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Normally, whenever people thought of hunger and sleep together within the same sentence, they probably imagined eating so much that they drifted off into a comfortable sleep. Normally. Unfortunately for Grian, Mumbo and Skizz weren't exactly normal.
The three of them had stayed up pretty late, working on their base. Building all sorts of different bridges, digging tunnels into the landscape... They worked pretty well together. Ignoring the several times Mumbo had nearly fallen to his death. Or the several times they had all nearly starved.
If he had to guess, Grian would say it was the all-encompassing, ravenous hunger keeping them awake and working. Their stomachs twisting and cramping unbearably tight were constant reminders that they were, quite literally, starving. Nobody wanted to fall asleep while the risk of dying to starvation was looming over the back of their heads like a poorly timed anvil. Grian's theory was proven to be true, as the second the wild card's effect stopped affecting them; as soon as the spiraling, hollow vortex in their stomach was satisfied; Mumbo and Skizz had immediately passed out.
The wild card had worn off late at night-- or early in the morning? Grian wasn't exactly sure of the time. It wasn't like he could just reach out for his communicator all willy-nilly to check. That could run the risk of waking his partners up. He sighed, shifting ever so carefully into a more comfortable position. On his side, Mumbo mumbled senselessly in his sleep, leaning further into him. His short hair fell into the crook of Grian's neck, and he shivered, feeling the soft strands tickle at his sensitive skin.
At least it wasn't Skizz on his shoulder, Grian thought. Skizz's rumbling snores echoed from his place on Grian's lap, bouncing off of the walls within the reverberant cave. Absentmindedly, Grian reached a hand out to gently run his fingers through Skizz's hair. His hair was soft as silk, despite everything.
Their hearts beat in unison alongside his. Grian could feel it; he could feel the blood pumping beneath their skin. The moment felt so… precious. Like it was specifically designed for Grian to reminisce on when everything turned to shit. Something for him to long for. Something to want. Something he wouldn't be able to have again.
Grian jolted with a start as he realized he had begun digging his nails into Skizz’s skull. Feebly, he released his hand from the clawed position it had been locked into. He held his breath, watching.
Skizz seemed unaffected, still snoring away. Mumbo had been disgruntled from the sudden movement, but he hadn’t woken up.
He breathed a deep sigh of relief, deflating into the stone wall behind him. The thought of disrupting the placant moment made Grian feel gross. It would've felt like carelessly throwing a rock into a beautifully serene lake. Unconsciously, he wrapped a stray arm around Mumbo’s waist, pulling him in closer. Tenderly, he cupped the back of Skizz’s neck, stroking the other’s hair with his thumb apologetically.
An unfamiliar feeling welled in Grian's chest. It felt as if a balloon, filled by emotion, was gradually expanding, taking over the place where his heart should be.
In the dark, quiet space, with nobody but his two unconscious partners there to accompany him, Grian quickly found himself untangling the feeling into something legible.
Affection.
It had been... a very long time since Grian had felt affection for another person before. Let alone two. But as the body heat from both Mumbo and Skizz combined became almost too much to handle, Grian still didn't move them. He couldn't. Deep inside, he wanted to savour their presence, just for one moment more. As much as he could reasonably garner.
He knew they didn't trust him as much as he whole-heartedly trusted them. That was fine. It really was. Because as Mumbo slowly turned his body towards him, sleepily wrapping his arms around his waist in turn, Grian knew. As Skizz unconsciously leaned into Grian's touch, curling up closer to him, Grian knew. They trusted him enough. They trusted him enough to fall asleep on top of him. And that was more than enough for Grian.
In a game like the one they were playing, it had to be enough.