Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jimmy liked Scott.

He really did. He sometimes wondered if others questioned his feelings towards the other. Sure, Scott liked to tease him relentlessly and he went along with the whole ‘Jimmy is a toy’ joke, but he could manage that. And sure, Scott also liked to jokingly flirt with him, but that was all good and well. He could handle it. It was after all a joke. Funnily enough, Jimmy could handle Scott’s teasing the best. He had trouble with taking such things from others, but with Scott it was different. For all the teasing, Jimmy knew Scott cared about him. They’re best friends after all! An unlikely duo, the Sheriff and the colourful leader of Chromia.

Nobody expected them to get along so well. They were so different, in appearance and in character. Jimmy was strict, hardworking and oblivious. Scott was easy-going, out for fun and sly. And yet, they got along immediately, becoming the best of friends. They do say ‘opposites attract’…

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“Scott? Scott, where are you?” Jimmy shouted as he walked along the paths of Chromia. Once he emerged from the portal, he had checked the other leader’s house first, then his supposed office and the Tavern. Scott was nowhere to be seen. When he went to ask the bartender about Scott’s whereabouts, he too had disappeared.

Strange.

Albeit a lama, Jimmy was used to seeing Owen stand behind the bar. He sighed and shook his head, fixing his sheriff’s hat to block the sun from blinding him. The sun was high in the sky, warming the ground beneath his feet. Tumble Town was way too hot at this time of day, but Chromia was surprisingly pleasant. It could be because of the different bodies of water that were scattered around the empire. As Jimmy’s eyes skimmed across the colourful buildings, in search of his friend, he noticed the park close by. Was that a flash of cyan? He decided to investigate.

To say he was surprised to see the park overrun by lamas, would be a lie. He did know Scott longer than today. As he closed the gate behind him, disappointing a lama with a green carpet that was trying to escape, he called out to his friend. “Scott you in here?” There was a sound on his right, as he slowly moved through the herd of lamas.

“Jimmy?”

“Over here,” the Sheriff said, raising a hand. Scott chuckled as he grabbed Jimmy’s other hand and pulled him towards him. Jimmy felt his heart beat faster. It was because of the slight scare, Scott suddenly appearing out of nowhere, or so he told himself. “Great timing, Sheriff!” Scott laughed,” You can help me feed the lamas.” Jimmy gave him a dead-panned look. “Why do you have so many lamas in here?” he questioned. Scott shrugged and handed Jimmy a bucket with what seemed to be lama food. A lama with orange carpet immediately bumped into Jimmy’s side, making him spill some of the food.

“Hey!” Jimmy said affronted, only to recognise the lama. “So that’s where you went, Owen.” Scott’s chuckle sounded from behind a lama with a blue carpet. “He does get time off, you know,” he said,” I’m not overworking my employees, so no need to arrest me mister Sheriff.” Jimmy huffed. He slowly moved the bucket away from Owen, who made a sound as if he was just personally offended. “I wasn’t about to arrest you.”

“You weren’t?” Scott said, his head popping up from behind another lama. “No,” Jimmy said, shaking his head,” I was at the Tavern, looking for you and I wondered where Owen went.” Scott disappeared behind some lamas again. “Shame,” he hummed,” You could’ve brought out the handcuffs.”

Jimmy did not in fact, drop the bucket out of shock. He did not. Ad if he was suddenly swarmed by the entire group of lamas desperately trying to gather as much of the spilled food as possible, he’d deny everything. Scott looked surprised his way, laughter erupted from his mouth. It was loud and unobstructed. Jimmy couldn’t help but laugh along. Scott’s laugh was just so contagious. He tried to wiggle his way out of the group of lamas, it was getting hard to breath. For a moment all he could see was white fur, before he got pulled free by strong hands.

“Idiot,” Scott said, shaking his head, a fond smile on his face. “Sorry about that,” he murmured, looking at the ground. “Hey,” Scott said softly, turning Jimmy’s chin upwards with his finger. The other had no choice but to look into two coloured eyes. “It’s okay, accidents happen.” Jimmy smiled and nodded. He then noticed a piece of hay sticking out of Scott’s hair. Right above his eyes. He reached a hand out and plucked the hay out of brilliant cyan hair, moving a loose strand hair behind Scott’s ear. A blush creeped up Jimmy’s cheeks as he noticed how close they stood. It got a bit redder when he saw the look in Scott’s eyes. Such a soft smile, he wondered if it was reserved just for him.

He opened his mouth to speak, when he suddenly got headbutted to the side. He barely managed to keep standing, rounding up on the culprit with a loud “Hey, you-!” he fell silent when he saw who had pushed him away from Scott. It was Owen, the lama. Said lama stood between him and Scott, bristling.

“You okay?” Scott asked, an amused expression on his face. “ ‘M fine,” Jimmy muttered, straightening his vest. He decided to walk towards the exit of the park. That was quite enough lamas for one day. Scott laughed as he followed behind Jimmy. “Sometimes I get the feeling he doesn’t like me,” Jimmy said, casting a look behind him at Owen. “Oh, he hates you,” Scott said ever so nonchalantly. Jimmy stopped in his tracks.

“Wait, what.”

“He thinks you’re getting too close to me,” Scott shrugged,” something about stealing my attention.” Jimmy shook his head, continuing his walk. “Is that why he spits in my drinks?” he questioned. “Nah, he does that to everybody.”

The sun was starting to lower in the sky, indicating that the day was coming to an end slowly. It served as a reminder on how much time had passed since Jimmy arrived. “How do you even know all that?” he asked curious. “He told me,” was Scott’s simple answer. “He told- he told you…?” Scott chuckled at the disbelief in Jimmy’s voice. “Yeah,” he said,” I can understand them.”

Jimmy looked at him as if he had grown another head. “I can’t believe you’ve never mentioned that.” Now it was Scott’s time to freeze in his steps. “I haven’t?” Jimmy shook his head, a laugh escaping his lips. “Oh…” Before Scott could say more, they had entered the busy market place of town.

People flocking to all the different stalls with Chromia’s finest goods on sale. Salesmen shouting for attention, people elbowing each other to get to the cheaper stuff first and wanderers trying to move through the bustling crowd. Jimmy sighed at the loss of peace and quiet as Scott took his hand and guided him towards the Tavern.

Some people seemed to recognise their Emperor and tried to make way for them, but most others were too preoccupied by the colourful wares. Judging by the occasional elbow between his ribs, the sun slowly setting and Scott squeezing his hand from time to time, Jimmy guessed this was not a common occurrence. Once out of the crowd and in front of the Tavern, Scott squeezed his hand one more time before letting go.

“Sorry, about that,” he murmured,” I didn’t expect it to be so busy.” Jimmy shrugged, noticing the fair amount of people still walking around. “Happens,” he simply said, going inside and holding the door open for Scott. As soon as they stepped inside, Scott’s expression fell. Loud voices rung through the Tavern, drowning out the music playing from the jukebox in the corner. It was busy. Very busy.

Scott made his way to his office upstairs, Jimmy trailing behind him. His chair squeaked loudly as Scott let himself fall into it, covering his face with his hands. Jimmy stood unsure and a bit awkwardly in front of the desk, wondering if he should say anything or not. He chose to speak up.

“You good?”

Maybe that wasn’t the best question to ask, but give him a break. Scott groaned loudly in reply. “Today of all days…” his voice was muffled behind his hands. Jimmy shot him a questioning look. Scott lowered his hands, managing to look guilty. “I gave Owen the day off.” The look of Scott’s face was not often seen, one of slight panic and lost control.

“Sounds like you could use some help.”

Scott’s expression changed to one of surprise as he suddenly stood. “No, Jimmy,” he said,” I wouldn’t dare ask that of you.” Jimmy smiled and put a hand on Scott’s in reassurance. “I know you,” he said,” and you’re right. You wouldn’t ask for help. That’s why I’m not letting you say no.” he grinned, missing the look of adoration in Scott’s eyes.

“Fine,” Scott said defeated,” Do you know how to mix drinks?” Jimmy looked sheepish, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh, no.” Scott shook his head, a small smile on his face. “In that case, you’re in charge of serving the guests.” Jimmy nodded. “I can do that.”

“And you’re doing the dishes.”

“…okay.”

“And you’re the bouncer, use your Sheriffness to cast out annoying or stupid drunk costumers.”

“That’s quite alright now,” Jimmy said, hands raised in surrender. Scott chuckled as he moved away from his desk. He stole the hat from Jimmy’s head and placed it on the desk and while the other was still protesting, he also unbuttoned the first two buttons of Jimmy’s shirt. “What’s that for?” Jimmy squeaked, looking down at his own chest. “Makes you look more laid-back, less ‘I’m here to serve the law’,” Scott said, making air quotes with his hands. Jimmy huffed and grabbed Scott’s wrists to stop him from moving.

“It also makes you look more attractive,” Scott said matter-of-factly,” It’ll attract more customers.” The blush that went from Jimmy’s neck up to his cheekbones at a rapid space was nothing new, but Scott liked to see it anyways. “I- what?” the blonde shrieked. Scott just turned him around and shoved him towards the door. “You’ll be fine,” he said, laughing. Jimmy grumbled something incoherent as the cyanette guided him to the main hall of the Tavern. As they looked upon the crowd of customers, all waiting to be served properly, Scott gave him a final push.

“Go get them, Cowboy!”

Many hours later, most customers had left the building. The amount of people still ordering drinks was manageable for the automated system. The music disc had been changed to a live band halfway through the evening, their current soft tunes ringing through the air. Jimmy sat down with a sigh, glass of water in hand, in one of the more secluded areas of the Tavern. A small booth for a group of 4, maybe 6 if they all sat really close to each other.

As he took a sip of his drink, he let his eyes wander around the place, taking in the remaining guests. A woman caught his eye and gave him a cheeky wink, while raising her glass in greeting. His head snapped back to the table in front of him, as his cheeks dusted pink. A chuckle could be heard and the pink grew slightly darker.

“Shu up,” he growled. “I didn’t say anything,” Scott said amused as he sat down opposite of Jimmy. “But you were thinking it.” Scott raised an eyebrow, smirk on his face. They both fell silent as they slowly finished their drinks. Scott offered to get them some more drinks from the dispenser. “What are you having?”

“A glass of water, please.”

Scott looked unimpressed. “I do have work in the morning, you know,” Jimmy said, equally unimpressed. For a moment it looked like a look of guilt flashed across Scott’s face, before he shrugged and went for a refill. Jimmy sighed. He didn’t mean to make the other feel guilty, not while he was the one who had offered his help. If he really had wanted to, he could’ve just left. But he didn’t. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t.

He couldn’t have left Scott with his hands in his hair, that wouldn’t be fair. Nor would that be a very ‘friendly’ thing to do. The idea of walking out on Scott in need of help, made a shiver run down his spine. He would never. Not with Scott, never Scott. Although it was highly unlikely Jimmy would turn down anyone asking for help, it turns out Jimmy couldn’t deny Scott anything.

A hand on his shoulder made him focus back on the table in front of him. Apparently, he had been zoning out as he only now noticed the full glass of water in front of him. “Oh… thanks,” he said, slowly blinking. Scott gave him that soft smile reserved for him. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, subtly holding his hand out for Jimmy to take. The blonde smiled and nodded, taking Scott’s hand in his.

“You know you can tell me when something’s up, right?” Scott asked, squeezing his hand. Jimmy squeezed back, finding himself unable to talk. It wasn’t that something was bothering him, he just couldn’t quite put a name to the feeling that kept resurfacing when he thought too hard or too long about Scott. He was just unable to voice it all. “M just tired,” he decided to say. His throat felt dry, so he took a sip of water. “Well, you did work hard,” Scott said,” Thanks again.” Jimmy simply squeezed his hand again. “Are you too tired to dance?” Scott asked softly. Jimmy almost chocked on his water.

Almost.

“W-what?” he coughed. “I asked you to dance with me,” Scott said fondly, rolling his eyes. Jimmy huffed, but got up, not letting go of Scott’s hand. The cyanette dragged him towards the small dancefloor in front of the podium. The band still playing slow songs, fitting for the time of night. Jimmy hadn’t actually dared to look at the time and he wasn’t about to as Scott took firmly hold of him and they slowly moved to the beat.

Jimmy felt himself relax, letting thoughts drift away and only focusing on the tunes and the feeling of Scott close to him. He wished they could stay like that forever. Just the two of them. No need to rule their Empires or work themselves to the bone. Jimmy sighed and let his head rest on top of Scott’s, who was leaning against his chest.

Sometimes he felt just so tired. Wondering if all the work was worth it, feeling insecurity dragging him down. Those times, he was happy to have someone like Scott. Someone who kept him standing, kept him grounded. He was so very grateful for Scott. So grateful to have him as his best friend. They slowly danced until all customers had left or turned in for the night. They held each other until the band packed up and only silence remained. They only let go once they entered Scott’s house, going into separate bedrooms.

