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Ever since Taurtis came and gone, Grian felt like he was losing his mind. Nothing triggered an episode yet, he was mentally stable enough to push on, but he knew he was hanging on the edge by the tips of his fingers. Maybe he'll get a Lion King moment and someone will crush his hands and he fall to his death.
But he didn't want to think about that.
Grian stepped outside of his mansion into the cool morning air, he looked up at the sky. 'Sun looks to be 9:30ish' he thought, a little trick the Hermits picked up after awhile.
He walked around the castle, looking at the garden, his flowers were staring to bloom and leaves were looking brighter than ever. He was proud of the progress of his garden, his shity green thumb was looking a little less dead than before he started listening to his friends tip and tricks.
He was about to walk away when he noticed something on a flower. "Dust?" He muttered and kneeled down, lightly brushed the dust off the pedal. Grian wipped his hands on his trousers, he was about to stand when something in the back, close to the manison wall, caught his eye- something shiny. Being a bird, shiny things are very distracting.
Careful he stepped to the back and dug around where he saw the shine. He hit something hard and pulled up a pair of headphones, the looked melted and had that dust on it, but even then they looked new. It couldn't be a hermit.
Surivors live off the land afterall, they build everything themselves but somethings, like technology, they get from the mainland, and even then it all old stuff. But these headphones were newer.
He flipped them around in his hand, thinking of which of the hermits wear headphones. "Does Pearl where headphones? No she doesn't. Who wears headphones-" He thought back to Taurtis, he was wearing headphones around his neck. "Why are they melted?" His mind raced back to the nightmare he had a few days ago, and his eyes traveled from the headphones in his hand to the sleeves of his sweater. Were his sleeves darker? No, they can't be.
Maybe that's what pushed him over, what crushes his fingers, causing him to tumble down into the ravine below.
He ran into the manison, throw the Taurtis's headphones into a random chest before searching for Scar. "Scar?" Grian yelled, "Scar?!" He walked the halls yelling for his partners name, more he waited the stronger the urge grew. The idea of being alone was able to trigger him into an episode, he didn't want to be alone. And just wanting answers from Scar evolved into wanting Scar. Desiring attention.
Scar was unware of any of this thought, most of his day was spend in the mayor's office doing paperwork. And when he was free, building.
He tapped the end of his bamboo reed against his desk, his leg bounded up and down, up and down, over and over again. His left hand propped up his head, as uncomfortable as it was, he was struggling to keep his head up.
Scar was about to doze off when someone knocked on the office door. "Scar? You in there?" It was Impulse. He sat up straight and took a deep breath before putting on a smile. "Yeah, come on in."
Impulse opened the door and poked his head in. "Hey Scar? I know its not your job to know this but, do you know where Grian could be?" He stepped fully into the office, "no other hermit seen him today and the barge is completely empty."
"If the barge is empty he probably out gathering supplies then." Scar said, “I probably wouldn't worry about it then."
Impulse shook his head, "no, the chest are still filled with diamonds. Like the barge is fullying untouched. I just want to make sure he's alright, and Mumbo told me to ask you since yall are neighbors." Scar bit his lip, the unscared side, before placing his pen down and standing from his chair. "Yeah, that a little concerning.."
"That's what we thought." Impulse said crossing his arms, "did he mention feeling sick to you?"
Scar panicked and lied, "ohhh Yeahhh. He did mention he was feeling under the weather. I'll stop by his base and see how he's doing." Impulse smiled, "thanks man. If he needs helping getting back on his feet and gather stuff, let him know that I’m more than happy to help him."
He smiled back to the other, "I will, but it's Grian. He will work himself to death first before asking for a hand."
Impulse laughed along, "yeah, trust me I know. Grian is a hardworker, expect for the back of his builds, kinda thrown off when I saw no sand and just diamonds. My diamonds too!"
Scar rearranged his papers on his desk, stacking then up. "Yeah, if it wasn't for me losing the 'war,' the back of his manison would have holes in it." He slid out a drawer and placed the papers back in there before closing it. "Ok, I’ll go check on Grian. Either him or I will restock the barge later today."
"Ok! I'll let the other hermits know. Thanks again man."
Scar touched ground at the top of the staircase, he took out his communicator and tried call Grian once again. And again no answer. "Huh. Ok, he better actually be sick then." The manison was quiet, each step he made echoed off the walls.
"Grian?" He called out, when he reached his room. Scar knocked softly on the door, "darling? I’m opening the door now." He knows better now to announce it, been in too many awkward situations before that he doesn't feel like dealing with. But the room was quiet like the rest of the manison, other than the sound of soft whimpering, and something shaking under the covers. Scar was worried about what triggered him to go into sobbing.
Walking quickly over to the bed, he lightly shook Grian, "are you ok? Why are you crying?" Grian popped his head out from under the cover, he sat up moving away from Scar. His hair was a mess, his face was flushed, his many layers of clothes have been stripped. Instead of a black fitted turtleneck undershirt beneath a white collar shirt under his red sweater, it was just an old red shirt. Scar noticed the way he dragged the blankets closer to his chest when scar tried to pull them away.
