Chapter Text
Most people consider sleeping on the floor to be a horrible thing, and for a long time Grian agreed. However, after having slept on Scar’s floor more times than he can count, he can safely say that it’s not as bad as it seems. Perhaps he’s just built up a strong tolerance or he’s gone numb to the pain. Honestly, he can’t say. He gets a good amount of sleep each time he comes over which is really all he needs. Scar has always taken great care of him when he visits and has on numerous occasions, offered for Grian to share the bed with him. It has always been a tempting offer but he’s not going to push the man out of his own bed.
Grian’s currently looking out the window in Scar’s room from his air mattress on the ground. The mattress is half deflated, as it is every time he stays the night, but he’s never had the heart to tell Scar that. The man was so excited the first time he showed Grian this thing, it was a big solution to their sleeping situation. Grian didn’t have to sleep on pillows and Scar didn’t have to leave his bed. It was a win-win in both of their books. But, that was over a year ago and the mattress doesn’t hold up like it used to. A shame as he knows Scar spent a bit of money on it, but there isn’t anything they can do about it.
It looked to be a good day from where he was laying down, not many clouds in the sky, and from the way the leaves moved there seemed to be a gentle breeze. Grian was already considering going on a hike, he hasn’t gone on one in a while now. As of now, he doesn’t have any plans besides hanging with Scar so hiking may be a good way to get them out of the house. His mattress was pressed up against Scar’s, Grian protested it at first but the man insisted they stay that close. Grian may be stubborn but Scar is one of the few people who can wear him down into agreeing with whatever idea he’s come up with. He turned away from the window to face the direction of Scar’s bed. The other man was sleeping soundly with an arm draped over the side, Grian let out a light chuckle. Scar has always said he was a light sleeper who could never get a good night’s rest for the life of him. However, Grian doesn’t believe that as every time he’s over Scar is out cold throughout the entire night.
He sat up and stretched his arms, careful to not hit the other man sleeping peacefully next to him. Slowly he pushed the covers aside and, with great caution, got off the air mattress to make his way out of the room. Grian could hear a few birds chirping from outside as he made his way down the hall. Each room he passed was neatly cleaned, even the living room and kitchen were kept in great order. The biggest mess he’s ever seen in Scar’s house had to of been when a stack of papers flung across the floor. It was a stark difference to Grian’s house where he was needing to deep clean once or twice a week. In all honesty, Grian’s been ashamed of his home environment for years and he holds envy towards his friends for taking such good care of their homes. He’s come to understand that it’s not his fault he doesn’t know how to properly take care of both himself and his house. Growing up his parents were incredibly neglectful of him, they never bothered to teach him many life skills. Grian eventually had to teach himself how to live, but it took a long time and the majority of the damage had already been done.
As he entered the kitchen he looked around for some pans. He knows Scar recently switched where he put some of his items, so now he has to go on a wild chase to find where they all are. After a few minutes, Grian found what he was looking for and placed a pan on the stove. It seems like a good day to make some pancakes, and if he makes them quick enough he can probably surprise Scar with some breakfast in bed. As he grabbed some eggs a memory from his time in university popped into his head. It had been a spontaneous idea, one he didn’t think he needed. Grian had decided to take a cooking class not far from campus, he had fully believed he knew how to take of himself at the time. Yet, this couldn’t have been further from the truth. Once the class started he was introduced to so many new concepts he had not heard about before. It was in this very class that he met Scar. The other man was already great at cooking which confused Grian as to why he even bothered taking the class. After a few days, he went up to the man and asked him why, Scar replied, “Why not? It’s fun isn’t it?” It hadn’t been fun for Grian as it only served to be overwhelming. Perhaps Scar realized this since not long after their conversation did the other man begin helping him with things. Soon, they became good friends and have remained so ever since.
The pancake flipped with ease and soon he found himself staring at, what he would consider, a perfect pancake. It may not be as good as Scar’s but it’s perfect enough for him. The sound of footsteps coming down the hall caught his attention, he looked over just in time to see Scar with a concerned look on his face. That concern quickly gave way to relief when their eyes locked. Well, there goes the possible surprise. Scar sat down at one of the barstools next to the kitchen island. Grian just went back to cooking another pancake, a smile painted on his face.