And if Jimmy’s heart ached at the loss of contact and his dreams were filled with warmth and comfort, he wouldn’t tell. He’d wake up and leave before Scott did, returning to Tumble Town. It was his home after all. Tho it didn’t always feel like it…

Chapter Text

“Jimmy? Jimmy, where are you?” Scott called out. His own voice echoed through the small mineshaft. “Over here!” Jimmy’s voice echoed back,” Just ahead.” Scott carefully walked down the mined-out staircase, towards where he thought Jimmy’s voice came from. Once he rounded the corner, he could spot the Sheriff ahead. Jimmy turned around to greet him and Scott had a mini heart-attack.

Sweat was dripping from Jimmy’s forehead, down his neck and disappeared under his shirt. He had shrugged out of his vest and his face was flushed red. A pickaxe in hand, gloved hand wiping away the sweat. Jimmy looked hot. Like, really hot. As if he’d been mining for the past few hours, but also in a very attractive kind of way.

Scott ignored the greeting in favour of ogling at Jimmy’s muscular arms. A sly grin appeared on the Sheriff’s face as he didn’t even get a ‘hello’ out of the cyanette. He waved a hand in front of Scott’s face, which seemed to kick-start the other. “Well, helllooo there,” Scott practically purred as he stepped closer to Jimmy. Seems like the cat hasn’t quite gotten his tongue. “Quit it, I stink,” Jimmy said, crinkling his nose. Scott laughed. “It’s not that bad…” A look. “Okay, it is.”

“It seems you’ve been busy,” Scott said letting his eyes wander. Jimmy practically beamed with pride. “Isn’t it great? And look at what I’ve already gathered.” Jimmy opened a nearby chest to pull some things out. He showed Scott some iron ingots and gold nuggets. “You mentioned needing more coal, right? I came across some pieces, so I’ve mined them for you.” Scott gave him a wide smile as he took the coal and put it away in his inventory. “Aww, that’s too sweet,” he cooed,” Thank you.”

Jimmy stood back up and picked up his pickaxe. “What are you looking for anyway?” Scott asked, pulling out his own pickaxe. “The usual; gold, diamonds, maybe a cave with good loot,” Jimmy said before continuing mining. The loud clanging of the pickaxe working through various materials made it impossible to keep conversation, so they kept to themselves. It was actually quite peaceful, being near each other and simply mining away, occasionally coming across something useful. The chest was getting nice and full, when Scott broke through a wall.

He gasped as the material gave way and there was nothing behind it. Almost stumbling straight into the cave, Scott managed to catch himself right in time. He felt a hand on his shoulder, steadying him. “Everything okay?” Jimmy asked. Scott nodded, taking a moment to catch his breath. “Ooh, you manage to find a cave,” Jimmy said excited. He handed Scott a torch so they could see better in the dark. “It seems to curve to the left over there,” Scott said, pointing to the general area.

As they carefully climbed towards it, they could see a faint glow. Sure, they had infinite respawn on, but dying still wasn’t any fun and neither was planning on falling to their demise in some cave in the mountains of Tumble Town. As they rounded the corner, a gasp escaped Scott’s lips.

They had managed to find a lush cave by accident. Glowberries hang from the ceiling, casting a soft glow. Scott looked up at the massive pink flowers, blinking to try and get rid of the particles in his vision. Jimmy made a surprised noise and Scott looked over. The view of Jimmy standing in the middle of the cave, the berries casting an ethereal glow, making his hair golden yellow, took Scott’s breath away. He then noticed why Jimmy was smiling widely. He was holding a small azalea bush in his hands.

Scott was fairly certain Jimmy was planning on bringing it back with him to Tumble Town and try and it grow it out, maybe even try and grow more of them. He was proven wrong when Jimmy turned towards him with a blinding bright smile. “It’s perfect!” he said, way too excited,” This will solve the problem you had with the empty patches of land in between your paths.” Scott blinked.

What?

“You can grow more! You could make a hedge, maybe… Oh and the colours once the azaleas bloom. That would go so well with all the colours in Chromia.” Jimmy was excitedly babbling about, holding the bush in font of Scott. Meanwhile, the cyanette’s brain had short-circuited. Jimmy had not thought about using the colourful foliage in his own fairly bland coloured Empire. No, he immediately thought about something unimportant Scott had mentioned, about needing some ways to decorate the empty spaces in between the paths of his kingdom. That had been some time ago as well.

Sure enough, the ‘problem’ had never been solved. He hadn’t had time to fix it, but it wasn’t a big deal! It no longer felt like ‘not a big deal’ when Jimmy held a bush like it was a Joel send gift in front of Scott, convinced that it was the solution. Scott agreed. Not because of the azalea bush, but because after seeing Jimmy’s reaction, he couldn’t place anything there but the azalea bush.

Before it could get too awkward because of the lack of response on Scott’s side, he took the bush from Jimmy. “It’s perfect,” he agreed, feeling how dry his throat had become. Jimmy smiled even wider. Their hands brushed when he took the plant and stored it away. Multicoloured eyes locked onto brown ones. They seemed incapable of tearing their gazes away from each other.

Then Scott coughed and fiddled with his braid in a kind of nervous way. “Uhh… Jimmy said eloquently,” I guess we should head back.” Scott hummed in agreement and they started to leave. Right before they left, something red caught Scott’s eyes. Jimmy got back to his chest, calling out to Scott who hadn’t returned yet. He was starting to get a bit worried when he got no reply. He was just about to go back and look for the colourful man, when said man appeared right in front of him.

“Oh my Joe-, Scott, you scared me,” Jimmy said out of breath. “Sorry!” Scott said with a laugh. He didn’t seem all that sorry. Jimmy shook his head and stored all his stuff away in his inventory. They made their way back to Tumble Town, slowly moving up the staircase. Once they were almost at the top, Scott halted.

“I’ve got you something,” he said softly and held his hand out to Jimmy. The Sheriff turned around, his eyes curious. Something red was pressed into his hands and after a few seconds he noticed it was a flower. A red poppy. Jimmy was slightly surprised by the gift, but appreciated it none the less. Scott silently reached out and put the stem of the flower through the buttonholes of Jimmy’s vest. Jimmy looked down and smiled. Right as he was about to say something, the words died on his tongue.

Something green had been creeping up behind Scott, making its way up the staircase. With almost no time to act, Jimmy yanked Scott out of the way, swung his pickaxe at the hissing Creeper and turned the two of them around. He held Scott close, shielding him with his own body as the mob exploded behind them. Jimmy hissed as the intense heat washed over them.

Luckily, he had pushed the Creeper a bit back down the stairs, which resulted in it exploding out of range. No respawns needed for the two of them. The blonde slowly released Scott from his grip, checking him for any injuries. “Are you okay?” they asked simultaneously. A small chuckle escaped Scott’s lips as he looked disbelieving at Jimmy. “You’re one to ask, mister Superhero!” he softly slapped Jimmy’s arm,” What kind of action was that?!” Jimmy had the audacity to look confused. “I just wanted to keep you save,” he said, pouting. Scott had to fight the intense urge to kiss the pout right off of his face. He decided to slap the other another time instead.

“You aren’t hurt, are you?” the cyanette asked just to be sure. He turned Jimmy around, to check his back for any injuries. “Aww,” Jimmy sighed sadly and Scott turned him back around to see what was wrong. Jimmy looked slightly sad don at his own chest and for a moment Scott worried he had gotten a burn or his clothes were melted. “It’s a bit squashed now,” the Sheriff said, fixing the flower still stuck in his button holes. Scott sighed in relief. “It will survive, just put it in water once you’re home,” he said. Jimmy seemed to brighten up, only for his face to fall again when he realised what happened to his pickaxe and mineshaft. Blown to bits.

“Creeper, aww maaannn…” he pouted,” That was my good pick…” Scott patted him on the back. “I’ll make you a new one,” he promised. “You really don’t have to. It wasn’t your fault,” Jimmy said. Scott gave him a look that made him snap his mouth shut and his hands up in surrender. “If you’re sure,” he said. He looked at the once entrance to his mineshaft, now covered up. “Oh well, it was time to start a new one anyway,” he said, turning away from the rubble. Someone else could clean that up, or he would later on.

Scott hummed as he wrapped an arm around Jimmy’s waist. They walked back to the office building, softly talking to each other. Jimmy swung an arm around Scott’s shoulders. They both felt the exhaustion of mining and the almost exploding starting to wear them down. And yet, if you asked them separately, they would say it had been a pretty good day.

And Jimmy would stare lovingly at the poppy in a vase, standing proudly in the windowsill.

Chapter Text

It was a quiet and sunny day. There weren’t a lot of people out and about in Chromia, either they stayed inside or sat in the shadows to hide from the sun. Jimmy didn’t hide, he was too used to the heat beating down on his skin. Besides, the sun here wasn’t as unforgiving as it was in Tumble Town.

He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, head turned towards the sun. good ol’ Tumble Town, waiting for his return. As was the pile of paperwork on his desk. But when Scott asked him to spend this lovely day with him, he could not have said no. He was especially happy he had accepted the invite, when he arrived to a checkered plaid on the ground, a picnic basket nearby and Scott with a stunning smile on his face. They chatted the afternoon away, stuffing themselves with all the lovely little snacks Scott had made.

Tho Jimmy was reluctant to eat a certain sandwich, since Scott claimed Owen had helped make them. The other had chuckled and assured him that Owen had, in fact, not spit in the sandwiches. “If you say so…” Jimmy had said. Scott shrugged and took a bite. “I do say so.” Jimmy stared intensely at the cyanette as he ate. Once he finished the tiny triangle shaped piece of bread, Scott rolled his eyes at Jimmy and made a vague ‘tadaa’ gesture as if to show he didn’t drop dead. The Sheriff looked from Scott to his sandwich, back to Scott. Then back to his sandwich as he took a bite.

His eyes started to sparkle as the taste registered in his brain. He looked back up at Scott with a bewildered look. “This- this is really good,” he said, crumbs still around the corners of his mouth. Scott looked amused as he said; “I said so.” He offered Jimmy another one, who took it enthusiastically.

Since then, Jimmy had taken off his hate and shrugged out of his brown vest, bathing in the sunlight. Scott remained in the more shadowy bit. He had picked the perfect spot for the two of them. Sun for Jimmy and enough shade for himself. Scott liked how Jimmy seemed to get energized by the sun, he looked more relaxed. Jimmy opened his eyes and looked across the meadow. It was beautiful this time of year. Flowers growing in all kinds of shapes and colours, a soft breeze rolled over the fields. Some people were out and about, mostly families, picking flowers, having picnics. An idea popped into Jimmy’s head.

“Am I allowed to pick the flowers?”

Scott, who had laid down, looked up at him. “Sure. Would be something if it wasn’t allowed with all those kids picking my fields bare,” he said with a chuckle,” You can gather some and take them with you back to TT.” Jimmy smiled as he stood and walked off. Once he’d gathered enough materials, he sat down and got to work. Scott tried to see what it was, Jimmy was working on, but it was a bit difficult to see from his position.

“Watcha doing?” he asked curiously. “Just you wait,” Jimmy said excited. The tip of his tongue stuck out between his lips as he focused on whatever it was he was doing. Scott found it very endearing. He watched Jimmy’s expression shift as he waited to see what the end result was. After a little while of occasional humming and something that sounded suspiciously like ‘I hate flowers’, the secret project was done. Jimmy held it behind his back as he turned towards Scott.

“Could you sit up?” he asked. “I dunno, can I?” Scott said lazily. He was trying to act uninterested, but his curiosity was eating him alive. “Please.” Scott sighed as he sat upright, taking his time. “Or I won’t show you.” The cyanette gasped and quickly sat up right. “You wouldn’t dare,” he hissed. Jimmy stuck his tongue out. Oh how childish the two of them could be together. “Close your eyes,” Jimmy said. Scott raised an eyebrow in question. “Just do it.” He shrugged and closed his eyes, holding out his hands to receive the gift Jimmy kept hidden behind his back.

But instead, his hate got removed from his head and replaced by something else. “There,” Jimmy said, lowering his arms. Scott peeked with one eye at Jimmy. A small, yet uncertain smile was on his face and Scott opened his other eye as well. He lifted his hands to feel for whatever was placed on his head. “Careful!” Jimmy ushered, a bit tense. Scott then decided to grab his pocket mirror from his purse and use it to be able to see. Rolling his eyes almost into the back of his head had proven futile. Once he looked at his reflection, he let out a small gasp.

A flower crown.

A flower crown with lots of greenery, leaves and a couple of lavender and chrysanthemum blooms had been placed upon his head. It looked great on him, if he said so himself. “It looks great on you,” Jimmy said softly. The Sheriff agreed with his thoughts apparently. He smiled up at Jimmy, putting away the pocket mirror. “I love it,” he said,” I look so cute!”

As he smiled wide with his eyes squinted close, Jimmy let the words almost escape. Words like ‘handsome’, ‘adorable’ and ‘pretty’ all wanted to escape his lips. He wanted to utter them so badly, to tell him softly, to shut it from the colourful rooftops, but he kept it all inside. Apparently, he didn’t need to say them out loud, someone else did instead.

“Oh my Joel- you look so pretty!”

