 'deserve' anypony. What do you see?" Juri asked as he traded places with Grace.

"Juri, I really don't..." Grace started, turning around.

This earned him a sharp bop on the head. "Shut up and do it, Gracie."

"Fine. Just never call me Gracie again." Grace grumbled. Turning towards his own reflection, Grace sighed. "I am a unicorn. Stallion. A bit moreso around the torso. White coat, black mane, blue eyes. I look like any other pony that you could run into. There are certainly a lot of white-coated ponies around."

Grace went to leave, but Juri's hooves grabbed him by the shoulders and held him in place. "I see a talented unicorn stallion with just enough around his middle to make him well worth cuddling. His brilliant white coat gleams in the sunlight, setting off his mane that shines like ebony. His eyes are a sea of understanding, in a face that radiates confidence thanks to everywhere his hooves have been. While somepony may underestimate the mind behind those blues, I know that it holds so much creativity and joy that appreciates even the small things. Like apples."

Turning around, Grace found himself in Juri's embrace again. Not having anticipated this, Grace tripped over the stallion, only barely managing to keep them both from hitting the ground by catching one hoof on the dresser. The action carried Juri out of his center of gravity. This left his body slanting backwards, supported mainly by Grace's hoof underneath him. With a smirk, Grace brought his other hoof off of the dresser and over to caress Juri's upturned, even-more-red-than-normal face. Leaning in, Grace took possession of Juri's slightly parted lips, kissing the stallion deeply.

As their lips parted, Grace's eyes bulged. "Juri, I..."

Before he could say another word, Juri went in on Grace and returned his kiss with another. By the time the stallions parted again, they were breathing quite heavily. 

"Sweet, merciful Luna." Grace said, eyes wide in wonder.

"Forget her. Get me on that bed." Juri instructed. 

With a laugh, Grace obliged. Setting the stallion down, Grace's hooves went up rather absent-mindedly to fix his mane. This resulted in a snort from Juri who proceeded to pull Grace down over him, embracing him around the neck to kiss him with more passion. 

Coming up for air again, Grace laughed breathlessly. "I'm starting to wonder who's seducing who here?"

Juri shrugged. "Jeez, is everything a competition with you? If you're wondering about that, then maybe you should put that brainpower to solving a really hard problem that both of us seem to be having."

Grace's smirk returned. "Oh, I have a couple of things in mind already."

"Good, then come back here." Juri said, beckoning with one hoof.

***

As both stallions lay side by side in Juri's bed, Juri couldn't help but wonder aloud. "Has anypony ever called you amazing, Grace?"

Turning onto his side, Grace traced his hoof on Juri's soft underbelly. "You're pretty amazing yourself, Juri."

"I'm sorry I made such a fuss over how drunk you were." Juri started.

Grace hushed him. "No, no. You were right. I'm going to leave off on those pills and drink less. I don't need either of those things to be the best performer on the stage."

"I'm glad to hear you say that." Juri said, snuggling against Grace's side. "Just tell me one more thing. Will you still love me tomorrow?"

Grace snorted. "Of course​, and the next day and so on. I'm not the kind to dip a hoof in and leave when the water's not to my liking. You're actually...my first."

Juri laid an ear against Grace's chest. "No way. Really?"

"Well, the first to go all the way. I've done kissing and just about everything except taking the, uh, plunge as it were." Grace felt his cheeks warm up as he admitted his history.

"That's really something. I'm glad I could be your first. Are you hungry?" Juri asked.

A bit taken by the change in subject, Grace decided not to pursue their previous conversation and indulged Juri instead. "Do you mean, 'Do you want to fix breakfast, Grace?'”

"I can make cereal." Juri countered.

"That's alright. I'm in the mood for waffles. I think I have some batter left over that's still good. Have you taken your medication?"

"Need to do it on a full stomach."

"Well, let's go fill it." As Grace got up, he noticed the condition they were both in. "Um, after a shower, shall we?"

"You can go first." Juri offered.

"Or we can go together." Grace replied.

"I like the way you think." Juri admitted, getting up to follow Grace to the bathroom.

***

Freshly showered and ready to eat, Juri set the table as Grace plated up breakfast. The fact they were eating it in the mid-afternoon made no difference to either stallion. "I used the last of the berries. We're going to have to head to the market tomorrow. 

"Can do. Next week is going to be fun, though. My next check isn't coming until the end of the week. And I might have slightly overspent." Juri admitted, sitting at the table as Grace brought the serving plate over.

Just before Grace could take his seat, there was a knock at the door. Bouncing up, Grace waved a hoof at Juri to stay put as he headed to answer.

Sunset waved a hoof as the door opened. "Sorry. Never knocked on a houseboat before. Wasn't sure if I should board and knock or yell or... Anyway," Sunset shook his head to gather his thoughts and continued, "I forgot to give you your pay from last night when you stopped by earlier." 

Sunny handed over an envelope. Grace accepted it, then his eyes widened as he felt its weight. "Sunny, wait."

Sunset shook his head, smiling widely. "Nope. No mistake. You and Kick basically headlined last night. And you impressed Scowl. Although he will most definitely not admit it."

"Sweet Luna, Sunny. This is...amazing. Thank you." Grace said, laughing in relief.

Sunny smirked. "So, the 'roommate' let you back in, eh?"

Grace's white cheeks went red. Coughing into a hoof, Grace looked away and smiled. "Yeah. He did."

"And I take it he was happy to see you?" Sunny said, a single eyebrow rising slowly.

Grace shook his head. "You might have been right about a few things."

"Well, take care of each other. I'll see you next week. We have a special act coming in this weekend. The Duke has released a new album and is touring nightclubs to promote it." Sunny explained.

"That sounds exciting!" Grace exclaimed. 

Sunset nodded. "It should be. He packed the first club he did last weekend. I still haven't let Scowl forget about it. Well, take care!" Sunny said, turning to head back down the dock ramp. 

"You too!" Grace said as he closed the door. Returning to the table, Grace caught Juri's gaze.

"So...should we have the 'what are we to each other' talk?" Juri asked, cutting into his waffle with a butter knife.

Grace nodded as he sat down. "Yes. Yes we should. I think we've gone beyond roommates​ or friends."

"I should hope so." Juri said with a smile.

"So...a couple? I'm yours and your mine; that sort of thing?" Grace offered.

Juri nodded. "Exclusively, I don't want you sleeping around with groupies."

Grace laughed. "Well, I don't think I will have to worry about groupies just yet. I've only had one public performance. And I am still stuck with a name that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Graceful Bass."

Juri cocked his head in thought, then smiled. "What about Amazing Grace?"