“I thought you just up and left me.” Scar’s voice was still laced with sleep as he spoke. Grian rolled his eyes from where he stood.
“I’m not that cruel Scar, in fact, I should feel offended you’d think I’d leave without a goodbye.” His tone was playful, Grian didn’t actually want Scar to think he was upset at the accusation. Scar laughed quietly behind him.
“Well then, pardon my statement.” He flipped the pancake and much like the last this one turned out perfect enough. He turned off the stove and set their plates, when he turned around Scar was still staring at him with tired eyes. The man hummed in appreciation when he was handed a plate, Grian sat down at a stool by the other’s side. “I guess I can’t complain too much.” He looked over at Scar as the man continued on.
“I do like your cooking and-” Grian raised a brow, his mouth was currently stuffed with food. Delicious food he may add. “It’s enjoyable watching you move around so naturally in my kitchen.” He shrugged his shoulders and swallowed what food was residing in his mouth.
“Eh, what can I say? This place is like my second home.” Scar smiled greatly at that as so did he. From beyond the windows he could hear the coos of doves and chirps of sparrows. Yeah, today was going to be a good day.
—
He was done long before Scar was even half way through eating his food, the man had spent half the time staring at Grian as he ate instead of eating what was on his plate. Grian had to remind the man twice to eat his food before he managed to turn into a statue. Even now he could feel the steady gaze of the man behind him and based on the soft scrapping from his fork, Grian knew the other was lost once more. He circled around the island to place a hand on Scar’s shoulder. Hopefully knocking him from whatever trance he may have put himself in.
“I’m going to head back to your room to get changed and figure out if we should do anything today.” Scar put his fork down and turned so he was fully facing Grian. The man looked at with a gaze full of contentment, it was always nice seeing the other man at ease. “It’s a nice day so perhaps we should go on a hike, just the two of us.” As he continued on Scar’s eyes got wide and a joy was written all over his face.
“Well, how could I say no to spending time with you?” He patted the other’s shoulder and laughed. He turned away to begin heading back to the room, his footsteps echoed throughout the house. The birds outside have calmed down due to the morning giving way to the upcoming day. Once he was back in the room he walked over to the bag he had brought with him the day before containing his belongings. After moving a few things around he pulled out some black jeans and a white shirt, a good start. Now, he just needed to find a jacket to fight against the light breeze. Grian flung a few more items out and pushed some more around before eventually realizing he didn’t bring a jacket with him. Upon this sudden realization he let out a groan of disappointment, he’s always forgetting something isn’t he?
“What has my bird singing such a harsh tune?” Grian let out a startled yelp and quickly turned around to see an amused Scar standing in the doorway. He placed a hand over his chest, he hadn’t even heard the man come down the hall.
“Geez Scar! Scared the life out of me!” The man simply sat down on his bed with a satisfied look. Clearly the other enjoyed having scared the other half to death.
“Whoops? Anyways, what’s got you so frustrated.” Grian gave up on looking through his bag as obviously what he was searching for wasn’t in there. He leaned back on to his arms and looked over at the ever smug Scar.
“Just realized that I forgot a jacket, I swear I’m always forgetting something.” He’s really got to start double checking everything before he heads places. But then again, he forgets to double check so that way he doesn’t end up forgetting something important. It’s a never ending cycle Grian knows he can’t break free from. Scar got up from where he had been sitting and made his way over to a drawer, from there the man pulled out a red jacket. The other man then turned around and gently handed the item to Grian, who gratefully took it.
“You don’t have to.” He slowly put the article of clothing on, it was a perfect fit. Which was rare considering how most of Scar’s clothing tends to be a bit larger on him. It wouldn’t surprise him if Scar has owned this jacket for a while and over time it shrunk due to washing. He certainly isn’t complaining though, the piece of clothing was quite comfortable.
“I’m fine with it, I hate to see my birdie upset.” Grian just rolled his eyes but he knew Scar understood how happy he was. Perks of having known the guy for years on end. The nickname was a new thing however. It started up around 6? No, 8 months ago? He’s not all that sure, but he knows it’s something new in their friendship. It’s not like the name has caused any harm and it’s not like the name will bring any harm. So, Grian doesn’t feel the need to shut it down.