A mother and child, a little girl of around 6 or 7 years old, had walked by when the girl had shouted that. Her little finger was pointed at Scott’s head and her eyes were blown wide. “Daisy, you can’t just shout at people!” her mother scolded,” Even if it’s a compliment.” The girl looked like she disagreed strongly. “But he looks so pretty!” Scott chuckled, recovering from the tiny jump-scare. Next to him Jimmy seemed to calm his racing heart as well.

They had sort of forgotten they weren’t the only ones around. “It’s quite alright,” he said, looking at the mother. The woman gasped when she realised who they were talking to. “E-emperor Scott! So sorry to disturb you.” Scott shook his head. “there’s no need,” he said, smiling kindly,” I see you were enjoying the nice weather just as we were.” The girl nodded enthusiastically.

“Ya! We had a picnic and picked flowers, some really pretty flowers!” Her enthusiasm was adorable and Scott couldn’t help but smile at her. “That sounds wonderful,” he said,” Daisy, wasn’t it?” She nodded, her small head bobbing up and down at an almost painful speed. “You like my crown? He made it for me,” the cyanette said, pointing at Jimmy. The other had silently watched the exchange, but blinked owlishly now that he had been mentioned. “He did?” she asked surprised. “Uhh… yeah,” Jimmy said ever so eloquent. She looked from Jimmy to Scott and back to Jimmy.

“It’s not fair,” she suddenly said, confusing the grownups. “What do you mean, sweetie?” her mom asked. Daisy turned towards her mother and pointed at the two sitting on the blanket. “Why does he gets to have a pretty flower crown, but he doesn’t?” she asked, very affronted. Her eyes then began to sparkle and a mischievous grin appeared on her face. She tugged on her mother’s sleeve, until the woman bends down to her level. Daisy started whispering her genius plan, while her mother looked at the duo. A small smile appeared on her face as she said; “Sure sweetie, you can do that.”

Scott and Jimmy started to get really curious to what the little girl was up to as she took the bag from her mother’s hand and rummaged through it. She pulled out a bundle of flowers, including strawflowers and spray roses. She walked resolutely towards a dumbfounded Scott and held out the flowers. Scott blinked. “It’s for him,” Daisy said, pointing at Jimmy,” so you can make him a crown too.”

Jimmy couldn’t help but laugh at the scene in front of him. A small girl, with the stance of a boss lady, practically forcing the Emperor of Chromia to make a flower crown for the Sheriff of Tumble Town. It seemed to be one of those days, where he would almost question his life and reality, if not for the hilarity of the situation. Scott looked at Jimmy laughing and smiled fondly.

“That sounds like an excellent idea, you brilliant young lady.”

Daisy seemed almost bashful at the compliment. As Jimmy’s laughter died down, Scott began to work on the flowers. The next moments were spent with Scott working while Daisy was handing him flowers, while Jimmy invited the mother to sit with them and have a chat. “you’re the Sheriff, right?” she asked. Jimmy nodded. “Yes, ma’am, that’s me.” She smiled at him. “What finds you all the way out here?” she asked. “Hiding away from my duties, juts for today,” he said, with a small smile,” hanging out with Scott always has a relaxing effect on me.”

“I can see he makes you very happy.”

Jimmy doubted that the red on his cheeks was from the sun alone. He coughed in his fist. “Y-yeah, he does.” Before he could say any more, Daisy’s voice interrupted their conversation. “Done!” Both her and Scott held up the flower crown, proudly showing it off. The mother clapped her hands. “Well done! It looks lovely.” Jimmy could only look at the smile on Scott’s face. “Yeah, it does.” Scott moved over to Jimmy and softly placed the crown on his head. “There.” The two looked into each other’s eyes for a moment.

“You two look perfect!” Daisy shouted. The duo instantly looked away from each other, both adorning a blush. The mom tried his best not to laugh, being aware her daughter’s choice of words had a deeper meaning to them. Her eyes danced between the two men, who were clearly flustered. “Let’s go, Daisy,” she said, standing up slowly,” Let’s leave them be.” The girl pouted slightly as she said her goodbyes to her new made friends. They waved as the two walked away.

Once they were out of sight, Jimmy let out the breath he had been holding. Scott shot him a worried look. The Sheriff smiled assuredly. “Kids, huh?” They both laughed and Jimmy could see the other relax. His shoulders lowered, smile staying on his face. For some reason Jimmy decided to poke Scott in his ribs. It could be because he tried to distract the other, or himself, or because he felt slightly lightheaded and couldn’t think straight. Scott couldn’t think straight anyway. Hah.

A weird choking sound escaped Scott’s lips and they stared at each other. Jimmy curiously and surprised, Scott horrified. Jimmy poked him again. There was that sound again! Scott pointed threateningly at Jimmy. “Don’t.” A sly grin appeared on Jimmy’s face as he slowly raised his hands. “I swear, Jimmy,” Scott said, failing to sound serious as he slowly moved away. “There is no escape,” Jimmy murmured evilly and lunged forward.

As Jimmy was trying to grab Scott’s sides and make him giggle, Scott was struggling to escape his grasp. They rolled around the grass, trying to outdo one another. Laughter erupted from the two of them as it became an all-out war once Scott decided to poke Jimmy back. It didn’t take long before they were exhausted and Scott gave in. His back was on the grass, wrists pinned to the ground by calloused hands, chest heaving. Jimmy hovered over him, breath just as fast, eyes wide and a victorious grin on his face.

The setting sun’s light hit Jimmy just right, casting him in a golden glow. His hair was tussled and unkept, flower crown abandoned on the grass. Jimmy looked stunning. But to Jimmy, no one looked as gorgeous as Scott. Braid loosened, strands of hair sticking out of it, cheeks dusted pink and two-coloured eyes wide. His flower crown had been removed as well, leaving small bits and pieces behind in cyan hair.

Scott raised his hand slowly to Jimmy’s face, trying to move a strand of hair behind his ear and failing. His hand hovered for a moment. Almost too afraid to move, he let his fingers trail down Jimmy’s cheek. As if he was fragile. Too precious to break.

Jimmy sat back abruptly, letting go of Scott’s wrists. They only now realised they had been staring into each other’s eyes the entire time. He didn’t see the disappointed look that flashed across Scott’s face. Jimmy was too busy calming his racing heart. He was unsure of what to think or how to feel, so many thoughts popping up in his head. He decided to push them all away, thoughts and feelings, and focus on something else. Scott sat up as well, staring at Jimmy.

“…Are you okay?” his voice was so soft, barely above a whisper. Jimmy swallowed and nodded his head. “I-, I just...” he stuttered,” lost in thought, I guess.” Scott smiled, tho it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “That’s okay, it happens,” he said, trying to stay calm. “Yeah, it’s just- I’ve got a lot to do… in Tumble Town…” Scott nodded. Jimmy seemed to hesitate. “I-I need to go…”

“Thanks, for today,” he said, standing up. Scott followed him. “Anytime, Jimmy,” the cyanette said softly,” I mean it.” Jimmy looked at him in what felt like a very long time, before bending down to pick up his things. Sheriff’s hat back on his head. Flower crown laying forgotten. Their eyes met before both looked away. The ground seemed very interesting all of a sudden. “I guess I’ll see you around,” Jimmy said, stepping back. Scott gave a little wave. “See ya.”

Then Jimmy used rockets as he shot up into the sky, fleeing Chromia to return back home. Leaving Scott behind on his own. The cyanette kept staring at the spot Jimmy was just in, cursing himself and his feelings. His mind replaying the moments spend together, the way Jimmy looked, the way Jimmy smiled. And then he’d remember the expression on Jimmy’s face as he pulled away. It was one of doubt, of guilt? It almost looked as if the other had been afraid. Scott’s heart dropped. He recognised his feelings, whenever he looked at the Sheriff, he knew what they meant. But he wouldn’t act upon them, he had told himself, he knew Jimmy didn’t feel the same.

Besides, he was happy as things were. Of course, he occasionally wished they would become more, but he wouldn’t push it. Getting to be as close to Jimmy as he was now was more than enough. As long as he was able to see Jimmy smile, blush, get agitated, irritated, relaxed, he was happy. And yet, as his eyes landed on the flower crowns, a few tears rolled down his cheeks. He gathered both floral headwear and his belongings and went inside his house. He placed the flower crowns beside each other on the dining table.

A last longing look before he went upstairs to dream of golden sunshine and blinding smiles.

And if it took them several weeks to meet up again and have a bit of an awkward start up, it was because they’ve been busy. And if things went back to normal, Scott wouldn’t dare wish for anything else. Anything was better than not being able to be with Jimmy, to have him act his usual carefree self around him. So, Scott was happy.

He just hoped Jimmy was as well.

Chapter Text

The sun was already slipping behind the mountains of Tumble Town when Scott arrived. It had been a long day with too much to do and the cyanette needed a different sight then colourful houses. He knew one place when he could catch his breath. He was always welcome in Tumble Town, or so the Sheriff had said. His eyes searched the quiet town in hopes of finding Jimmy.

The glimmer of a gold badge caught his eye as Jimmy stepped out of the jail building, some villagers following right behind. Scott decided not to walk over, not wanting to disturb the Sheriff in his work. But Jimmy caught his eye and gave him a quick wave. Scott waved back, ignoring the curious looks of the villagers.

After his presence got acknowledged, the cyanette decided to sit down and relax. Jimmy was too busy to hang out anyway. He took a seat in an old rocking chair on the porch in front of the Saloon. Soon a drawing pad and pencils were in his lap. Scott loved to draw, he liked drawing nature the most, especially flowers. But he did the occasional portrait or architectural drawing. He looked around to find an interesting subject to draw.

Ah, over there. A small yellow bird in a big tree. Luckily for him, the bird stayed perched on the branch as he quickly sketched out the general shape of the tree. He quite liked the contrast of the bright yellow feathers against the brown of the tree. Flipping to the next page, he looked for another subject, his eyes falling on the houses on the opposite side of the road. Before he added colour, he decided to go against the simple brown tones the houses consisted of and add some typical Chromia colours. Purples, blues and oranges were quickly added to the page, making a perfect mix of Tumble Town and Chromia. Pleased with the result, he flipped to the next page.

A couple of voices could be heard nearby and Scott noticed some villagers struggling with horses on leashes. The Sheriff was among them. They were guiding the animals towards an empty pen next to the Saloon. Scott wondered what happened to make the horses so anxious. They were huffing, shuffling their feet and didn’t want to cooperate in general. The people were struggling with getting them inside the pen. Jimmy rushed towards a young man, who tried his best to hold on to the leash. He was clearly struggling.

Scott watched as Jimmy took hold and tried to calm the horse down. He nodded towards the man, who reluctantly let go. The horse seemed to calm down as Jimmy talked to it, softly petting the animal. He then led it in to the pen, to put with the others. Scott froze when Jimmy looked up and their eyes met. The Sheriff smiled. He smiled back. Jimmy then fixed his hat and went back to work.

As the cyanette watched him gather hay for the horses, inspiration struck. Without being too aware of what his hands were doing, he began to draw. His eyes flitting between the paper and the hard-working Sheriff. Jimmy looked towards the mountains, where the last rays of sun disappeared, brows furrowed and lips pursed. Scott blinked and the drawing was done. It was one of his best works, if he said so himself. He was really proud of how the portrait of Jimmy turned out. His gaze was intense, a small smile on his lips, all kinds of colours blending together to make it a whole. He seemed to be looking of the page, a hand on the brim of his hat. It was perfect in Scott’s humble opinion.

“Hey, watcha smiling about?” a voice suddenly asked, making Scott almost jump out of his chair. “Jimmy!” he said, frantically closing his drawing pad,” You can’t just sneak up on someone!” An amused was on the sheriff’s face. “I did call out to you, but you seemed to preoccupied,” he said, still smiling,” You didn’t respond.” His eyes drifted towards the drawing pad in the other’s hands. “I saw you were drawing. Did they turn out to your liking?”

Scott brushed some hair behind his ear, chuckling. “That happens when drawing, forget the world around me sometimes, sorry,” he said. Jimmy smiled and gestured towards the door of the Saloon. “Care to show me them over dinner?” he asked, one eyebrow raised. “I do always tell people to take me out to dinner first,” Scott said teasing. Jimmy rolled his eyes. “Scott, please.” Scott chuckled. “Sure, but you pay.”

“I pay.”

While they sat down, ordering something to eat, Scott showed Jimmy his drawings. He did however not show him the portrait. Jimmy’s eyes widened as he gazed upon the pages. At first he was silent, too stunned to speak. “Scott! These are beautiful!” he gasped,” You’ve got some real talent.” Scott felt his cheeks warm up with all the compliments the Sheriff threw his way. He panicked slightly when Jimmy wanted to flip to the next page, the one with his portrait on it.

“That’s quite enough,” he said, laughing breathlessly. He snatched the drawing pad from Jimmy’s hands. Their food arrived just in time to keep the sheriff from asking questions. After they ate some, it looked like Jimmy wanted to speak up, but Scott beat him to it. “So, what happened with the horses?”