It hit scar hard that he wasn’t crying. "Oh."
"I knocked this time, I announced that I was coming in!" He said, Grian could tell he's not angry or embarrassed. Hell, if he embarrassed that he walked in on his partner going at it- that would be concerning. Instead he was laughing at himself. "So you called off work to jerk it all day."
Grian sighed annoyingly, "no I didn't, I’m just having some issues, dick-fuck."
"You're petnames for me always warm my heart, darling." He cupped his hands over his heart, "ok but seriously, hermits are concerned about you. Your shop is empty and full of diamonds, they couldn't find you in your normal grinding spots, so they ask me to look for you, and I find you here. You are grinding, but not for what they need."
Grian throws his head back and loudly groans, only to have Scar make another joke. "You've been making that noise enough today. Time to get up." With each new comeback only made Grian more flustered, but he was still able to smirk and throw one back. "Ok, so you wanna help me get me back on my feet?"
"No."
"Why? Because I won’t beable to get back on my feet after we're done?"
Scar repeated himself, "no, just no."
"So later?"
He reached over to grian to hold his hand in his. "I’m not gonna have sex with you. I can tell you're having an episode, and maybe instead of just living with them, we help them. Can we try that?" He said, Grian look noticeably annoyed but sighed and let out a small, "fine."
Scar moved one of his hands to cup the back of grian's neck, he leaned for and kissed his forehead. He rested his forehead against his partners, "thank you. I love you."
"I love you too. Can we at least still kiss?" He said when they leaned back. Scar placed a quick peck before backing away. "Yeah, but nothing further."
"Ass-shit." He mumbled, "can you at least get out when I get dressed? You staying might make it worse."
He hummed a yes, "I'll be outside, you got 5 minutes." He said before getting up and out the bedroom door. "We're going to the desert by the way, gotta refill your chest afterall."
"But why sand first? I hate sand, it gets in my wings and just makes me annoyed the whole time." Grian said, he pouted like a toddler who was told no in a toy store. Scar smiled brightly, "becasue impulse came to my office today bitching about no sand, so we're getting him sand." He said in a equally bright voice. Then he shut the door and left, Grian fell back against his bed before get up.
As he laces up his boots and curses under his breath "Fuck sand. fuck impulse's bitching. Fuck Scar- I can't say that right now." He pauses at his choice of words in his current state. In his discomfort, he opted to just wearing his collared shirt and sweater, didn't feel like dealing with the turtle neck and the belts on his cheat and left thigh. I'm gonna jump out a window!" He yells to scar as he walks out the bedroom door.
"Ok, remember to use your wings then." Scar called back, Grian expected him to come running to him to make sure he didn't actually jump. But Scar didn't, he ignored Grian- he doesn't like that.
He found Scar in the entrance, paying Grian no mind. After a few seconds of scar not saying anything to him, he spoke. "Scar, I’m ready."
Scar looked over at him and grinned, "cool, let's go. Not much daylight to spare." He said, opening the gaint doors. To the outside, Grian squinted at the sudden light. "You're not a vampire dude." Scar said, holding the door open for the bird.
He followed through and rubbed his eyes, "Yeah, I just spent my entire morning in bed in the dark. Sorry if I'm not greeting the sun with open arms, and eyes." He stretched open his wings, flapping a few times before looking at Scar. "I'll lead. Keep up."
"I always do."
Grian grinned evilly, "that's cause i slow down for you, but I’m not in the mood really." He said and with one flap, he's in the air. Flying towards the desert with Scar a few rockets behind, struggling to keep up. Even then he could still head Grian laughing and giggling ahead of him.
Grian made it to the desert first, obviously. He sat on top of a chest, dragged the tip of his boot through the sand. He looked up and around every so often looking for Scar. "I must have accidentally shaked him off my tail. Oops." He muttered.
The sun was pounding down on him, he took his sweater off and threw if on the chest next to him. He leaned down against it, using his sweater as a pillow, "void damn." He mumbled while holding up his arm to block the sun from his eyes.
The sun and heat reminded him of a place he lived at. "Not now. Not ever. Why do I keep thinking about Japan."
The headphones he found did look like Taurtis's, hermits can't get tech stuff like that. They were too new. "They could be, but why were they in my garden?"
"Scar knows something. I want to know." A feeling grow in his stomach causing him to grab his stomach, "fuck.. I want Scar."
He heard the sound of a rocket going off then someone landing on sand. He looked up through heavy eyes, it was Scar. Grian's face felt hot and flusted.
"Grian? Are you ok?" Scar asked, the sound of his foot growing closer. "Did you fly too fast?"
No answer came from the bird, he stayed still. Arms hugging his stomach, leaning down, his eyes squeezed shut.