Scar went and sat back down on the bed but he held a soft expression on his face. Grian stood up and walked over to the other, he watched as the soft look morphed into something more mischievous. He raised an eyebrow in suspicion, that look meant many things. Most of those things involved trickery. Grian crossed his arms and contemplated taking a step back but decided against it. He wanted to see what that look was going to bring.
“What are you thinking there mister?” Scar leaned forward a bit, what once was a mischievous look was now a full-on expression.
“Nothing-” Grian knew the other was lying and began to take a step back. “Just this!” In an instant he was pulled onto the bed, the two men now wrestling around. Both of them were laughing and Grian rolled his eyes when he was able to. Scar was taller than him and, even if he didn’t like to admit it, had more muscle. Meaning, when they play fought like this it was always Scar who ended up with an advantage. The blankets were getting thrown everywhere and two pillows got tossed into oblivion. His hair was even more of a mess and both of their clothes were ruffled up. Just when Grian thought he was at an advantage Scar managed to manhandle him into an undesirable position.
Grian didn’t get to find out if he would finally be able to win as his phone started to violently ring. The two men were startled, both of them physically jumping at the sudden sound. Scar changed his grip on Grian to allow the man to lean over and grab his phone now shaking on the floor. He was slumped over Scar and he knew that this had to be uncomfortable, so after grabbing the phone he manuvered himself into a better position. Grian’s body was now resting gently on top of Scar’s, surely that had to be better?
When he answered the phone he heard a familiar voice on the other line. “Hey G! What’s going on?” Jimmy, his brother, answered with a cheerful tone. Grian leaned down closer to Scar and rested his head on the other’s chest, the phone pressed up against his other ear. He’s used Scar as a pillow plenty of times in the past, he especially did so during university.
“I’m just hanging with Scar, why?” Based on the noises from the other end he reckoned Jimmy was in some sort of public space. However, he couldn’t decipher what exact building his brother may be in. It faintly sounded like some sort of restaurant but not quite. From his current position he noticed that Scar was keeping his hands away from him, which was a little odd considering Scar wasn’t always the best with physical boundaries. That’s held especially true over the last few months. Yet, Scar wasn’t just keeping his hands away, the man was gripping the sheets so hard his knuckles were white. Was something wrong?
“Well Mumbo and I are currently at that cafe a few minutes from Scar’s house.” Jimmy’s voice cut through his thoughts, temporarily forgetting what the other man was doing. At least now he understood what kind of establishment his brother was at. “And we were both hoping the two of you would like to hang out since we knew you guys lived nearby.”
Slowly he sat up but still remained hovered over the other man, Scar’s knuckles still gripped the sheets fiercely. Grian set the phone down for a moment, his concern growing. “Hey, you good there?” He kept his voice close to a whisper, not wanting Jimmy to possibly overhear. Scar glanced up at him, slight shock on his face as if he wasn’t expecting Grian to notice his actions. The man let go of the sheets below and also sat up, leaving the two of them to practically be face to face. The sudden close proximity made Grian realize he was now just sitting on the other man’s lap.
“Yeah, I’m all good G, just lost in thought.” Scar’s voice was as quiet as his, a conversation meant only for their ears. He wondered what the other had going on inside of his mind. Their new position was a little uncomfortable, which made him entertain the idea of getting off the other’s lap and just sitting next to him. As he begins to slide off the other man’s lap Scar puts his hand on Grian’s side, motioning for him to stay. Looking at Scar’s face he can see how disappointed the other looks with Grian’s current movement. He contemplates staying, it’s not like it’s causing any harm so it should be fine. Giving in to his thoughts he repositions himself on Scar’s lap, the other appearing infinitely better.
“Uh Grian, you still there?” He forgot his brother was still on the phone, quickly he pushed it back to his ear. Scar’s eye twitched briefly for a moment.
“Yeah! Yeah! I’m still here, sorry man.” He cleared his throat before going to speak once more, “I’m not sure Jim, I mean I have my stuff here since Scar’s going to be driving me home later.” His brother paused on the other end of the line, then he heard a long hum.