Jimmy’s expression turned sour as a groan left his lips. “Creepers,” he said, before taking another bite. “Yikes.” Jimmy nodded. “Tell me about it?” Scott asked, pricking some beans on his fork. “Well…” Jimmy then proceeded to talk about his day. How in the morning it all seemed to be fine and dandy, but everything changed once midday came rolling around. From the smaller problems he had to fix, to the creeper invasion that resulted in a blown-up horse stable and run-away horses.

“Luckily, nobody got hurt,” Jimmy said,” I couldn’t live with myself if any of the villagers got hurt.” Scott’s heart swelled, but his expression turned serious. “You do realise it wouldn’t have been your fault if anything had happened?” Jimmy sighed and his shoulders sagged. “But I’m the Sheriff,” he paused,” it’s my job- no my duty! To protect the town.”

Scott smiled softly as he took one of Jimmy’s hands in his. “Especially from bandits like those creepers.” He squeezed the hand in his. It was silent for a bit. Scott unsure if he needed to say more. “Anyway,” the Sheriff said,” then I had to speed built a pen and gather all the horses.” He chuckled, remembering the chaos of this afternoon. They finished their meals and didn’t stay for desserts. When they stepped outside, the sky was already dark. They both took a moment to breath in the fresh evening air.

Before Scott could wish Jimmy a good night and leave, the other took his hand. “Come with me, I want to show you something.” It held a quiet promise to not disappoint so Scott couldn’t refuse. He let himself be led up the side of the bowl that Tumble Town resided in. As they climbed up the mountain side, Scott wondered if flying up there wouldn’t have been easier. He must admit, stumbling together and holding hands was way more romantic than simply equipping your elytra and rocketing to the top. Climbing up the mountain was literally breath-taking. Man, he was out of shape.

Their quiet almost giggles as Scott fell against Jimmy as they reached the top made Scott’s heart beat even faster. As Jimmy held him close for a moment, he could feel Jimmy’s heart do the same thing. “What did you want to show me?” Scott near whispered, not wanting to break the quiet atmosphere. Jimmy’s eyes seemed to sparkle and Scott could see a wide gin spread on his face, illuminated by the lights from the town below.

“This.”

He felt hands on his shoulders, turning him around and make him look out over Tumble Town. It was really pretty at night. Soft lights scattered around town, making sure no mobs could spawn. Only a handful of people were still outside, most were in their homes. Tumble Town was small, but it was cosy. “It’s beautiful,” he said. Jimmy chuckled as he noticed what Scott was looking at. “I do try my best, but I was actually talking about this.”

Before Scott could look at him in confusion, Jimmy tilted his head, finger softly pushing his chin up. Scott gasped. The stars were shining bright in the night sky. There were so many lights twinkling in a seemingly endless void. “That’s stunning,” he said softly, not taking his eyes off of the sky. If he had, he would’ve seen Jimmy looking at him with a soft expression on his face.

“Sure is.”

It was but a whisper. But it was enough to draw Scott’s attention. A blush appeared on both their faces when their eyes met. Scott’s lips were slightly parted, as if he wanted to speak but all words died on his tongue. His two-coloured eyes drawing the Sheriff in like a moth to a flame. Scott almost wanted to squirm under the intense gaze, but he was frozen in place. Calloused fingers softly stroke his cheek and remained there to cup his face. He leaned into the hold, keeping his eyes on the Sheriff.

It was then that he could see Jimmy’s gaze shift, as they had leaned closer together. It went from mesmerised to much too aware. His expression rapidly changed between adoration, to shock, to what looked like deep-rooted fear. Before Scott could grasp fully what was happening, Jimmy stepped back. He took the warmth with him.

The Sheriff averted his eyes, looking nervously at his own town below. “It- ahem,” he coughed,” It’s getting late. We should head inside…” Scott’s throat felt dry as he nodded. Too afraid his voice would break if he were to speak. They made their way back down silently. There was no such thing as holding hands as they scaled down the mountain side. Once back down, Jimmy accompanied Scott back to the Saloon where he would be taking a room for tonight.

They stood in front of the doors, unsure of what to do next. Before Jimmy could speak, Scott hugged him. “Thank you for showing me,” he said quietly, then released the other from his hold. He pushed against the double doors and looked back over his shoulder, one last time. “Good night, Jimmy.” As he slipped through the doors, he could hear Jimmy’s small goodbye. “Sleep well, Scott.”

The cyanette’s heart dropped, it felt like a stone at the bottom of his stomach. He wouldn’t catch any sleep tonight. To many thoughts running through his head. If he wasn’t the only one unable to sleep that night, he wouldn’t know. And if Jimmy sat upright in his bed, reprimanding himself for his actions, a couple of tears rolling down his cheeks, Scott wouldn’t know.

And he wouldn’t know how Jimmy reacted the next morning as he walked exhausted into his office, seeing the present left on his desk. He wouldn’t be able to see the stunned expression on Jimmy’s face as he unwrapped it and looked upon himself in pencil streaks. But maybe, sometime later, he would notice his work framed and hung upon the wall next to the sheriff’s desk.

And he would be able to smile.

Chapter Text

The day the pamphlets to Scarland’s great reopening spread around the Empires, was the day the entire server agreed. They had to be there. Multiple messages appeared from several people asking others if they wanted to go. The sheriff and leader of Chromia did as well.
[SolidarityGaming whispered to Smajor1995: Hey, want to go to that reopening of Scarland?]
[Smajor1995 whispered to SolidarityGaming: Want to go to Scarland together?]
Both were stunned by the fact they had managed to message each other at the exact same time. They then proceeded to plan out a time and place to meet up.

It was a great thing Grian had managed to reopen the portal that connected Hermitcraft and Empires. It had taken a long time and a lot of hard work on Grian’s side. He did everything in his power to re-establish the connection and make it stay. Now the Hermits and Emperors were able to visit each other and each other’s lands.

Jimmy remembered the day Grian had succeeded as if it was yesterday. He had received a message from the little menace he considered family, asking him to meet him at the Rift. The Sheriff had done so, dutifully alerting the other Emperors of their new attempt. The Rift had regained its purple colours, humming loudly as Jimmy stood before it.

Not long after, a figure appeared among the particles. Grian popped out, stumbling slightly. “I did it!” he shouted, his face alight with excitement. “You did it,” Jimmy smiled fondly. He did notice the dark circles under Grian’s eyes and his tussled hair. Right as he began to wonder how much energy Grian had put into all the work, Grian’s smile fell.

“I-I did it…” he sighed and stumbled. Luckily for him Jimmy’s reflexes were quick as he caught the other as he fainted. “Oh, Grian,” he muttered as he gathered the smaller in his arms. He shot a quick message to Pixlriffs and flew towards his base. Once there, Pix checked Grian’s health and came to the conclusion that he was exhausted and a little dehydrated. Jimmy could feel Grian squirm a bit when he came to. As the smaller nuzzled into Jimmy’s chest, Jimmy’s hold tightened.

“Hey there sleepyhead,” he said softly. Pix stayed quiet as he watched the two. “Hnng,” Grian groaned as he blinked. He blinked some more as he began to realise what had happened. “Timmy?” he asked, unsure if he was dreaming or not. Jimmy gave him a smile. “I… did it?” Jimmy shook his head fondly, before his expression turned serious. “You did it,” he confirmed,” But you’ve got to promise me you won’t overwork yourself again like this.” Grian looked like he wanted to disagree. “No buts!” Grian shut his mouth and nodded.

Pix had left the two alone to get a glass of water and returned to hand it to Grian. “Jimmy’s right,” he said,” You need to hydrate better and take plenty of rest. Now and when you work on big projects.” Grian almost squirmed under Pix’s gaze. “Next time, I promise not to exhaust myself,” he sighed with a pout. “Good,” Jimmy and Pix said simultaneously.

After that, and getting a clear from make-shift doctor Pixlriffs, Jimmy took Grian to his home. He made sure the other got plenty of rest, water and food in his stomach. Scott came by, actually looking for a trade with the Sheriff, but stuck around to hear Grian explain Project Re-open Rift. Jimmy sends a message in the general chat, letting all Emperors know there was now an open connection to Hermitcraft. All replies were joyous and congratulating Grian on his achievement.

Then came the questions when they could visit the Hermits they had gotten close to over time. Jimmy and Grian both agreed that they should take it slow, as to not disturb the fragile balance of the Rift. Once Grian had recovered, they send him back home where he informed the Hermits. In the following month they allowed only one visitor a day to pass through, but once it became clear the connection was stable enough, it got used like any normal portal.

Jimmy had gone through multiple times as well. He visited Grian, went to see Decked Out in the Deep Frost Citadel that Tango had so impressively build and visited Scar’s castle in his very own amusement park. Back then, Scarland had only one main street, some shops but no rides. It was still fun, but the possibility of having things like rollercoasters and tea-cup-rides made him excited to see more. Scar really knew his amusement parks.

Jimmy became more aware of that fact when he stepped through the portal that led to the entrance to Scarland, where Scott was waiting for him. Scott was dressed in a colourful striped blouse, the underside tied in a knot and navy-blue shorts. The white sneakers on his feet had red roses all over them. His hair was loosely braided together, some coloured strings mixed in between the strands. The hat was missing on top of his head, replaced by a pair of heart shaped sunglasses.

Then again, Jimmy had left his hat at home too. His choice of clothing was jean shorts and a dark blue polo shirt. Black sneakers and a black wrist band which he kept twiddling with. Scott was aimlessly scrolling through his communicator, looking slightly impatient. Jimmy adored the sight of brows furrowed and foot tapping the grass below as Scott did his best to stand still.

“I’m here, sorry I’m late,” Jimmy said once he got close enough,” Didn’t mean to keep you waiting.” Scott smiled up at him as he put away his communicator. “Ooh, but I’m very willing to wait for you,” he said, with a wink. Jimmy chuckled. Now that he got closer to the entrance, he could hear the excited screams of children and adults alike as they rode in the rollercoasters and the music blasting from the music boxes. “Ready?” Scott asked, noticing Jimmy’s excitement. The not-for-today-Sheriff nodded.

They walked to the pay desk to get their tickets for today. The employee gave them a smile and wished them a lovely day. Jimmy thanked them as he walked after Scott towards what looked like a map of Scarland. “Where to first?” he asked. The cyanette pointed at the top right. “Want to start with a rollercoaster or something less intense?” Jimmy thought for a moment. “Can we start out slow? Although I’m excited to get on all the rides, I’m afraid my breakfast will come up if we get on a rollercoaster right away.”

“Of course we can, we’ve got all the time together,” Scott said, his expression softening,” what about we start over at the back, there’s probably less people and we can take a ride on the park train.” The blonde took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good,” he said,” maybe my anxiety will have lessened a bit.” Scott took his hand and squeezed. “We’ll go round the back, avoid main street for now, there’s less people,” he said, pulling Jimmy along. The blonde shot him a grateful smile. He knew he could count on Scott.

Jimmy swung their connected hands as they walked through the park. They pointed out things that had changed since they last were there, commenting on them. As they reached their first destination, a small train that went along a rail through the park, a chime sounded. Scar’s voice filled the air, informing the guests of the park of the deals and closing times of the shops. He wished them all a fantastic day in Scarland. “Wow, for a moment I thought he was right behind us,” Jimmy laughed, slightly spooked.

“Oh, but he might just be.”

“Scar!” the jump-scared duo proclaimed. Jimmy had clung to Scott in his fear. Scar laughed loudly, stepping out from the shadows of the nearby building. “Enjoying yourselves?” he asked, petting Jellie who was lying in his arms,” I noticed you waiting in line and decided to say hello.” Scott chuckled as he patted Jimmy’s arm, resulting in the blonde letting go of his death-grip on his blouse. “Please refrain from scaring us next time,” he said. Scar laughed again.

“We actually just got here,” Jimmy said slightly embarrassed,” But the park looks really great!” Scar smiled widely. They stood talking for a bit, before the train arrived and they had to get on. “Have a fun rest of your day!” Scar shouted after them, before disappearing to the behind-the-scenes part of the park.

After riding the train around the park, they went on several more rides. The tea-cup ride, a small kid-friendly rollercoaster, a big rollercoaster with looping where they screamed their hearts out. They went on a waterslide where they got slightly wet and in a whirligig where they pretended to fly. They laughed and had fun al throughout the day. For the day, they weren’t Emperors of their kingdoms, weren’t burdened with responsibilities and paperwork. They were simply together and they had fun.

After getting cotton candy, in 3 different colours, for Scott which Jimmy paid for, a potato swirl for Jimmy, which Scott paid for despite the other protesting, they found a spot to sit down. They ate their snacks in silence, enjoying the food and company. “What’s the time?” Jimmy asked. Scott, who had leaned backwards and closed his eyes hummed questioning. “I just wanted to know how much time there’s left before the rides close for today,” Jimmy explained. His eyes roamed over main street, spotting a clock hanging from one of the shop displays. “Oh, we’ve got a good 2,5 hours left,” he said, sounding surprised. “Want to continue?” Scott asked, sitting up straight. “We could check out the shops first, let our stomachs settle?” Scott grimaced at the thought of throwing up and agreed.

