Work Text:
"MUMBO!"
“grian?“
“grian!“
there was a ringing in his ears at first, but now it’s just silence, the voice barely managing to get through to him. did the explosion do that? or was it just in his head? a hand cups his cheek but it’s too big, too calloused, and when he looks, he sees its skizz.
“hey buddy. it’s me—“
“mumbo. he— i don’t— i wasn’t looking—“
why wasn’t he looking out for him? why wasn’t he more attentive? the spider’s nest was difficult to navigate and a hazard for both his teammates. he has to look out for them, he has to, he can look now— but the hand on his face stops him, forcing grian to look at skizz.
“it’s alright G. c’mon—“ and he’s being picked up, cradled to the man’s chest as he’s lifted in his arms. he’s tucked tightly against skizz's chest so he doesn’t jostle as they navigate the bridges. “let’s get you somewhere comfortable—“ grian looks, finally moves on his accord, to see skizz taking him back to the spanner’s nest. his wings flare, fighting the bindings around them that had already loosened from the explosion and he’s clawing at the man. gripping and tugging at his suit as he tries wiggling out of his arms, tries crawling over his shoulder.
“no. no, not there, i can’t— i can’t—“
not without mumbo. he couldn’t bare to be surrounded by his scent and him not be there.
“WOAH, G, okay, okay! we’ll go up the mountain, yeah? is that better?“
and it must be because grian stops fighting, reluctantly, slumping against him.
“don’t leave.“ he chokes out as he stares over the man’s shoulder at nothing in particular. his body trembles, and speaking gets difficult, forcing him to gasp just to get words out. “stay. please.“
skizz doesn’t speak.
he’s not talking to him.
soon they’re away from the smoke and damage, the breeze that sweeps through the bamboozlers mountain top ruffling his hair. he’s lowered to a bed, the mattress dipping with his weight.
there’s talking but its muffled again. his hearing was fine earlier so it must just be his head then, stuffed full and empty at the same time. he feels nothing, nothing, not even the ache his body was most definitely feeling from the explosion, but at the same time, he’s acutely aware he exists in this moment. he lifts a hand, looking down at it for a second before pressing it to his face.
his face was dry.
he should be crying.
a normal person would be crying, wouldn’t they?
and it hurts. his heart hurts so much, that pain was there, he could feel that so why wasn’t he crying? all he can do is let out this choked, pathetic whimper and he has to take in another shuddering gasp of air. what’s wrong with him?
hands are on his wings and he can’t even bring himself to care. lizzie stands behind him, saying something, and she’s fixing the bindings on his wings. like his siblings, he wasn’t allowed to use them during the games. but something does snap him out of it and it’s the golden colors of jimmy’s feathers when he appears.
“grian.“
and he forgets the games for a moment. forgets that they’re suppose to be enemies. and leans into jimmy’s embrace as the blonde wraps his arms around him.
mumbo jumbo has left the game.