“Mumbo can take you back! So just bring your stuff with you.” Grian let out a breathy laugh, of course they would come up with something to get them all to hang out.
“Alright, we’ll be leaving soon. See you all in thirty.” He heard his brother celebrate with, who he guesses, Mumbo. Grian rolled his eyes even though he knew the pair on the other end couldn’t see. He hung up the call soon after and looked at Scar, who was just staring back at him.
“Looks like we’re going to a cafe today.” The other man chuckled.
“Guess we are.” This time he was successful in getting off Scar’s lap. Grian made his way over to his bag, which was nothing short of a wild mess. He started to shove all of his belongings into the bag, uncaring of how he had to pack everything in like sardines. After he had everything oh so gracefully placed in his bag, with only a slight struggle trying to zip it back up, Grian stood up and waited by the front door. He knew Scar was most likely getting ready by now so he kneeled down to set his bag on the ground and began putting on his shoes. He didn’t have to wait long as Scar came out soon in a simple outfit composed of a hoodie and jeans. Grian pushed himself off the ground and went to bring his bag up with him but Scar beat him to it, the man waved him off which made it clear he wanted to carry the item.
Grian wasn’t going to complain about not having to carry the heavy bag, he turned towards the door he turned the handle and pushed the door open. The day was just as nice as he thought, almost no clouds in the sky with a nice gentle breeze. Both of them let out a sigh of relief due to now knowing the day was actually good.
“Should we take the car or are we walking the twenty minutes?” He waited in Scar’s driveway as the other man pondered his answer. Scar hummed to himself for a moment before his eyes lit up upon settling on his answer.
“Let’s walk, it’ll be a good substitute for the hike we can’t do.” Good enough choice for him.
“You lead the way then.” Grian emphasized his words by making a dramatic motion to gesture for Scar to walk ahead of him.
“Hey now mister, don’t be getting all fancy on me.” The pair let out a hearty laugh and started the long trek to the nearby cafe. Grian was glad Scar opted to walk over taking the car, he was always one to enjoy any extra amount of time he could get with his friends. Time is a fleeting thing, a hard lesson he’s had to learn since he was a child. Had the man chosen to drive then they would’ve arrived in under ten, thanks to there being little to no traffic on this side of town.
Neither of them could settle on one topic for their conversation. So, they simply talked about anything that came to mind. Favorite animals? Check. Remembering embarrassing memories? Check. A small amount of trauma dumping? Checked to oblivion. All-in-All Grian would consider the walk to be more than successful. Scar was one of his best friends and somebody who, no matter the situation, was enjoyable to converse with. Eventually, their walk came to an end as Grian saw the large sign of the cafe. In the window, he could see both Jimmy and Mumbo sitting in a booth locked in conversation. He watched as Mumbo used his hands to tell whatever story he was going on about, that man could never stay still for more than a few seconds.
The soft chime of the bells signaled their arrival as he pushed open the glass door. The place was cozy looking, fairy lights strung everywhere with both booths and couches. Grian’s visited this cafe numerous amount of times, the coffee was too good to pass up. He knew when his friends had seen him as Jimmy called out his name in excitement, his brother then got up from his seat to give him a firm hug. His brother’s hugs haven’t changed since they were five, it was a signature part of who he was by now. Grian waved to Mumbo who was still patiently sitting in the booth, the man’s leg was tapping the ground furiously.
Jimmy went to sit next to Mumbo and Grian allowed Scar to sit closest to the window. Scar, despite Grian’s offer, was more than fine with still holding the bag. Mumbo cleared his throat and tapped his fingers on the table.
“So, how’s everyone been?” Mumbo had a way with his voice that made him sound nervous the majority of the time. Even though he knew the other wasn’t nervous in the slightest, especially around friends, it’s just something his voice unnecessarily portrayed.
“Honestly, not much besides work and going on hikes.” Grian was lucky that he had a remote job that allowed him to work from home. It meant he had loads of free time on his hands to engage in other projects, such as learning to paint or do ceramics. He’s also re-discovered his passion for nature and connecting with the world around him. Although working remotely has basically been a blessing, he’s gotten so caught up in doing his own thing that he occasionally forgets to hang with his friends.