As they walked through main street, Scott tried to subtly take Jimmy’s hand in his again. But the other kept moving out of reach, rushing towards a shop when he saw something of interest. The cyanette was getting frustrated by his foiled attempts. He just wanted to hold Jimmy’s hand, damn it. Once they left a shop, cat ear headbands now adorning their heads, he decided to stop being subtle. No more ‘accidental’ fingers brushing together or shy smiles. He straight up grabbed the other’s hand and held on tight.

Jimmy looked surprised from their hands to Scott’s face, but the cyanette was pointedly looking the other direction. The blonde chuckled and squeezed the hand in his, getting one back. After riding the looping rollercoaster again, they passed by the Ferris wheel. “Ooh let’s go in that one!” Scott said excited, dragging Jimmy along. He was not so thrilled, but Scott was so excited, he didn’t want to spoil it.

The waiting line was not nearly long enough for Jimmy, as they inched towards the entrance. Soon they stepped into the little cabin and his heart rate spiked. He began to shiver as the wheel started moving, making them go up. “Look over there, you can see the statue from here,” Scott said, pointing out of the window. But Jimmy wasn’t looking. He was too busy clenching the edge of the seat, knuckles white, his eyes strained on the floor in front of him. He looked at Scott’s roses covered shoes as he tried to regulate his panicked breathing.

The cyanette opposite of him had fallen silent, getting no reply. Jimmy had half a heart to reach out to him and seek out his hand to hold for comfort. Scott’s hands kept him grounded. He had unknowingly reached out a hand and Scott grabbed it, moving to sit beside the blonde. “Jimmy?” he asked worriedly. All he could hear was the thudding in his ears. He could hardly tell his breathing had quickened and came in gasps. Oh, he was having a panic attack.

“Jimmy look at me,” Scott softly said, taking his other hand in his as well. The blonde carefully moved his gaze up to Scott’s face. The cyanette moved one pair of hands to his chest, letting Jimmy feel the steady rise and fall. Their eyes met and Jimmy almost choked, seeing the worry and almost terror in Scott’s eyes. “Breath with me,” the cyanette instructed and Jimmy tried to copy his breathing. After some deep breaths the blonde could feel himself calm down.

“You’re doing great, sweetheart, keep going,” Scott said softly, squeezing his hand. The blonde stopped clenching his teeth, sighing loudly. Closing his eyes, he leaned into Scott, who let go of one of his hands to wrap I around his waist. Jimmy clenched and unclenched the hand that found its way into Scott’s blouse. “M sorry,” he whispered.

“Don’t apologize,” Scott interrupted,” You have nothing to be sorry about.” They breathed deeply in and out together. “I’m the one that should be sorry,” Scott said, drawing back a bit so he could look into Jimmy’s eyes. “You didn’t know, I didn’t say anything,” Jimmy said, shaking his head. “I should’ve asked, should’ve noticed,” the cyanette murmured. Jimmy squeezed his hand. “we’re both idiots, let’s keep it at that,” Scott said, noticing how tired Jimmy looked. That earned him a small smile.

The cabin shook a bit, making Jimmy hug Scott close. The other stroked his back in comfort. “Thank you, Scott.” Both questioned the true meaning behind those words. It wasn’t just a thanks for helping him through the panic attack, it was for so much more. They let go of each other once they got back down again and an employee opened the cabin to let them out.

Once a bit away from the Ferris wheel, Jimmy took a deep breath of fresh air. “Never doing that again,” he muttered, shoulders sagging in exhaustion. “You okay?” Scott asked, as he stepped close to Jimmy, a hand on the other’s back. Jimmy shot him a small smile. “Yeah, I’m okay now.” He really wanted to add a ‘thanks to you’, but chose not to. “Want to head home or...?” the cyanette asked, worry still in his voice.

“I’m not up for anything crazy right now, but I don’t want to go just yet,” Jimmy said. Scott seemed relieved. “We could ride the train again, to wind down a bit,” he suggested. “Sounds like a plan,” the blonde said, grabbing Scott’s hand and dragging him along. On their way, they bought some coffee and donuts. It was a lot less busy in the park, visitors slowly making their way to the exit. Once they stood in front of the station platform, a chime sounded.

“Don’t forget to visit the fireworks show, a new feature in Scarland. Every night at 7 pm, at the plaza in front of the castle. Have a nice day!” Jimmy looked around, as if to see if Scar was anywhere near them, before speaking. “A fireworks show, huh? Sounds like fun.” Scott nodded in agreement.

The train arrived and they got on, being the only ones beside a small family who sat some seats behind them. They chit chatted about nothing and everything as they rode around the park. Once they got off, they made their way to the plaza. The clock from before informed them it was around 10 minutes to 7. Plenty of people found a place to sit and enjoy the show, Jimmy and Scott finding a spot in the back where it was nice and quiet. Scar’s voice filled the quiet air as he talked about sponsors and safety regulations.

Jimmy wasn’t paying attention, he was looking over the people, humming softly to himself. When the first firework went off with a loud bang, his eyes were drawn towards the evening sky. He let out a small gasp as colours filled the sky, making all kinds of shapes. More fireworks followed and the crowd let out some ‘ooh’s and ‘aah’s. A blue flower appeared in the sky and Jimmy could hear the cyanette beside him gasp in awe. Scott’s hands were wrapped around Jimmy’s arms, body pressed against his side. “It’s beautiful,” Scott said breathlessly.

“Yes, it is.”

Jimmy was not even looking at the fireworks anymore. He was staring mesmerized at Scott’s face. Eyes wide in wonder, colours illuminating soft cheeks and parted lips. Jimmy could definitely kiss those lips.

Wait what.

Chapter Text

It was a couple of days after they all went to visit Scarland when the Emperors received an invitation to a party on Hermitcraft. Scar wanted to celebrate a successful first week since the grand re-opening and all were invited to his home. There would be booze and plenty of snacks, was scribbled on the bottom of the invitation.

Wen Jimmy spoke to Grian about the party, the other had admitted to them needing a good excuse to throw a party. And since the Rift is open, why not invite all of them? The more the merrier, right? Jimmy had laughed and shook his head. He was both excited and anxious to potentially deal with drunk Emperors and Hermits. He decided to go anyway.

Dressed in tight jeans, a white tank top and blue jacket, he stepped into Scar’s base. He felt no need to take anything Sheriff related with him. For tonight, he wasn’t the sheriff of Tumble Town. Tonight, he was just Jimmy.

“Timmy!” Grian shouted over the music once he spotted him,” you made it!” Jimmy smiled as Grian wrapped his arms around him in a hug. “Sorry I’m late,” he said, noticing how Grian’s smile seemed a bit loopy,” Are you drunk already?” Grian let go of him as he spluttered in protest. “Am not, just a bit… tipsy!” he said, smacking Jimmy’s arm. Jimmy laughed as he guided Grian to were the kitchen seemed to be, getting him a glass of water. “Drink up,” he said. “Okay, mooom,” Grian whined as he downed the glass,” Happy?”

Jimmy choose to let the comment slide, opting instead to look around. Scar had hired a DJ with booth, pumping music on the go, dance floor situated in front of them and flashing lights mounted on the ceiling. To the far-left side stood several tables filled with all kinds of snacks, followed by the bar where several people were seated, drinking or ordering some.

“Ok, bye Timmy,” Grian said as he sprinted back to the dance floor, empty glass abandoned on the counter. Jimmy sighed as he watched him go, his eyes landing on cyan coloured hair and different coloured eyes. Scott gave him a little wave, as he talked with Cleo. Jimmy walked over to the two of them, greeting them.

“Hiya, Jimmy,” Cleo shouted over the music,” How are you?” Jimmy nodded. “Good, good, how are you?” Gosh, hopefully he didn’t have to shout the entire night, he’d surely wake up with a sore throat and no voice left in the morning. “All good,” Cleo answered,” I’m going to get another drink. Want some?” Jimmy declined. She looked over at Scott, who gave her a name of something that Jimmy assumed was a drink. Once Cleo was gone, Scott grabbed the blonde’s hands and dragged him to the dancefloor.

“Dance with me?” Scott asked, although it was more of a demand. How could Jimmy decline? They moved to the beat and were soon joined by Pearl and BigB. Cleo waved Scott over to hand him his drink, accompanied by GeminiTay. After finishing his drink, he joined the dance floor to Jimmy and BigB doing a weird dance off. Pearl and Scott decided to updo them and did a bit of a tango together.

“Show offs!” BigB called out with a laugh. Jimmy was too busy realising he liked watching Scott dance to join in the banter. Tho he liked dancing with Scott more. As a slow song came up next, Pearl and BigB excused themselves, heading over to the bar. Most other people left the dancefloor as well to take a break. Jimmy half expected Scott to do the same, but he knew the cyanette better than that. Their eyes met as Scott wrapped his arms around Jimmy’s neck, the other wrapping his around Scott’s waist.

They slowly moved together and they had to wonder when they became so in sync. Probably a long time ago, longer now than it seems. Jimmy couldn’t help it as he let out a content sigh. Grian’s giggles could be heard close by. He noticed him dancing with Mumbo, leaning heavily against the other. Mumbo seemed to speak softly in Grian’s ears, making the smaller laugh out loud. Jimmy smiled as he caught Mumbo’s eyes, earning him a smile back.

“They’re cute together,” Scott said. “Yeah, tho they’re not actually together,” the blonde explained,” Grian loves him to death, but not in an entirely romantic way. It’s complicated…” Scott hummed. “I think I understand.” After a bit of silence, Scott chuckled. “Poor Mumbo tho, having to deal with a drunk Grian.” Jimmy laughed and brought his attention back to the man in front of him.

What a sight to see.

The colourful man just seemed to belong in any place. Even in dull and brown Tumble Town, where he stood out like a sore thumb. His favorite thing about Scott was the soft smiles and the glo on his face whenever he looked at Jimmy. He wanted nothing more than for Scott to keep smiling at him like that. Beaming like the last rays of sun on a summer’s evening, blinding him in the best way.

The slow song gave way for a more upbeat one, a less romantic lets-awkwardly-shuffle-around-together song. More people joined them on the dancefloor. Jimmy got tapped on the shoulder, Cleo asking if she could whisk Scott away for a dance. Jimmy nodded and let go of the cyanette, letting Cleo take his place. Although he wasn’t one to get possessive, he found it hard to let go of Scott. A voice in the back of his mind told him that he would find it more difficult to let Scott dance with someone else, if it hadn’t been one of his good friends. He knew the two were close, it would be unfair to keep them apart and keep Scott all to himself. Besides, Scott deserved some time away from him. Void beware, he smothered the man with all his affection.

Before his thoughts could become more self-decrementing, Tango bumped into him. “Hello, Jimmy,” he said with a grin,” Care to dance?” Jimmy smiled widely. “Tango! Hey, hello! How are you?” They started to move to the beat as they tried to keep up conversation. Jimmy asked how things were at Decked Out and that got Tango to go on a rave, buzzing with excitement as he told the blonde all about it. Jimmy mostly just nodded along, not really understanding what the other was talking about, but liked seeing him so enthusiastic none the less.

“You should stop by and play some time!” Tango beamed. “Sure, sounds like fun.” Jimmy couldn’t help but laugh at Tango’s happy-dance. That man was a bundle of energy and it was contagious. After some more chitchatting and dancing, a rather curious Hermit with ram like horns came to steal Tango away. “I’d better keep an eye on him,” Tango said, smile apologetic,” I’ll see you around.” Jimmy smiled and bid him farewell.

Now was a good time to take a break from all the dancing and get something to drink, so he made his way over to the bar. Before he could get there, Joel waved him over to the tables with snacks on them. “You should really try these,” Joel said, handing him a plate full of food. Jimmy could not decline, whether he wanted to or not. It was no use anyway. “They’re delicious!” Joel said, stuffing his mouth with cookies.

“Joel! Don’t speak with your mouth full!” a voice sounding a lot like Lizzie called from somewhere. Joel shrugged and stuffed yet another cookie in his mouth. Jimmy laughed and left him to it. Once at the bar, he spotted an empty seat next to Scar. He ordered a drink from the bartender, which turned out to be Xisuma, and turned around to face Scar. Words died on his tongue as he took the other’s appearance in.

Scar looked… dreadful.

He was bend over the bar, bottle loose in his hands and a very very sad look on his face. “Scar?” Jimmy asked softly, placing a hand on the other’s shoulder. “Hmm…? Oh…Jimmy…hi…” he only now seemed to realise the blonde had sat down beside him. “Are you… alright?” Jimmy worded carefully, unsure of what to say. “Huh? Yeah, I’m fine,” Scar answered, taking a swig,” Just peachy.”

Jimmy shot Xisuma a look, who just shrugged and continued drying the glasses. He didn’t seem to know any more than Jimmy did. The blonde sighed and made a decision. All focus on the miserable man besides him, he turned Scar towards himself so he could properly look him in the eyes.

“Spill.”

For a moment he thought he had been too harsh and the other wouldn’t tell him anything, but all was proven wrong when Scar spoke. “Have you ever felt like your heart got ripped out? Or that it’s beating so hard, it’s all you can hear?” Jimmy had not expected these sorts of questions, but nodded anyway. “Do you know how it feels to have your heart in someone’s hands and them squeezing too tight?” Jimmy’s eyes left Scar’s for only seconds, but Scar noticed anyway.

