[ A grumbo fic by me :) ]
I wrote this along with a few other works a while ago but it took talking about it on stream with @ceruleanishpanic to finally post it. This is genuinely my first completed oneshot story, so quality is up for debate- but! I want to start writing my own works one day and I hope by posting some fics it’ll help me learn and finally get around to the actual writing part of writing lol Sooo ye! Enjoy my silly indulgent fic born from a grian stream clip :)
Thats how long it had been since Grian had last talked with Mumbo face to face, and quite frankly, that was two weeks too long for him. Sure they’d still talked over message, but thats not the same! It’s like the two had been dancing around each other without even meaning to. Like two passing ships in the night, each going about their tasks without the other. Today, however, would be different. For the last three hours or so Grian has been stuck watching and waiting on his perch atop the fire tower overlooking Mumbos base. With his schedule intentionally cleared, he was determined to sit and wait for the moment Mumbo finally popped by.
He found ways to entertain himself of course. At first he messed with Pearl and Impulses ender pearls, getting them to teleport and lecture him yet again about how that is for emergencies only. Some messing-with-the-fire-department later caught the attention of a few other hermits, causing them to stop by and join in the shenanigans. Grian never let himself get too distracted, though. Nothing would stop today from being the day he finally reunited with his best friend.
Gem had stopped by during said shenanigans and decided to stick around to keep him company after the others had left. The two had been idly chatting for the last hour, mostly to pass the time.
“You know you can just message him, right?” Gem piped up after finding out the reason Grian refused to leave like everyone else.
“It’s not the same. It needs to be organic.” Grian insists.
“Riiiight” Gem says plainly “and what about watching Mumbos base like a freak for three hours is ‘organic’?”
Grian lets out a dramatically exhausted sigh “Look- Gem, you just wouldn’t get it.”
“I get that you’re a weirdo.” She responds, a teasing tone to her voice.
Grian brushes her comment off with an eye roll, opting to bin this conversation going nowhere.
They sit for another moment before Gem starts again.
“Seriously, when are you going to just tell hi-“ She is suddenly silenced by a loud “SHH” from Grian as he points over to Mumbos base, “LOOK.”
Though annoyed at being cut off, she does as directed and her gaze is met with a dark, lanky figure looming in front of Mumbos house.
Before Gem can utter another word, Grian is already gliding off the tower towards it.
Mumbo gets a short warning from the beat of wings and the shout of his name before he’s promptly tackled to the ground.
Mumbo clamps his eyes shut when he hits the ground, but quickly re-opens them to dazedly look for whatever the heck just hit him.
Mumbo catches the sight above him of an oh so familiarly feathered face that comes with a matching voice. He feels arms snake their way around his middle and the figure shouts, “Finally, I gotchu!”
“Wha- Grian!?-“ He blurts, the realization of who was on top of him finally grounding him back to reality. Before he could sputter any further questioning, he’s interrupted by an accusing finger in his face.
“Do. You. Know. How long it’s been?!” Grian asks pointedly.
He’d been waiting for two weeks and three hours for this man to finally show his handsomely mustached face, so he wasn’t going to let him off without some answers.
Mumbo’s dazed look turns into one of confusion.
Grian’s patience wears a little too thin.
“Oh for the love of- WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?”
Mumbo’s initial confusion breaks all at once releasing his own accusatory huff, “WHA- you’re asking me!? Where have YOU been?! Though, I’m sure I’ve got my answer now! Seems you’ve been away plotting to startle me half to death!” He says laying a hand over his chest for dramatic effect.
“Well i wouldn’t have to scheme if you’d have just been here! Now would I?”
“Whatdya mean?? You’ve seen the work done to my base! Didn’t just put itself there now did it?”
“Well no, but-!” Grian falters, his anger melting into his true emotions. “I just missed you, alright!” Grian spouts, throwing his hands in the air before crossing them in his own dramatic fashion.
Mumbo’s defensiveness crumbles at the display.
“Aw- G.” He stutters out, a pang in his chest urging him to comfort his dear friend.
Mumbo hesitantly sits forward more to deliberately wrap his arms around the avian; but before he can connect Grian slams his face into Mumbos chest, throwing his arms around the taller man once more. The force of the hug almost sending them tumbling to the ground again.
Mumbo steadies himself, sitting up fully to hold Grians weight in his lap. He carefully wraps his own arms around the other. The softness of the moment makes Mumbos heart almost give out for the second time today.
They sit there for a moment, just embracing eachother. Though Mumbo isn’t the most touchy feely person, Grian can be rather clingy, and he almost forgot how much he missed that. The hug satiates something in him, like a long drink of water after a treck in the heat.
“Maybe” Mumbo starts, voice low, almost a whisper“We’ve both been away this time but we can just promise each other that we’ll try to visit more often from here on?” After a beat, the avian turns to glance up at him, his face mirroring that of a sad puppy.“Promise?” he asks, making a light flush settle on Mumbos cheeks. Void, why did he have to look at him like that.