“I haven’t been doing much either, well-” They all turned to look at Scar, curiously waiting for the man to finish his sentence. “I have been doing a lot of shopping recently so there’s that.” Grian can’t say he’s surprised about Scar’s shopping habits. The guy comes from a wealthy family that has racked up tons over the generations. Scar’s family is also incredibly influential and has a variety of connections, which have proven useful over the last couple of years. Going back through his memories, Grian can barely remember the last time the guy had a long-term job. It’s not exactly like the man even needs to work to sustain himself and his lifestyle.
“At least you have time to shop, I’ve been stuck working profusely over the last few weeks.” His brother let out a dramatic sigh and pointed a finger nonchalantly in Scar’s direction. He knows Jimmy doesn’t mean his complaints because the man is obsessed with his work, the guy genuinely loves what he does for a living. Jimmy works at a flower shop on the outskirts of town, for as long as he can remember his brother has held a special place in his heart for flowers. It’s just one of the many unique attributes of his younger brother.
“Works also taken up most of my schedule but I love my job so I can’t complain.” Mumbo was tapping his fingers along the table while looking out the window at the world beyond. He’s known Mumbo for a very long time, they met when they were around ten and have stayed close friends ever since. He’s long since considered Mumbo’s family to be his own. Currently, Mumbo works as an engineer at a nearby company. The man fell in love with the position the moment he got it, after all, Mumbo’s been striving to be an engineer his whole life. It was nice to see how his friend’s lifelong work paid off and he was able to earn something worthwhile.
They continued to engage in both meaningful and meaningless conversations. At some point, they all came up with a hypothetical case where Mumbo was a vandal. Out of every crime they could think of in their heads, vandalism was the only thing Mumbo could be remotely guilty of. The four of them contemplated who would be Mumbo’s lawyer, after a hefty debate between either Grian or Scar, they settled on Scar being the better lawyer. However, Mumbo wasn’t fully on board with that answer.
“I doubt you’d even prepare before showing up!” Mumbo’s hands were flying everywhere as he spoke frantically.
“That’s the beauty of it! I’d be so good I wouldn’t need to prepare!” Grian couldn’t stop himself from laughing throughout the entire exchange. It was a stupid thing for them to be even slightly arguing about, but here they are. Scar was incredibly adamant that he’d be one of the best lawyers Mumbo’s ever seen, yet the moustached man was more than skeptical. In the distance he heard the familiar chime of the bells.
“What are you four yelling about now?” A woman’s voice cut through the air, catching the group’s attention. A woman with curly red hair was walking towards them, next to her was a man with a bulky jacket and white hair. The woman was dressed a bit more formally than the man beside her but both of them stood out on their own. Grian knew just who the two of them were.
“Gem! Etho!” Grian had met the two of them not long after he moved to this town, the pair had known each other for years and accepted Grian into their group without question. However, a year ago they both moved to a city about two hours away due to their company’s headquarters changing locations. Sadly, the two of them were forced to part with the town and their friends in order to maintain their positions. Grian’s only seen them twice since their initial move, once for Christmas and the other for his birthday. It was a wonderful surprise to see the two of them here.
Jimmy got up to greet the two of them with another firm hug. Which wasn’t surprising in the slightest. The three laughed and then Gem came up to him to give a sideways hug, which Grian happily reciprocated. Etho came up to his side and they gave each other a friendly nod, Etho was never one for excessive physical contact. Mumbo and Gem started up a conversation with each other, it was mostly just to catch up on their lives but soon it turned into who would be able to build a better tower. Grian knew Gem was going to win that conversation no matter what, Mumbo may be one of his best friends but there was no way he could beat Gem in building this hypothetical tower.
He felt a presence slide up his leg and rest on his outer thigh. Grian glanced downwards to find Scar’s hand merely resting there. Scar has always had invisible walls put up that almost everybody struggled to see. The man also placed down and crossed these invisible boundaries in a way that nobody was able to tell. It’s taken Grian a long time to realize that Scar has ever had these walls, and even now he doesn’t think he can see them all. A few months ago Scar seemingly crossed one of these boundaries as the man became far more touchy with him. It was odd at first but it’s never caused any sort of discomfort so Grian has chalked it up to Scar finally knocking down that final wall. That conclusion made him feel secure in their friendship, now fully understanding that the other man was truly comfortable with him.