“Have you ever felt like the only time you could breathe properly was when they are near? Even tho they seem to steal your breath at every opportunity they have? How they’re both the reason you can stay calm, but lose your mind at the same time? That all you can think about is them…”

Jimmy’s eyes widened in shock. How had Scar been able to describe the feelings that resurfaced every time he was with Scott? He gulped. “Y-yeah?” Scar had apparently seen enough in Jimmy’s eyes as he turned towards his beer again. “Exactly,” he said. Jimmy unwittingly looked for cyan hair in the crowd of dancing people. He spotted Scott dancing, this time with Grian instead of Cleo. Scar turned around as well and sighed.

“Even now, he dances with everybody but me,” he said, sounding far too miserable,” That’s what I get for falling in love with someone that isn’t even interested in stupid old me…” He went to take another swig of his drink, when Jimmy stopped him. “No, Scar, stop that,” he said sternly. Scar looked confused at him. “No matter who or what’s happening, you do not talk about yourself like that.”

“You are not stupid, far from it. You’re wonderful, smart and anybody who doesn’t see that is stupid themselves. You’ve got the looks and the charm, being able to dazzle everybody around you. Never think otherwise.”

Scar blinked, a tear rolling down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away. “Thanks,” he muttered,” I guess I needed to hear that.” Jimmy smiled and pulled him in for a side hug. Scar chuckled slightly at their weird position. “It’s no wonder Scott likes you so much,” he chuckled again. Jimmy froze. “W-what?” he asked, letting go of Scar.

“Oh you know, you’re quite smart too and handsome as well,” Scar said,” and you’re so kind. So it’s no wonder Scott picked you.” Jimmy looked very confused. As did Scar. “I-I mean,” he continued,” even my employees in Scarland were talking about how cute you two looked on your date. They called you the perfect couple! Relationship goals and such. And I can see why.”

Jimmy’s heart thudded loudly. His eyes darted over to Scott, Scar following his gaze. “Scott- I- I- we’re- we’re not, n-not a c-couple,” he stuttered. All of a sudden, he felt rather hot. Was it suddenly hot in here? He started to sweat as all kind of thoughts ran through his head. They looked like a couple? People thought they were together? They looked cute? It looked like a date? Had it been a date?!

“Y-you’re not?” Scar asked unsure, his eyes darting from Scott to Jimmy and back. Jimmy shook his head. His throat felt dry all of a sudden, his breath coming in quick gasps. His palms were sweating and he felt his knees buckle as he slid of his stool. Him and Scott, a thing. That wouldn’t be so bad, right? He wasn’t sure. He liked Scott, he did! But there was nothing more to it…. Right? Right?

Scott doesn’t love him like that. He didn’t look all love-sick at Jimmy. He didn’t tell him he wanted to spend time together, he didn’t hold his hand every chance he got. They weren’t almost never apart and when they were they didn’t miss the other. Scott didn’t want to be with Jimmy. He was sure of it. Scott was not in love with him.

As soon as that thought came to mind, he felt his world crumble. He shot down all his thoughts and feelings, or at least tried to. He desperately tried to stop thinking about his and Scott’s adventures, interactions, moments spend together. “Jimmy? Are you okay? You’re breathing too quickly!” Scar asked concerned, getting no response. Shoving away the thoughts of what could be, could’ve been and what ifs. All thoughts centered around Scott. Scott and his beautiful eyes, Scott and his nervous habit of playing with his hair. Scott and his blinding smile. Scott, Scott, Scott.

Scott, who could apparently spot the panicked look in Jimmy’s eyes from a mile away. Scott, who was making his way over to him. Jimmy hadn’t realised his wide-eyed stare hadn’t left the cyanette, hadn’t notice their eyes meeting. He was unaware of Scar panicking as well beside him, because Jimmy stayed unresponsive. Scar looking around to find a way to get help. All he could hear was the ringing in his ears as panic stole his breath away.

Scott was so close, almost there. Almost at Jimmy’s side. He could see the clear worry in the other’s eyes, the way his hand was outstretched, ready to take Jimmy’s in his. He couldn’t take it anymore. He needed air. He needed to get out of here. So he ran.

He ran from the party, he ran from Scar’s base. He ran from Hermitcraft as he went through the Rift. He ran home. Most importantly, he ran from the people, he ran from Scar.

And instead of running towards him, he had run away from Scott.

Chapter Text

Tumble Town was quiet. Then again, it almost always was. But lately it had gotten quieter and the villagers agreed to what caused it. They had seen less and less of their Sheriff over time. The man had always been hardworking, doing his utmost best to keep things in order. Tho often neglecting his paperwork to do more hands-on jobs around town, helping the villagers wherever he could. Even if it wasn’t needed and they could handle it themselves, it was greatly appreciated. Besides, they liked the company of their Sheriff.

Nowadays, he was hardly seen. At first, he drowned himself in paperwork in his office, then he took it with him and hardly left his house. He never visited the Saloon anymore, didn’t find himself among his people. Only riding his horse to meet with other Emperors, but even that happened less and less. And if he ever came outside, he could not mask the exhaustion clear on his face.

The town grew worried. They didn’t know what was wrong with their leader, or what had caused such behaviour. All they knew was that it all started a month ago…

Jimmy didn’t know how long it’s been since that faithful evening. He didn’t realise how much had changed. All he knew were the thoughts that kept running through his head, keeping him up at night. There were two sides of the coin. One voice that told him that being in love was a joyous thing, something wonderful. After all, being in love meant the feeling of butterflies in his stomach and happiness whenever that special person was nearby. Finally, someone he could cast all his affection upon, give them gifts and make them smile.

But the other voice was louder. The voice that represented his insecurities. Being in love was fine, except it wasn’t just a crush on anybody. No, it had to be the one he considered his best friend. And you know what happened if he confessed his love to Scott and he didn’t feel the same? He would ruin the only good thing he had. He would ruin the one friendship that kept him going, kept him from going insane with loneliness. Scott would be appalled by him. Why would he want to be romantically involved with Jimmy?

At first, he thought he could suppress his feelings, act as if nothing was wrong and everything was the same as before. But Jimmy could no longer deny his feelings, now that they had gotten a name. He even tried to visit Chromia after a week, but as soon as his eyes landed on its leader his heart launched in his throat and all the words wanted to spill from his mouth. The one voice told him it wouldn’t be such a bad idea, but the other told him he was a coward and that he should run. So he did, flying home in record time.

He decided then and there he would no longer meet with Scott. Not until his stupid feelings had gone away. He assigned a villager to act as a representative, handling the meetings and trade deals. He would work on removing the feelings and thoughts of Scott out of his mind. He decided to focus on paperwork. But he slowly found out how many things reminded him of the colourful man. The portrait that hung in his office, to the Saloon where they had shared a meal and even the top of the mountains.

He hid himself away in his house, with just Norman and Flick as company, trying to drown himself in his work. But even in the night, he couldn’t escape two coloured eyes. He dreamt of shared whispers and hands held, soft smiles and bright colours. Most often than not, he awoke with a start, tears pricking in the corners of his eyes. He’d shake his head, put on his hat and start his day. Even tho he wasn’t ready to face another one without Scott by his side.

Scott sighed as he landed in the dusty mesa. A tumbleweed rolled by him in a gust of wind. Tumble Town almost looked abandoned. Scott was scared for a moment that it actually was. It would explain Jimmy’s ‘disappearance’. But a farmed feeding his animals and an older woman sitting in her rocking chair, knitting, proved the town to be lived in.

Scott sighed once more and went on his way to find the Sheriff. That was why he was there after all. Ever since the party, the other hadn’t visited Chromia or reached out to him. He remembered that evening as if it was yesterday. One moment he had been dancing with Grian, laughing his heart out at the silly antics of the other. The next he had been inches away from Jimmy, who had fled from the building like a cornered animal. Eyes wide in fear as Scott had walked towards him.

Some guests had noticed Jimmy’s hasty retreat, but most continued whatever it was they were doing. Scott’s eyes had met Scar’s, looking for answers. But the other had looked panicked and confused. Then Joel was in Scar’s face, demanding what he did to Jimmy to make him so upset. Lizzie and Oli both had to hold him, to keep him from doing something stupid. The pink haired woman yelling at Joel to keep his calm and ask questions before, not after.

Scar had stayed eerily silent throughout it, his eyes lingering on Scott. “What happened?” Mumbo asked, as he and Grian came over,” Where’s Jimmy gone?” Everyone looked at Scar. Scott did not miss the way Grian’s expression changed to one of worry as he stepped towards Scar. “I-I don’t know! One moment we were talking and he was giving me some good advice and all of a sudden he started to panic and stop responding to me…”

“He just ran away,” he said as his eyes met Scott’s again. His expression was one of guilt, as if it was all his fault. “That doesn’t sound like Jimmy,” Lizzie said, a thoughtful look on her face. They had let go of Joel, who was now drumming his fingers on his crossed arms. “I’m sorry for lashing out,” he muttered to Scar who quite frankly looked like he was about to cry. Grian stepped towards the man and wrapped his arms around him.

Scott didn’t know how to feel. Or what to think. Maybe it had been the amount of people in the room that made Jimmy panic? Maybe his anxiety had been acting up? But never before had Jimmy looked at him like that. Like he was afraid of Scott. Never before had Jimmy ran away from him. Was it something he had done? Something he said?

He noticed multiple eyes staring at him, pulling him out of his thoughts. “What?” Oli stepped towards him. “We asked if you knew what is up with Jimmy,” he said,” Since, ya know, you know him best.” And wasn’t that just like the final nail in the coffin. He was supposed to know Jimmy best, he was supposed to know what was going on with his best friend. And yet, as he stood before his other friends, all looking with variations of hope in their eyes at him, he could not tell them what was wrong. He could not ease their worries. His own spiked.

“I-I,” he gulped,” I don’t know…” the surprised and shocked looks didn’t make him feel any better. They stood around awkwardly, wondering what to do. “Maybe he just needs a moment to himself?” Mumbo suggested carefully,” Give him some time.” The others nodded. “He’ll come around,” Grian said, sounding a lot more sober now,” He’s Timmy. He can’t stay mad forever.”

Scott’s stomach dropped at the wording. Mad. Was Jimmy mad? “I’ll go and see if he made it back alright,” Joel muttered before turning away. Lizzie followed him, taking some snacks from the tables for their travel back. Oli disappeared soon after. Mumbo stroke a hand through his hair, sighing before sitting down at the bar, ordering a drink. Grian didn’t let go of his hold on Scar as he moved towards the dancefloor, muttering something about ‘dancing to ‘distract’ themselves. Before the smaller could drag him away, Scar looked into Scott’s eyes and mouthed the words ‘I’m sorry’. The cyanette had never felt so unsure, confused and alone as he did back then.

In the following days, Scott gave Jimmy space. He send the occasional message, asking how the other was doing, offering help if he needed so. And although the answers were short and vague, it calmed his nerves to some extent. He had hoped to catch Jimmy roaming around Chromia, but he never came to visit. Scott kept reminding himself that Jimmy might need more space and some more time.

But after weeks and weeks of no replies, not seeing Jimmy, he decided to visit Tumble Town. He was going absolutely mad in his own kingdom, not knowing what Jimmy was up to or how he was doing. One time he even thought he had seen the Sheriff, but when he blinked, he was gone. He had sent a message ahead of time, informing the other of his visit. Now it seemed he wasn’t home.

As he stood in an empty office-jail building, he noticed the dust piled up on the desk. The mesa was always dusty and covered in sand, but it looked like the Sheriff hadn’t been there in ages. He grabbed a pen and piece of paper and decided to write Jimmy a letter. It held all the words he wished he could tell Jimmy himself, stating how he was there for him and that he could tell him anything. If he would just let him help him.

He sighed for the umpteenth time that day, as he excited the building and made his way over to Jimmy’s home. He knocked on the door, somehow still hoping the other would open the door and greet him. But no answer came, the door staying firmly shut. Shoving the note under the door, hoping Jimmy would eventually see it. Or maybe Norman would bring him the note, who knows. Sparing one last glance at the door, he equipped his elytra. Before he took off, he waited a moment, feeling as if Jimmy was right there. Right there behind that door, yet so very far away. The door remained shut and Scott took off.

He wouldn’t know that Jimmy found the note. He had been standing there, right behind the door. Even tho he wanted to so very badly, he was unable to open the door. Hearing Scott so close by made his heart throb painfully. The paper rustled as he picked up the note. He felt his hands start to tremble and tears drip down his cheeks as he finished reading. Why did Scott have to make it so difficult to not have feelings for him? Why did he have to care? Couldn’t he just leave Jimmy wallow in despair alone, without the added feeling of guilt weighing him down? Why did Scott have to be so damn perfect?