“Promise.” He murmurs back. Despite all the faux dramatic displays in this interaction, Mumbo’s being completely sincere.
Grian turns his head away swiftly, it all getting bit too mushy now.
His hands untangle from the taller man to be thrust into the air again “Good!” Grian pouts with that faux anger again. “And I promise to keep my promise!”
He then crosses his arms and flashes a cheeky smirk at Mumbo. “But only if you promise not to bore me to death with your geese talk.”
That gets Mumbo going again, and as he lays out his own retorts, Grian revels in the old routine. Getting Mumbo riled up was his favorite thing to do. Which was great because it was also the easiest thing to do. The moment sends a sort of giddiness through Grian, and he can’t help the giant grin that plants itself on his face.
“Oh? What are you smilin about??” Mumbo demands.
An idea creeps into Grians head, turning his giddy smile into a devilish one. He just remembered his other favorite way to get a rise out of Mumbo. One that granted Grian an even better reaction from the mustached man.
“Oh, nothing~” Grian starts slyly “just supposing that seeing your handsome face will have to do as repayment for the geese talk.” Grian says with a wink and grin.
Mumbos slight flush turns to a beet red as stammers fall out of his mouth one after the other. His eyes flutter to look anywhere but the avian on top of him.
Suddenly, this proximity is becoming a real problem for Mumbo.
Grian, plenty smug in getting the reaction he wanted, rises to his feet and extends a hand down to Mumbo.
“Though, only if we both keep our promises, of course. Don’t go saying you had a sleep and forgot on me now.”
Mumbo gawks up at his feathered friend, as an annoyance pricks at his mind. The audacity of this guy! He couldn’t just let him get away with flustering him like that and playing it off like it was nothing! Especially after they had such a nice moment too!
He was going to give Grian a taste of his own medicine! With the adrenaline from the surprise still fueling his confidence, Mumbo grabs hold of Grians hand but instead of allowing himself to be pulled up, he yanks Grian back down to meet him face to face.
“Would be hard to forget if you’re sleeping with me.”
Now it was Grians turn to become a tomato; his eyes going wide and his wings fluffing up in addition.
Right. That was definitely as forward as he meant it to be.
Grian blinks a few times, the thought of what was just said and who just said it still being processed.
The awkward silence further deepens Mumbo’s own flush. Him becoming an unexpected target of his own attack.
Mumbo opens his mouth to laugh it off and break the tension, but he’s stopped by a Gem landing on the ground next to them. This causes both of their heads to snap in her direction, the sudden interruption making Mumbo’s heart almost give out for the third time today.
“Are you two just going to roll around in the grass all day?” She asks, turning to them.
The two were frozen in place staring at Gem for only a moment before the realization caught up to them. Then, they were awkwardly shuffling to stand up and dust themselves off, neither daring eye contact with each other.
“Right, Gem!” Mumbo replies hastily“theres probably a million grass stains on my coat tails now! Well, I better get home and change!” Another moment of this and Mumbo fears he may die of embarrassment.
“Nah, don’t worry, you look great Mumbo.” Gem says with a smile and she lands a soft punch to his shoulder
“Also… we’re standing at your front door?”
“Ah. Yes. Right.” Mumbo cringes at the attempt of escape being snuffed so quickly.
Grian just stares blankly at Gem, as if his mind is stuck on something else. She doesn’t take notice though, as an idea springs to her head.
“I’m starving *GASP* we should have brunch!” She bleats excitedly, “We can make it a fun thing to celebrate this weird reunion!”
“O-oh, Uuh I’m not sure-“ Mumbo stutters out before he’s promptly overtaken.
“Grian was really looking forward to this, yaknow? He waited for soooo long for you-“
Grian steps in first and grabs Gems shoulders to signal her to “STOP TALKING IMMEDIATELY” which tugs a giggle from her. Mumbo follows suite and tries to come up with a good enough excuse to change Gems mind.
Unfortunately for the pair, Gem is too stubborn to stop for half baked excuses and presses on.
“We have to at least make it worth it!” She does her best puppy dog eyes up at Mumbo
“Pleeaaasssseee?” She pleads. “We don’t even have to go anywhere! It can just be a chill hangout in your house. I mean, we’re already here.”
Mumbo grimaces before sighing. “I- I suppose-“
“Awesome!” Gem blurts, already lighting up with a bright smile.
“I’ve got a great recipe in mind, and don’t worry, I have all the ingredients on me!”
Before they know it, Gem is turning the two and pushing them towards the door. Grian and Mumbos shoulders briefly bump together eliciting them to accidentally make eye contact. The blush from before returning to each of them as they quickly look away.
This was going to be a troublesome afternoon.