Eventually, the conversations died down and the six of them basked in each other’s presence. The silence was welcomed, He always found it nice to just relax around his friends and has always been glad when they could do the same around him. Gem clapped her hands together to break up the comfortable silence.
“Well, Etho and I should get going!” Her eyes started to scan the four of them intently. “But- Before we do-” The woman’s eyes locked with his own, dread filled his body and mind. Gem reached down and quickly pulled Grian up from his seat, forcing him to stand side by side with the other. It was so sudden that he felt a little winded from the tug. Gem’s voice started back up, just as cheerful as before.
“We’re going to borrow Grian to head downtown!” He looked over at Etho who held a similar shocked expression, Gem had seemingly gone rogue and committed this action solely by herself. A few shocked noises were drawn from Jimmy and Mumbo, however, Scar just stared at them with a concerned look. Gem started to push him towards the door, Etho quickly following behind. “Don’t worry! We’ll drop him off back here in like an hour!” With that the bells chimed once again, but not to signal an arrival; this time it was to make an exit known. Gem walked with confidence out of the cafe. The woman held no regrets towards her sudden actions.
Grian quickly found his footing and Etho caught up, now striding beside them. His spine shivered, he felt like he was being watched. He followed this feeling and looked behind him only to see that out of the three left at the booth, Scar was still staring intensely at him. The man’s expression looked…off. He still seemed slightly concerned but it did not appear like that was all the other man was feeling. Grian couldn’t put into words what other emotion seemed to be brewing behind his eyes. For a moment he questioned if he was even looking at Scar.
Just as quickly as the feeling of being watched came, it went away. He saw as Scar turned away and started a conversation back up with Mumbo and Jimmy. The three of them laughed passionately at whatever had been said. Gem turned the corner bringing Grian with her, he could no longer see his friends. An odd feeling rested in his gut, yet, he pushed it aside. Honestly, he’s just being unnecessarily paranoid.
—
“So G, how have things been?” The sidewalk wasn’t anywhere near busy, barely anybody was out despite how lovely the day was. Grian reckons most people are hanging with their friends or families, if they went to the other side of town by the park he thinks they’d find more people. Grian was walking in between Etho and Gem, all three of them kept a consistent pace.
“Eh, Everythings been going well for the most part.” The pair nodded, a car drove by rather fast next to the trio. Some people were always in a hurry for no reason. Grian had the irrational fear in the back of his mind that his brakes wouldn’t work when he drove too fast, so he’s developed a slight habit of checking the brakes before leaving the driveway. It’s a lingering piece of paranoia he can’t fully shake. Etho gave him a small nudge.
“I see you bought a new jacket, looks good on you.” The man’s voice was steady and sincere, just as it always has been. Grian gave him a smile but shook his head.
“It’s not mine, It’s Scar’s.” Etho gave him a look that exclaimed, please elaborate, he can’t blame them for being wary as Scar is notably larger than him. However, Grian doesn’t think it’s by that much. “I’m assuming he’s had it for a while and just shrunk in the wash.” Gem let out a hum besides him.
“I don’t know, there’s no stains and nothing seems stretched.” She brought a hand to her face in a questioning motion. Grian’s own mind began to wander, he hadn’t placed much thought on why it was his size but it wouldn’t make any sense for Scar to have something that fits him. Both Gem and Etho let out a questioning noise, all three of them trying to piece together why Scar has a jacket which fits Grian. Gem let out a gasp, one that let everybody else know she figured it out.
“Remember that time a few months ago? When we all went shopping?” Grian nodded, that memory still vivid in his mind. “Well, Scar for some unknown reason tried to buy a hoodie that at first glance looked like his size.” His friend was now beginning to crack herself up as she retold the story. The three actually stopped walking for a moment to give Gem a second to catch her breath. Seeing his friend so consumed by humor was becoming quite infectious as he now had a smile spreading across his face.
