Chapter Text
Grian woke up with the plan in his mind. He was going to have some coffee and breakfast. He was going to neaten himself up and march straight over to Mumbo’s and see if he was there. Grian almost fell down the stairs at that. He had no idea where Mumbo was? He could have left. He could have walked this last month and was outside Grian’s front door. Grian had no idea if he should cry or laugh at that idea of them both knocking on each other’s door.
Grian made it to the breakfast table and flopped down sighing. “Hey Scar, do you think Mumbo is possibly at my place, knocking on my door?” He asked quietly, fidgeting. It was impressive how he managed to keep his voice light and casual even though he was now doing the familiar anxiety spirals. At this point, anxiety was his new normal. He looked over to where Scar was rehydrating breakfast. It was apparently oat mash with dried milk and fruit. It was a pretty standard end of the world breakfast and Grian was thankful. His stomach was a little unsettled and anything richer would probably be emptied all over Mumbo’s doorstep.
Scar shook his head. “Of course not. I been watching him.” He commented offhand as if that wasn’t the creepiest, well second creepiest thing Grian had ever heard. It wasn’t necessarily the words but the casual no cares way Scar said it, like spying on people was accepted thing. “He has been a busy thing though, back and forth. I guess he has been stocking up on supplies?” Scar told him as he stirred the pot trying to get the lumps out vigorously.
Grian appreciated the efforts, if he learnt anything over the last couple years, it was breakfast shouldn’t be described as lumpy. “Um Scar, firstly man that is the second most creepiest thing I ever heard anyone say and secondly thank heavens. I was really worried, you could have told me you had a Mumbo watch going on?” Grian felt himself relax a little. Mumbo was still here, still safe and apparently busy. Busy doing what? Grian didn’t know but that was a good sign wasn’t it? Mumbo had a project or something to work on… as long as it wasn’t that bloody flamethrower.
Scar chuckled and rolled to the table to put out a couple bowls. “Now I need to know what is the creepiest? I need to up my game!” He joked as he began scooping out the oat mash. “But seriously I am just being perfectly legal with my telescope, observing nature… and Mumbo is a mammal and that is part of the nature… so therefore I am not breaking any laws.”
The way Scar said it, made Grian realise that Scar probably had to deal with this before. Probably in some court case or something. “Fair but being legal doesn’t stop it being creepy.” Grian pointed out. “I mean I could dress as death and hang out in a graveyard, pointing at cars as they pass.” He giggled at the idea. “And the creepiest is a dude in the morning after, I must have been super drunk to even consider bringing him back but I woke up and he was staring at me.” He recalled shuddering. “Then he whispered. ‘You smell different when you are awake than when you are sleeping.’” Grian recalled fondly. It was amazing how if you looked back with rose tinted glasses, all the red flags just looked like flags.
Scar barked out a surprised laugh. “Yeah I can’t compete with that. What did you do?” Scar asked, as he rolled himself to the table. He picked up his own bowl of food and began to eat it slowly. Grian tried not to stare at the pile of medication on a little saucer next to Scar. That was another worry for another time, right now he was trying his best to keep himself distracted from the thought of going to see Mumbo and possibly being rejected outright again.
Grian swallowed down the tasteless mash and hummed. “I got his number and kept him as a friends with benefits for like a month. Yeah he was creepy but he had this thing with his tongue and you know at that point in my life I was just thinking with my dick more than my brain.” He joked, jabbing the spoon at Scar.
Scar snorted loudly. “That’s the one thing I miss really. Not the sex thing. I haven’t been getting that in a long while but you know connecting with people.” He sighed. “Meeting new people who done things, different things and the world changing.” He put his spoon down with a loud clunk in the too quiet world. “So are you done putting off seeing Mumbo long enough or do you want to help me wash up? There is no freeloading in this household mister, no matter how good you smell awake.”