Scar reached out and place his hand on Grian arm, he flinched at the feeling and Scar knew. "Oh, you're still having an episode?" He voice sounded disappointed, but not in Grian, in himself.
He couldn't let that happen. Grian sat up and smiled "I’m fine, don't worry. The sun is just beating like hell. I’m fine!" He smiled and grabbed his shovel, "come on now, we need sand." And headed away from Scar to dig up sand, Scar took the hint that Grian can't have him anywhere near.
"I'll work over here." Scar said to the other, Grian, in a very desperate soundimg voice, yelled back. "Thank you!" It sounded more like "thank void" than "thanks for your help," but Scar will take it.
Sand. Everywhere.
Grian leaned his head back, eyes closed facing the sun. It was taking too long, usually he would be done by now but he keeps getting distracted.
He stretched his back, ruffled his wings trying to get the sand out. Its in a spot he couldn't reach, in an area that's too sensitive for him to just slam himself into a tree and hope for the best, because it's a sensitive spot.
Every second of the inching just makes him more and more pissed, til he boils over and throws his shovel to the side, and as tiny as he is. He's a builder and gatherer, he pretty fucking strong. "This is fucking stupid!" He screamed, getting the attention of Scar.
"G? You good." Scar yelled from where he was shoveling, when he noticed the bird kicking sand and having a meltdown, he ran to his aid.
He grabbed Grian by the forarms, the bird was on the verge of tears. "This is fucking stupid!" He cried out, "I hate this!"
"Yeah no shit, dude. You started your business by gathering the stuff no one else wanted." Scar said to him, Grian still shook around in his arms, try to break free. "Tell me what's wrong and I'll let go."
"Fucking sand!" He yelled, tears overflowed as he stopped moving around and laid his head against Scar's chest. "I hate sand.. it reminds me of.."
"Of what?"
"Nothing, it's stupid."
"Ok, so you have sand in your wings?" He asked changing the subject. For Scar, sand reminded him of the life games, but since no one else can remember them, Grian isn't thinking of that. He assumed that it had to do with Tokyo, with Taurtis. "Need help?"
He nodded, head still leaned against the other. "Please.. it's pissing me off."
Scar hummed an ok, "let's restock the sand first and then help with that? Sound good?"
"Good enough." He said quietly as he backs away to pick up supplies.
After restocking the sand and picking up all his earnings, Grian was sitting cross legged on top of a chest, counting and writing profits down in a book. Scar leaned against a different chest, "how are you doing?"
"I’m horny if that's what you're asking." He said a low tone, when he looked up and made eye contact. He rolled his eyes and fake smiled, “I’m peachy."
Scar pushed off from the chest he was leaning against to sit next to Grian. "I ment your wings, but I'm guessing your episode still kicking?"
He looked back down at his book, "you got no idea, but I learned that I'm not completely bedridden during the ‘crazy-fucking-sex drive’ episode so that was helpful. I mean, I get tired easier but I could get distracted from if, so thanks for not feeding it, I guess."
"Of course darling." Scar leaned over to kiss the top of the bird's head, causing sakd bird to shoot up and look over at Scar. "Ew I got sand in my mouth."
"My lips don't have land on them." Grian smiled, nudging Scar with his elbow. "Ok that's a lie, they probably do. But still, please."
Scar laughed and leaned down, "ok, fair enough."
The moment their lips met, someone screamed, "OH MY VOID!" It was Bdubs, and also most of the hermits, and the communicatiors in each of their pockets were going off like carzy to the, discovery.
"Holy fuck." Cleo laughed into her hand, "we heard that part of your store got refilled, you should have known we come immediately. Turns out the only thing coming was you."
Grian's face was as red as his shirt. "It was one kiss."
Bdubs was still screaming, "OH MY VOID!! WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? HOW THE FU-"
"Language." Scar said before he could finish. "But to answer your questions, it was during the war."
"You were sleeping with the mayor during the war G?" Etho asked, the mask was covering his face but you can tell he had a shit eating grin. Grian, after calming down, smirked, "oh sweat Etho, how do you think we won."
Scar panicked, "t-that's not true! Bdubs don't you dare start screaming, please." Cleo laughed at him, "Scar really threw the war to get some action, damn dude."
"That's not true! Grian explain that it wasn't true!" Scar tried explain to his staff that he didn't throw the war, Grian just laughed and watched.
The pit in his stomach faded away, the need of attention was satisfied. Does he still want to ask Scar about Taurtis? Yes. But he can wait, maybe Scar's idea worked, not feeding his episode.
And for all the other hermits finding out about their relationship? It didn't bother him as much as he thought it would, maybe he finally accepted that he can trust others. Maybe one day can explain his episodes, maybe even his past. But right now, watching Scar, the mayor, get yelled at by his own staff was worth it.
Grian looked away from the chaos and to the other chest, 'they aren't stocked' he thought, his heart raced. "I have so much work to do.." he mumbled.