“I thought it was his size too until I made him put it up against his body.” Realization dawned over him in that moment, Scar simply bought the wrong size on accident. Etho seemed to have come to same conclusion as him because the three all bursted out in to giggles. Honestly, that story seems even more viable than the assumption he had drawn himself too earlier. After the laughter died down, they all began to continue walking the streets.
They stopped at a variety of stores during their little stroll, a few clothing stores but none of them bought anything. The trio stopped at a bakery and all bought some muffins, which were incredibly delicious. They even briefly passed through an antique shop just to find out what the oldest item held there was. Grian was having a blast hanging out with the two of them once more, he wishes he could do this more often. But they simply live too far away, it’s really a pity. A thought popped into his head, one he just had to verbalize.
“Say Gem-” The woman in question turned her head to look at him, her eyes brimming with curiosity. “How are things going with Pearl?” Gem’s face became bright red and she immediately turned the other direction. Etho started to giggled, then the other man spoke up.
“Yeah Gem, How are things going with Pearl?” Etho’s tone was teasing which only caused Gem to let out a flustered grumble.
“Both of you shush, the topic of my love life can come later.” Pearl was another friend of theirs that they all had met a few months before Gem and Etho moved away. She had fit perfectly within their little friend group and was just as devastated when the news of their two friends leaving hit. Yet, only two months after the two moved Pearl ended up following suit. Her rent had become too much and the other city was simply cheaper. Turns out Pearl and Gem lived near each other and over time the pair got really close. Soon enough they ended up dating, not many people were surprised as the two women had always been close even before the move.
Gem let out a small excited squeal that caught him off guard. He gazed wide-eyed at the red haired woman. She then grabbed both of the men’s arms and started to pull them into the direction of a building. As they got closer Grian was able to properly see where Gem was taking them. In big red letters on a window he could make out the word, “GYM.” He sighed but didn’t struggle as he was pulled, In fact, Etho was also pushing him towards the building. The two loved to go to the gym in their free time and it now looks like they’re going to try to get Grian to participate. He mentally let out a long sigh, of course this is what they stumbled acrossed.
As soon as they entered Etho and Gem found a mat to begin sparring on. Grian decided it would entertaining to watch so he sat on the ground nearby. At first Etho won a couple rounds by catching Gem off guard, however, that didn’t work for long as Gem quickly caught on and found ways to overpower Etho. He certainly did not regret sitting and witnessing this all unfold, He’s becoming convinced that Etho is washed up. He pulled out his phone and stared intently at the time, they have about ten more minutes before they needed to get going. The trio was already going to be late but they should try to arrive mostly on time.
He heard a loud sigh and looked up to see Gem laying on her back, Etho sat down on the mat not far from her. Both of them appeared to be drained from their mock fighting. Etho turned over to look at him.
“You wanna give this a try G?” A quiet laugh left his lips at the offer, there was no way in hell he’d be able to put up a fight against either one of them.
“Nah, I’m good.” Etho gave him a curious glance. He put down his phone and straightened his back.
“Really? I know you used to love to spar back in the day.” That’s true, not long after university did he start taking some self-defense classes. He had a fun time in those classes and they gave him valuable knowledge, however, that was years ago now. Gem sat herself up and gazed over at the two of them, clearly eavesdropping on their conversation.
“I know basic self-defense Etho, sure it’s been a while-” His phone buzzed, he ignored it in favor of the current conversation. “But, that’s really all I need to know.” He could see Gem contemplating something from where she was sat.
“Well, what if you’re emotionally incapacitated?” Gem was giving him her full attention, the woman even slid closer to him.
“Huh? How does that add to anything?” She gave him a smile and raised one of her brows, seemingly expecting Grian to already know part of the answer. When he didn’t say anything she just shook her head.
“When you’re in shock your mind tends to go blank, so, it’s useful to have self-defense engraved into you.” She took a deep breath, “That way you can still react even when you’re not fully aware.” Grian knew Gem wasn’t wrong in what she was saying, yet, nothing could say would make him go onto that mat.
“True, but, you know I’ll never put myself into a situation that would send me into shock.” He looked at his friends sincerely, “I know what to do if someone comes running at me and if someone gets me from behind.” He stood up, grabbing his phone in the process. Mumbo had sent him a text asking where the three of them were. Looks like they have to get going. He shot the two of them a look, both of them seeming to understand what it meant. Gem got up and walked to his side.