He crumbled up the note and threw it in the furthers corner. Why couldn’t he see that he was trying to save their friendship? He was. He didn’t need help, he couldn’t accept help. Scott couldn’t help it. He’d only make Jimmy love him more. A scream of frustration tore from his throat as he ripped the Sheriff’s hat from his head and smashed it on the ground. He was unworthy of being a Sheriff, if he couldn’t even control some stupid feelings. Tears were flowing freely as he slid against the door. The very door he refused to open. He wanted to hide away. Hide away from his feelings, hide away from the world. Stupid feelings. Stupid perfect Scott.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Chapter Text

It took another 2 weeks of Jimmy isolating himself, before a server wide meeting was called. They met in Animalia, Lizzie’s kingdom, gathering in the community hall. Pixlriffs stood on the head of the table, trying to quiet the loudly talking group of Emperors. All except Scott were discussing what the meeting was called for and why a certain Sheriff was excluded.

“Quiet!” Katherine suddenly roared, shutting them all up. “Thank you, Katherine,” Pix said, slightly impressed by her action. If the Great Witch Shelby was staring at the princess with heart eyes, nobody mentioned it. “Now then, we have some serious business to attend to,” Pix said, voice low and stern,” Are any of you aware of what’s happening in Tumble Town?”

Some Emperors simply shook their heads, others looked curious as to why he asked such a thing. A few stayed very silent. “Why? Is anything wrong?” Gem asked concerned. “Haven’t seen him in a while,” Joey the Pirate said, shrugging. “He hasn’t visited me to buy potions,” Shelby added, her fingers twitching nervously. She seemed to reconsider and added softly; “I haven’t actually seen him in a long time now…”

Pix looked across the table at the 3 who knew Jimmy best. Scott, Lizzie and Joel shared a look amongst themselves. “He hasn’t asked anybody for aid? Trades?” the man asked. “Nothing from the Goblands,” fWhip said. “Nor Sanctuary,” MysticalSausage added. “Pix,” Katherine said, her voice having an edge of fear,” What’s going on?”

The others fell silent as Pixlriffs sighed. “It has come to my attention that the Sheriff has made no trades, contact or appointments with anybody for quite some time now.” He coughed before explaining. “I stationed one of my people in Tumble Town, to keep an eye out after Jimmy failed to respond to multiple of my messages. They mentioned spotting the Sheriff only a couple of times during their stay and there were rumours of abnormal behaviour from the Sheriff, or so they’ve told me. They also mentioned multiple visits from Emperors, without response from Jimmy.”

Scott felt his heart clench at the thought of Jimmy all alone. Had he really pushed everyone away? A voice in the back of his head told him he should be glad he wasn’t the only one being ignored, but it only increased his worry. “I’m afraid he’s in dire need of help, but unwilling or unable to ask for it,” Pix said. His eyes met Scott’s. Gem gasped and someone else started to mutter in distress.

“He really hasn’t sought out any of us?” Katherine asked softly. Most shook their heads. Joel and Lizzie seemed to have a silent conversation through a staring contest and raised eyebrows. Scott no longer tried to follow, his eyes casted on the table in front of him. Pix’s words rang in his ears. ‘Dire need’, ‘unwilling or unable to ask for help’, ‘no response’. He believed he had been the only one being avoided by Jimmy, somehow thinking it was him who was to blame. Now he learned the other had completely shut himself off from the world, locking himself in his home.

He was wrecking his brain, trying to find answers to all of his questions. Why had Jimmy pushed them away? Why didn’t he come to him for help? He began to feel dizzy. “…not even Scott?” False asked, making it go eerily silent. All eyes were on Scott and he was unsure of how to answer. Not trusting his voice, he shook his head. All kinds of questions and shocked statements followed, overwhelming him.

Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes and he sniffled. It quieted down when Lizzie sprang up from her seat, a frown on her face. “That’s quite enough!” she barked,” Leave him alone, can’t you see it’s hurting him enough as is?” Her arm was outstretched towards the cyanette. If everybody else had been so shocked by Jimmy not talking to Scott, what did that say about them? Even they believed them to be inseparable. He would be Jimmy’s first choice to come to for help, as would the blonde be his. The heavy feeling in his stomach grew in intensity and he found it hard to breath.

“Oh, Scott,” Shelby said and quickly made her way over to the other. Arms wrapped around him and he only wanted to cry harder. All he wanted was to be able to be there for Jimmy. To hold him and comfort him, make him smile again. He was doing a horrible job so far. He closed his eyes as he felt another hand on his arm, squeezing in support. “I’ve tried to visit on multiple occasions,” Joel said,” to check up on him after-.”

He snapped his mouth shut. Lizzie shot him a disbelieving look. It was too late, the others heard enough to get curious. “After what?” Joey asked. “After Scar’s party,” Lizzie answered. “What happened at the party? I had great fun,” Sausage asked curious. Gem gave him a deadpan look. “You were too drunk to notice anything wrong,” she said. Sausage looked unapologetic as he shrugged.

“We’re not entirely sure what happened…” Lizzie continued,” he seemed to have a panic attack, while talking to Scar. He shut down completely and left the party early.” Scott looked up, to give her a grateful smile for taking the lead in explaining what happened. “Me and Joel followed shortly after, to see if he was alright. He had made it back home safely, but claimed to be too tired and he would speak to us later. We decided to give him time and space, to recover. Nobody likes having those types of panic attacks, especially not in front of others.”

“We just didn’t know it would lead to this…” Joel added. Some nodded in understanding. “Sounds like it really drained him,” Shelby said,” I know I’d need time to get my energy back.” Lizzie shared a look with Scott. “Sadly, it seems his condition has only gotten worse,” Pix added. “I wished he would talk to me at least…” Scott whispered. Shelby’s hold tightened and he could now see it was Oli’s hand on his shoulder. He tried to show his appreciation by giving them a watery smile.

“We need to do something about this, help him out,” Pix said. Scott nodded, determined yet frustrated he could not fulfil that role. “Is there anybody who could help? Someone he has to listen to?” fWhip asked. A look shared between Joel, Lizzie and Scott, as a lightbulb seemed to go off. They knew just the person they needed to talk to Jimmy.

“Grian.”

Chapter Text

Grian sighed as he stepped through the Rift. Traveling through the purple portal still made him nauseous and dizzy. But he had good reason to travel all the way to Empires. He received a message from Joel, asking him to come asap. Something was wrong with his Timmy and the blonde needed him. He stretched his wings and took off into the sky.

Joel hadn’t told him all that much, but it was enough to make him insanely worried. It was nothing like Tim to distance himself, the man practically thrived on the company of others. Even if they teased Timmy endlessly, the blonde encouraged them. He got his energy from spending time with his friends and caring for them. He always had. To now hear that he had been all alone for the past month, made a shiver run down Grian’s spine.

He knew that whatever happened at the party was the cause of all this, even tho he could hardly remember how the night went. He vaguely remembered lots of dancing, Timmy freaking out and him comforting Scar. Before he could worry himself more, Tumble Town came into view. For someone who lived off of the energy from others, Timmy sure had picked himself a closed off Empire. He landed, kicking up a dust cloud. Coughing slightly, he brushed sand off of his clothes, looking around town.

“Timmy?” he called out, his voice echoing back at him. Gosh, this place looked more and more like an abandoned ghost town. He checked the Jail, but there was nowhere there. He then proceeded to check the Saloon, broke down the door to Timmy’s house when he got no answer, only to find it empty as well. Except for the cats, who greeted him enthusiastically. After giving Norman and Flick some well-deserved pats, he continued looking for the Sheriff. He walked into the Bank, suppressing the urge to ‘borrow’ some of its treasures. Maybe later, but right now Timmy was in distress and he wouldn’t add to that feeling.

As he kept shouting the sheriff’s name, a villager rushed over. “Mister Grian,” a young girl greeted,” I think I know where he’s hiding, sir.” Grian looked at her expectantly. “He likes to pet the cows whenever he feels upset,” she explained,” He’s been really upset lately. I figure he’s in the Barn…” Grian smiled and thanked, walking into the direction she pointed at. It did sound like a Timmy thing to do.

As he entered the Barn, the loud mooing of the cows greeted him. He stood on his tiptoes to see over the herd and he could vaguely make out a cowboy hat. “Timmy,” he called out, watching the hat sink lower. He was trying to hide, that wasn’t a good sign. “I’m coming over,” Grian warned. He moved through the herd of cows, lightly shoving them aside until he could spot Timmy.

The blonde looked dreadful. His hair was a tussled mess with straw sticking out in various places. Eyes red and puffy, a sign he’d been crying. Knees bent and head resting on his arms, trying to hide the sniffles still escaping him.

“Oh, Timmy…”

Grian sat down softly beside the other. He slowly reached a hand out as to not scare the other. It took a painstakingly long moment before Jimmy reached out and grabbed his hand. Once he did, Grian pulled him into a hug. His hold tightened as he felt Jimmy began to tremble.

“It’s okay, you’re okay,” he muttered,” I’m here now. You’re not alone.” Jimmy let out a sob, more and more escaping him. The damn had broken and all of the cries he had held back came pouring out all at once as he burrowed closer into Grian’s sweater. The other spoke soothing words as he rubbed Jimmy’s back to try and soothe him.

After some time, Grian could feel Jimmy’s breathing start to even out as his sobs died down. “Can you tell me what happened?” he asked softly. Jimmy pulled back a bit. “I’m in love with my best friend,” the blonde said, fresh tears forming in his eyes. Grian’s mind went blank. He had mentally prepared for a lot of things, thieves, robbery, financial problems, crumbling under the pressure of leading an entire Empire. He was not prepared for love and despair.

“You- what?”

Jimmy shuddered as he took a deep breath. “I found out I have feelings for Scott and it overwhelmed me,” he said, looking away,” I got scared, Grian. So scared.” The smaller’s brain was working overtime as he tried to think of words to say. “Why?” Jimmy shrugged. “I didn’t want to ruin what we had, but I couldn’t keep it inside.”

“So you hid yourself away to suffer alone?” Grian asked incredulous. Jimmy shrugged again. Grian’s hands were on his arms, squeezing tightly, as he kept the man in his lap at arm’s length. “Why would you do that, Tim? You should’ve gone to Joel or Lizzie, not try to suffer through it alone!” He felt himself shaking a bit with distress, loosening his grip. Jimmy stayed awfully silent.

“Timmy, have you been harsh on yourself again?” Jimmy nodded, still not looking at the other. Grian sighed and hugged him close again. “I understand it’s difficult not to do, I’m sorry you went through that,” he whispered. Jimmy finally looked at him, eyes big and wet. “Have you considered telling Scott?” Grian asked. Jimmy shook his head. “Have you even considered the possibility of Scott loving you back?”

Jimmy looked confused. He actually looked confused, like he had no idea what Grian was talking about. Grian wanted to facepalm, it was a good thing he couldn’t with him still holding Jimmy. “You dummy,” he chuckled. Jimmy dare dream about such a possibility. He was too convinced Scott never wanted to be in a relationship with him. “you’re going to have to tell him,” Grian said, getting serious,” Sooner, rather than later. This has been going on for too long.”

“I-I can’t,” Jimmy croaked out. “Yes, you can,” Grian interrupted,” You need to face the others and explain what is going on. They’re worried sick!” Jimmy’s expression turned to one of guilt. “I’m sorry.” Grian shook his head. “Don’t apologize, you’re doing your best.” He let go of Jimmy. “You don’t have to face this alone, I will be with you for the rest of the way.”

Jimmy smiled wearily at him. “O-okay, I’ll do it,” he said, nervously rubbing his hands together. Grian gave him a warm smile. “I’ll gather everybody, don’t you worry about that,” he ruffled Jimmy’s hair,” now go and clean yourself up. Take a shower, you’ll feel better.” Jimmy smiled and nodded. As he tried to stand up, his knees buckled and he almost fell back to the ground. A cow helped him, by gently pushing against his back to steady him and staying there for support. “I’ll see you in a bit,” Jimmy said, leaving the Barn.

Grian let out a breath he had been holding, trying to calm his frayed nerves. It was alright, Timmy was alright. Or at least, he would be. He just had to get through this. And judging by the way Grian had seen Scott look at Jimmy, he felt pretty certain things would work out for the better. Call it a gut feeling, but he could foresee a happy ending for the two of them.

Void knows Jimmy deserved one.

-----------------------------------------

Everybody was summoned to the Saloon in Tumble Town, a message stating the sheriff wanted to explain himself. It seemed their plan to send Grian in to talk to Jimmy had worked. They were talking among themselves, all discussing various reasons to Jimmy’s behaviour. As the last Emperor arrived, the sky began to crackle.

“It looks like a storm is coming,” Sausage mused. All eyes went to Joel. “Hey!” he called out,” Not my fault! Thunderstorms do happen on their own, not just when I’m clapping.” He huffed and crossed his arms. Lizzie chuckled and patted his arm. “We’re all a bit anxious to see Jimmy,” she said, which earned her a stare from the God. “Sure, but nobody is as anxious as that,” fWhip said, nodding towards Scott.

The cyanette sat at the bar, away from the others who were seated in the lounge area. His painted fingernails drumming on the wooden top, chin resting in his hand. He occasionally huffed, tying to move some loose strands of hair out of his face without actually putting in the effort. “…that’s true,” Lizzie said, face blank.

