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Having to both keep track of coordinates on a small device, and following the directions of a red-stone compass all while swatting at leaves and branches with a sword was no small task. Or, at the very least, an inconvenience.
Somehow, Grian had made a crash landing somewhere in this southern forest, pretty far away from where they'd set up base. Usually, Grian's much more careful. Mumbo knows, though, that once in the air with a rocket in hand— it's hard not to get lost in that freedom of flight.
Even despite the distress call Grian made, Mumbo hardly worried, that man there truly seemed as if nothing could keep him down— at least not for long.
Swatting away one final branch, he made his way into a clearing and his compass' hand pointed pin-straight. Looking up, it wasn't hard to miss the abundance of multi-coloured feathers scattered around the green patch of land. It was a trail of breadcrumbs right to the avian, sitting there against a tree with a slight grimace to his face.
But that grimace quickly softened, with something sort of a relief at the sight of Mumbo. A smile spread across Grian's dirt covered face,
“Mumbo!” he exclaimed just a little weakly, voice hoarse, “there you are.”
Quickly, Mumbo walks up to Grian and crouches down, eyebrows scrunching as he looks over his friend. He really, really wished Grian called somebody who was better equipped with healing injuries. And wasn't allergic to bird dander.
“Yes, I'm here. What've you gotten yourself into this time?” Mumbo sighed, hands already reaching for Grian's wing. Just from looking over it, it was clear it was sprained. Unlike an elytra, you can't just repair it with some membrane or slap a mending book on it.
And Grian knew that well.
“Well, I was looking for some materials to finish off my base. Everyone's been pestering me about the back of it.“
“And?” Mumbo gestured for him to continue, outstretching the injured wing to which Grian winced.
“I guess this tree didn't see me and couldn't move out of the way in time.” Grian leaned his head back against the rough bark of the dark oak tree he rested against.
Shaking his head with an amused smile, Mumbo simply said, “The tree didn't see you?”
“Yep.”
Mumbo couldn't help but laugh, to which Grian quickly fell into. It was easy to laugh when Mumbo was around, it just felt so natural.
That Mumbo there, was the only thing that could make Grian feel as weightless as he does in the sky.
Reaching into his inventory, Mumbo pulled out some baked potatoes. He had attempted to bring it to Grian's lips, but Grian had grabbed it with his hands instead and gave him a certain look, to which Mumbo wore a nervous smile and quietly apologised.
Grian bit into the potato, it was rather cold and unpleasant, but he was grateful now just to get some of his health back. “I'm starting to think one diamond is a little too expensive for these things.”
The other didn't respond, far too preoccupied in looking over Grian's wings. He didn't mind the touch, especially around the base of his wings, it felt lovely. And he fell into the touch, becoming a practical mush under Mumbo's careful hands.
“You've got a sprain there—” Mumbo said, remarkably full of mucus, having to clear his throat and repeat what he said. Grian looked back up, and couldn't help but start laughing.
Soul-bound to something you've got an allergy to, Grian always found it funny, and Mumbo an inconvenience. But his friend's inconveniences are easily the most entertaining part. “Sounding a little poorly, Mumbo.”
Sniffling, a very nasally Mumbo replied, “Because I'm feeling quite poorly. I think this injury you've got's worse than a mild reaction, though.”
Grian shrugged, too exhausted to protest, not that he wanted to regardless— Mumbo's red nose and sickly voice was the cutest thing to him. He couldn't help but be amused, chuckling every time Mumbo would sneeze. Though, after a while, he closed his eyes as his friend continued to work on him. Relaxed.
Mumbo though, was far from relaxed. He wasn't a doctor! Or, a veterinarian? Regardless of what operating on Grian meant, he was just a tinkerer, and he had no idea what he'd do for his wing.
As if Grian could sense his fretting, or hear it, Mumbo tended to be vocal, he assured him— “Seriously, I can just walk back home. I only called you because I didn't have any food on me and I'd rather not walk a thousand blocks at night. Alone.”
Mumbo's eyebrows scrunched once more, wrinkling his face, “But, are you sure? You're always quite grouchy when you've injured your wings like this.”
“I'll just be grouchy, it's not like I can magically fix a broken bone with a few potatoes. A golden apple, probably, but..”
“I've got no gold on me,“ Mumbo said, to which Grian gave a look that said, 'exactly', before slowly dragging himself up against the tree in order to finally stand. Mumbo quickly got up and brought a hand around Grian's waist, steadying him when he staggered. They were auite close now, and Grian couldn't help the way his heart stuttered.
But the contact didn't last for long, as Mumbo pulled away as quickly as he wrapped around him, probably out of a fear to overstep anything. He was always like that. One of Grian's favourite things about him.
“Are you alright to stand?“ Mumbo asked, to which Grian chuckled and nodded. “Of course, I didn't break anything other than my wings. Had used them to cushion my fall.”
“Alrighty then, I was just checking. And also, Grian,” he began, Grian looking back up at him.
“I'm very glad you called me to help, even if I couldn't do much.” He said, a little abashed, though genuine. Grian smiled, and he almost melted.
“Honestly, Mumbo, I would've been alright by myself. The company makes the long walk less awful.”