“I still think it’d be useful to have this knowledge engraved in you G, you never know what could happen.” He put a hand on her shoulder. His voice was soft as he spoke.
“Gem, I promise you I’d never put myself in a helpless scenario.”
—
Everyone was still in the cafe by the time the three of them arrived. Jimmy, Mumbo, and Scar all appeared incredibly happy to see they arrived back safely. Conversation quickly picked back up as they told the rest of their friends where they had all gone to. Mumbo explained how Jimmy and Scar apparently kept making up zoo concepts while the three of them were gone. Grian let out a laugh at that, it was very much in character for the two of them to start doing that. It wasn’t long before Etho and Gem stated they needed to get ready to leave.
“But before we head out we have something to give you guys.” Etho put his hand in his pocket but they all watched as the color drained from the man’s face. Gem slowly turned to look at him with an unamused expression.
“Etho. Did you forget it in the car?” The man’s face showed how guilty he was and Etho dropped his head in shame. “I’ll go get it then…” Gem started to turn towards the door when Scar’s voice spoke up.
“There’s no need for that, I can get for you two.” Grian gazed over at him, a soft smile creeping up on his face. He always liked how Scar was one to do nice gestures for his friends. Scar got up from where he was sitting and walked over to Gem.
“You don’t have to do that Scar.” Her tone was soft as she spoke.
“But I want to, I promise I won’t peek at it!” Gem looked to mull it over in her head before she motioned for Etho to hand Scar the keys to the car.
“No Peeking!” Scar laughed, taking the keys from Etho. “It’s the same car as last time, just so you know.” The man was already half-way out the door as he responded.
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing!” He walked over to Mumbo and started up a quick chat as they all waited for Scar to return. Gem was giving Etho a slight glare. It took about ten or more minutes for Scar to eventually come back with a small black box in hand. It was labelled, ‘present’. The man handed it to Etho before strutting over to stand next to him. Gem sighed with relief and Etho looked more than grateful. Etho started to hand out a small card to everyone, Grian immediately turned it over. He was more than shocked to read what it said.
Engagement Party. The date was set for two months from now, he looked over at Gem with a large smile. “You’re finally going to propose to Pearl!” All of them started to flood Gem with questions. Was that the reason they came here? Yes. How long has she been planning this? A month and a half. Does Pearl have any idea? No.
Once all the questions died down, the group walked Etho and Gem back to their car. Excitement ran wild amongst them all, Grian was so happy for his friends and could barely wait for the date to arrive. Each of them swore to be a part of the party, none of them even considered doing anything else on that day. As the sun started to set, they all waved Gem and Etho off. The pair’s car started up without trouble, and the two set off back to their home city. Before they went they asked Grian to call them in the morning so that way they could begin planning the surprise engagement party. He gladly agreed.
“They won’t need to stop for a long time, it’s a pretty clear path from here to there.”Mumbo’s voice spoke up beside him.
“Except for the ravine, they’ll need to go slow by that.” Mumbo nodded in agreement, Grian noticed that the man now had his bag in hand. Looks like Scar handed it over while he was with Etho and Gem. Speaking of which. He turned towards Scar and gave the man a hug farewell, Scar happily returned the gesture. He messed with his brother one last time before he had to practically run to Mumbo’s car so that way Jimmy couldn’t get him back. Their laughter echoed throughout the streets.
He quickly shut Mumbo’s car door before Jimmy could get in and he heard Mumbo basically jump into the driver’s side. He stuck his tongue out at his brother as they drove away. After a few minutes of laughing Mumbo spoke up.
“Since I’m the one taking you back G-” Grian glanced over at his best friend. “I do have something to ask of you.”
“Sure, what is it?” Mumbo developed a smile on his face before the words even left his mouth.
“Wanna go on a camping trip with me in two days?” Well, he doesn’t have anything else planned for this week and he can most likely get his work done early before that time. He weighed the pros and cons of leaving, he quickly reached his decision.
“Of course I’d like to go with you Mumbo.”