She felt her own anxiety rise as she looked at Scott. She was just so nervous to see what would happen once the two saw each other. It was no secret the two shared a deeper connection. She hoped Jimmy would let Scott help him. “They’re here!” Oli called from the window where he kept an eye out for the appearance of the Sheriff. He sprinted back to the lounge area to sit beside Sausage.

The doors opened as two figures walked through. Grian stepped in first, a serious expression on his face. A small gasp could be heard among the silence as Jimmy stepped into view. It was clear to everybody that the man was exhausted, his face paler than usual. Scott stood from his seat, keeping himself from rushing over to Jimmy and wrap him in a hug. Jimmy looked fragile and filled with anxiety and Scott wanted nothing more than to hold him and hide him away from the world. But he kept his feet nailed to the ground.

Grian’s eyes met Scott’s and he nodded. “Would you please join us in the lounge?” he asked,” Timmy needs to speak.” Scott nodded, latching on the other’s words. ‘Needs to’ not ‘wants to’. His eyes landed on Jimmy again, who pointedly looked anywhere but him. A stone dropped heavy in his stomach. Was he really to blame for how terrible Jimmy felt? He gulped as he moved to sit next to Lizzie, who took his hand in his.

Jimmy sat down as well, facing all of them. “You can do this,” Grian said, giving Jimmy’s shoulder a squeeze before stepping back. The others stayed silent as Jimmy cleared his throat multiple times, finding it hard to speak. “F-first of all,” he said, taking a deep breath,” I want to apologize. For not responding, for not communicating and for worrying you.” His eyes wandered around the crowd, ending at Joel and Lizzie.

Scott didn’t take his eyes off of him, mind rushing a mile a minute. It was as if he hadn’t seen the other for years, only now realising he did not want to spend another day without him. “I-I owe you all an explanation,” Jimmy continued, gaze on the floor boards again. “You see, some time ago, something happened. S-something that made me realise things and it overwhelmed me greatly.” He took a moment to steady his breath. “I became scared, panicked,” he said, growing more silent,” I should’ve gone to someone and talk about it, I should’ve. But truth is, I didn’t know what to do.”

He nervously rubbed his hands together and Scott wanted to badly to reach out and hold them. He squeezed Lizzie’s hand instead, earning one back. “You’re right, you should’ve come to me- any of us,” Joel said softly,” We’re here to help you whenever you need it. Whatever you need it for.” Jimmy smiled sadly. “But,” Joel continued,” I know it’s not always within our might to do so, sometimes we are simply unable to take that step.”

Jimmy nodded. “Just know that we are here for you,” Lizzie added, a small smile on her face. Some others voiced their agreements and Jimmy gave them all a grateful look. “May I ask what it was that made you feel this way?” Shelby asked carefully. Jimmy sighed, nodded and held his head up high. This was the moment he had been dreading the most. Scott recognised it as his ‘gotta shoulder through it’ attitude and became more worried.

“It was actually something Scar mentioned,” he said, looking a bit sheepish,” He mentioned me and… Scott.” It was the first time Jimmy looked, actually looked at the cyanette. And it took his breath away. Why did he look so upset? What did Scar say about him that made Jimmy look at him this way? Had he done something wrong? Had he done not enough? Too much? Oh Joel, why did he have to look so sad.

“Scar told me his Scarland personnel had thought me and Scott were together. They even called us the perfect couple.” Jimmy averted his eyes from Scott and the other’s brain went haywire. So that’s it? That is what had been upsetting Jimmy? The mere idea of him and Scott romantically involved had driven him to a panic? It made him recoil so hard he had shut out everybody else as well? No wonder he didn’t want to see Scott anymore.

Through the haze and his lungs struggling to take in breaths, he could hardly hear Jimmy continue. “It unlocked something in me,” Jimmy tried to explain,” Like Scar had pushed a button in my brain and all of a sudden all these feelings I avoided before came rushing in and got a name. I freaked out.” Jimmy wasn’t looking at Scott. He didn’t dare see his expression, see his reaction.

If he had, he would’ve seen the tears in Scott’s eyes. Lizzie’s gaze snapped to Scott, who she could feel starting to tremble. “I guess I never really thought of us that way,” Jimmy’s gaze went back up to Scott,” I guess I never realised I was in love with you-.” His sentence got cut short as Scott all of a sudden shot up from his seat and ran towards the exit of the Saloon. The others stared after him in shock. They had not expected that to be his answer to the confession. The tears, sure, but not the getting-the-heck-out-of-there.

Grian didn’t hesitate when he darted after Scott, out the door. They could hear him shouting at Scott to stop running. Lizzie wanted to cry as she saw Jimmy’s heartbroken look. He sat there, frozen in place, tears pricking in the corner of his eyes. Oli started rambling to fill the awkward silence. Shelby and Katherine shared a look. Sausage stood to place a hand on Jimmy’s shoulder.

“Thanks for telling us,” Gem said, cutting of Oli’s rambling,” That wasn’t an easy thing to do.” Jimmy tried to give her a smile, but it barely showed. The others fell silent, unsure of what to say or what to do as rain started to pour on Tumble Town’s roofs. Grian’s shouts could still be heard, followed by thunder crackling through the sky.

“I’m sorry mate-” Joel started to say, standing up. Jimmy’s expression hardened all of a sudden and he sprung up. He grabbed his hate and rushed outside, leaving the others staring after him. They swarmed around the windows to see the spectacle about to happen outside. They could see Scott standing in the middle of town, ready to fly off. Grian was begging him to wait and stay. Both were soaking wet.

Jimmy stormed over to Scott. The cyanette went to use a rocket and flee Tumble Town, but Jimmy was too fast. He grabbed the other’s wrist, holding on tight. “Please,” he begged, not sure what for. Scott looked from his hand up to Jimmy’s eyes. “Please let me explain.” He could barely make out the tears streaming down Scott’s face, mixing in with the raindrops.

“You don’t have to, it’s okay,” Scott said, faking a smile,” You don’t have to tell me how much you don’t want to be with me.” Jimmy let go in shock, taking a step back. “Not wanting to be with you?!” he asked incredulous,” Scott. All I could think about was being with you!” Scott froze.

“You- what?” Thunder rolled through the sky once again. “I want nothing more than to be with you, I can’t stand being away from you.” Scott shook his head. “Then why-?” Jimmy looked guilty. “Because I was a coward and I was afraid,” he said, keeping their eyes locked,” I was stupid and chose to hide away, to keep my feelings locked in.”

Scott stepped towards him. “Y-you’re not appalled by the idea of you and me together?” he asked unsure. “Never,” Jimmy said confidently,” I was afraid to ruin our friendship. It was the only good thing I had and I broke it anyway…” His smile turned sad, eyes on the ground in front of them. Scott took another step towards him. He reached his hand out and took Jimmy’s in his.

“Jimmy…” he cupped the other’s cheek and made him look into his eyes. “Did you really think I was unable to love you back?” a watery smile appeared on his face. “Do you really think yourself so unlovable?” Jimmy shook his head. “I was so busy panicking, I didn’t stop to consider the possibilities of you liking me back.” He nuzzled into Scott’s hand.

“You dummy,” Scott said. “So I’ve been told,” Jimmy responded. Another crack of thunder. “But I could be your dummy? If you want to?” he asked hopeful. A blush crept on his face, making him feel warmer than he actually was. Scott laughed. It was a genuine laugh, one that seemed to release all the tension that had built up between the two of them.

“I would love that,” Scott said, leaning into Jimmy. His heart ached at the lights twinkling in the blonde’s eyes. He really wanted to kiss him. Oh wait, he could actually do that now. Letting go of Jimmy’s face, chuckling at the pout that formed on the other’s lips as he instead wrapped his arms around the other’s neck. Then he pulled and finally mashed their lips together.

Jimmy let out a surprised sound, but soon closed his eyes and melted into the kiss. It was wet and it was messy, bumping their nose together and clanking their teeth, but it was perfect. They pulled apart as lighting and thunder appeared at the same time, lighting up the soaking wet town. It could be the look Scott was giving him as he pulled the cyanette in for another kiss, or it was the fact they had been standing out in the rain for so long that made him shiver. Probably the latter. He was for sure catching a cold.

“We’ll be sick together,” Scott said as he pulled away. He was already able to read Jimmy’s mind. “Then who will take care of us?” the blonde wondered out loud. “We’ll make Grain care for us,” Scott chuckled. “Absolutely not!” Grian shrieked, making the two jump apart for they had forgotten the other was there. Oops.

“It was your own stupid faults to get in this situation, you take care of yourselves,” he huffed,” Timmy should’ve just told you from the start and you should listen better and not walk out of Timmy’s confession.” Both flushed red. “Yeah, that was stupid of us.” Grian rolled his eyes. “Although I’m happy to see you two together and happy and all that. I’d rather get out of this rain now.”

As Grian stormed off, back into the Saloon, Jimmy tugged on Scott’s arm. “What’s up?” Scott asked. “Nothing,” the other answered,” just wanted to tell you I love you.” Scott chuckled. “I love you too.” Jimmy smiled brightly. Then promptly sneezed loudly. “Ok, time to head inside,” Scott said, faking being insulted.

Before they entered the Saloon, Scott dragged Jimmy in for a chased kiss. A cheeky smile on his face as Jimmy blushed even more. A loud cheering erupted as they entered the building, Oli screaming a ‘Finally!’. “You can quit the lightning show now, Joel,” fWhip said. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the God said, lighting crackling between his fingertips. “Congratulations you two!” Lizzie said, bouncing over to them. She pulled them both in a hug, then smacked them both on the arm. “Never do that again!”

“Yes ma’am,” Jimmy said. “Wasn’t planning on it,” Scott said. Grian walked down the stairs, in a new and dry set of clothes. His hair was slightly tussled from trying to dry it with a towel. “I have some spare clothes upstairs,” Jimmy said, turning to Scott. “Oh? We’re already on the stealing-my-boyfriend’s-clothes phase?” the cyanette said smugly. Jimmy froze and whispered the word ‘boyfriend’ as if he couldn’t quite believe it yet.

“Just give it some time and I could be your husband,” Scott said with a wink, heading for the stairs. “H-husbands?! Jimmy squawked as he moved followed the other. He could hear Sausage giggle and Joey quietly say ‘eeww’. He shook his head and walked upstairs. Never before had he been so glad he came up with the idea of putting spare clothes in the upstairs bedrooms in case travellers needed them. He quickly changed into them and tried to dry his hair. He soon gave up and dumbed the towel on the bathroom floor. He was far too impatient to get back to Scott and showering him in kisses.

Once he returned downstairs, he noticed Scott waiting for him. He could hear the piano playing and Oli singing his own rendition of ‘Kiss the Girl’. Scott pecked him on the cheek once he stopped beside the man. Jimmy pulled him in for a proper kiss. “Hey lovebirds!” Sausage called them over,” come play Never have I ever with us.”

Scott groaned and Jimmy laughed. fWhip had started the fire in the fireplace so it was nice and cosy in the lounge. The two boyfriends sat on the couch besides False. “I’ll start!” Joey said as they all held up a hand, fingers outstretched. “Never have I ever…” he waited, supposedly building up tension,” Stole from somebody.” Joey proudly put one finger down.

Lizzie, Joel, fWhip and Grian shrugged and put one finger down. Scott grumbled and also put his finger down. Jimmy smiled proudly as he kept all 5 up. Katherine gasped as she noticed Shelby also putting a finger down. “What? How? When?” she demanded. The Witch looked embarrassed and shrugged. “It was a long time ago! And they were being an ass,” she defended herself. Katherine seemed unsatisfied with the answer and wanted to know more. “Moving on!” Gem said, clapping in his hands. “Never have I ever drowned in a small body of water.”

Jimmy let out the most offended gasp as he put a finger down, staring down Gem who had a smug smile. Oli laughed as he too put down one finger. Sadly, no one else followed. “Me next!” Joel said, his eyes held a mischievous glint to them as he looked at the new couple,” Never have I ever not told somebody I had a massive crush on them to avoid drama.”

Jimmy shot him a glare, lowering a finger. “I hate this game,” Scott muttered, lowering a finger as well,” It’s unfair.” Joel seemed way too proud of himself. Katherine gasped as Shelby put a finger down. “No comment!” she squeaked, clearly embarrassed. Gem went to ask something, when all eyes went to Grian. He smirked as he lowered a finger.

He kept a levelled look as the others stared in shock at him. “What?” he asked,” Do you guys even realise how much drama scar is? Like on his own?” he started to laugh at everybody’s varying expressions. Some joined in the laughter, some shook their heads. Nobody was actually surprised.

They decided to spend the night in Tumble Town, seeing as it was pretty late already. Jimmy was starting to feel the effects of all the exhaustion and draining events of today. He tried his best to stay awake and participate in the conversation, but he felt sleep overtake him. Scott softly pulled him backwards on the couch, making him lean on his shoulder. Hand in hand, Jimmy slowly fell asleep. Surrounded by warmth and his friends, he was finally able to rest. He felt soft lips on top of his head and he smiled. He was in love with his best friend.

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.