He nodded in understanding, “Why didn't you call somebody else? Scar was also online, sure he would've been way adept at this than I am,” Mumbo chuckled, both of them falling into the rhythm of conversation as they walked through the path Mumbo cleared.
Grian didn't respond for a moment, but it wasn't like he was thinking very hard over what he was going to say— he swore he razzled his brains a little bit on the way down.
“Because you're all the company I need, Mumbo.”
Now it was Mumbo's turn to stay quiet. Those words were uncharacteristically soft, from Grian's whose words always had that sort of tease dripping from them. His face began to heat up, and this time he was sure it wasn't from the allergies.
“A-Ah, well, I'm glad then.”
Grian didn't say much else, all he did was smile. They didn't need to talk much else, in fact. It was a comfortable silence, only leaf litter crunching under their feet and the occasional sound of monsters roaming around.
Eventually, they neared the light of their bases, both of them incredibly relieved to just be home and out of the forest. And all those sneezes Mumbo had been holding in so he wouldn't alert mobs finally let themselves be known until there were tears in his eyes. Grian, of course, thought this was hilarious. Even purposefully walking ahead of Mumbo and grazing him with his feathers.
“I'm glad your method of repaying me for walking a thousand and a half blocks to save you is purposefully getting your dust in my nose.” Mumbo said, shaking his head as they made their way inside Grian's base. “I never said you were saving me, Mumbo, you were keeping me company.”
Technically though, to Grian, that company is saving enough.
All Mumbo did was roll his eyes as he sat Grian down on his bed, walking over to fiddle around in his chests to find something to construct a simple cast. Grian raised an eyebrow, “You know, just make me a golden apple, don't stress yourself making a cast.”
“Much smarter than what I was attempting to do. Wonder where I've spent my braincells this time,” he muttered to himself as he dug around and grabbed himself some of Grian's gold and took an apple from his inventory. Quickly, he cooked up a golden apple on the crafting bench before making his way back to Grian.
“Hit me.” Grian stated, clear as day.
“Excuse me?”
“I said hit me— It's not gonna work if I eat it on full hearts, just gonna be a waste of a golden apple and a nasty taste.”
Mumbo mouthed an, 'ohhh,' laughing at his own blunder quickly after. “I actually didn't know you had to do that, but it does make sense now that I think about it.”
“I mean, Mumbo, the healing effect only works if you've already lost health. Is a side effect of redstone rapid brain damage—”
Grian was cut off by a punch do his stomach, maybe just a little personal, and God can Mumbo hit surprisingly strong. Groaning in pain, he held his gut and writhed before being a met with the coldness of gold pressed to his lips. This time, he just took a bite right there.
Immediately, the healing took effect and he could feel, very strangely, his bones pop right back into place. He never did like that feeling. But, he did like having his wings back, so you truly do win some and lose some.
“Ahhh, thank you, Mumbo! You're a life saver!” He said as he flexed his wings, in and out, without those same jolts of pain as before. Despite the simple "rescue mission", seeing Grian feeling better and looking a whole lot brighter, left Mumbo rather chuffed.
He came to sit beside Grian again, immediately melting into the soft wool cushion. Sighing out of relief, he rest his sore muscles and closed his eyes. Judging by the ruffling next him, he only assumed Grian was resting too.
Opening his eyes, he noticed Grian staring right at him with half lidded eyes. And to be honest, he looked absolutely gorgeous like this, Mumbo quickly averted his gaze. Grian didn't seem to break his.
“Hey, Mumbo,” he began, “You know what you said about me repaying you earlier?”
He nodded, unsure of where this was going, but he was excited. “Do I get some diamonds?”
Grian immediately broke out into genuine laughter, before quickly calming down, cheekily saying, “No, that wasn't worth a diamond.”
“God! What is worth a diamond to you?”
“Not that, obviously, because I just said so. It's worth more than that.”
Now Mumbo was intrigued, his eyes widened slightly, “Two diamonds?”
“Wh— No, Mumbo, not diamonds or any ore or anything you can hold at all.”
He tilted his head, “Grian, if you say it's worth a, 'thank you', I swear, I am never saving you ever again.”
“A kiss, Mumbo! A kiss! Let me give you one.”
Mumbo was speechless for a moment, maybe for a few moments, before sputtering out a, “Wh.. What?”
Grian didn't chuckle or have a quip in response, he just stared at Mumbo with a stifled expression. That alone was enough to let Mumbo know it wasn't some odd tease.
Slowly, Mumbo opened his mouth to speak. But nothing came out, so instead, he nodded. Because maybe it'd be a fair enough payment. Though, truly, he didn't need a favour to return this favour.
But he wasn't able to dwell too much on it before Grian crawled slightly into his lap and had his lips against Mumbo's. It didn't last very long, just a few seconds, over right as it started. And Mumbo wished it lasted longer.
So, maybe a little selfishly, he took Grian's lips back in his just as he went to pull away. Grian made a muffled sound, but quickly melted back into it, pushing Mumbo gently down against the headboard.
He was hesitant to touch Grian even, hands staying glued to his sides with the occasional finger twitch, desperate to feel all around and over Grian's body. But they both knew it was a little much at this point, so Grian pulled away for the final time. Lifting himself from Mumbo's lap, he gave a little cheeky smile, “Thanks for the save again.”