Work Text:
Ding, Dong!
"I'll get it!"
Mumbo gave a small chuckle as Grian raced out of the kitchen towards the front door, clearly very eager to let the guests in and get the night started, while they sat at the kitchen island, painting their nails. They wouldn't deny it, they were just as eager as he, but they couldn't help but feel quite anxious at the same time. Either Grian was being very good at hiding his worries, or he really was just as chill as he seemed about their plan. Mumbo wasn't sure which hand he would prefer: At least one of them be calm, or they both be absolute nervous wrecks. If they went down, they went down together, Mumbo supposed.
As voices approached from the hallway, Mumbo pulled themselves back down to earth and, leaning their elbows on the island, continued with repainting their nails black, since they had gotten a bit chipped and discoloured from working with redstone during the previous week.
"Well, hello there, Mumbo!" Scar smiled, tilting her head in an endearing way as she wheeled herself in. Her brother, Bdubs; Bdubs' close friend, Etho; and, of course, Grian, followed close behind. All four of them (par Grian) were wearing various pyjama styles, and Scar even carried a tub of her renowned cookies on her lap.
An unexpected blush blossomed and grew on Mumbo's face at her words, and in a foolish, love-blinded manner, they lifted their hand to give a small wave when they accidentally knocked the nail varnish all over them. "Oh, bugger." They said, looking rather sheepish. "I... I'd better go clear myself up."
As Mumbo left the room, annoyed at themselves for screwing everything up in front of Scar, of all people, Grian took charge of the group and led them all to the living room once Scar had placed her cookies down on the kitchen island. Despite how fast his heart was pitter-pattering in his chest, Grian managed to keep a nonchalant smile on his face. At the same time, he sat down on the far right of the blanket-covered sofa, in order to be as close to Scar as possible since she had placed herself at an angle, facing the low coffee table that was adorned with snacks in the middle of the room.
"So, should we wait for Mumbo to discuss movie options or...?" Etho suggested, trailing off as she stimmed with the trouser fabric around her left knee, leaning against the left sofa arm.
Scar immediately jumped in. "Once again, I put forward—"
In almost perfect unison, Grian, Etho and Bdubs all told her sternly, "No Star Wars!"
"Oh, come on!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms.
"I'm sorry, Scar," Grian apologised with a look of sincerity, placing his hand on her shoulder, "but if I have to sit through another one of those films again, I genuinely believe I will implode on myself." Realising what he'd just done, Grian quickly put his hand back on the sofa, blushing like mad.
Bdubs nodded in agreement from the middle of the sofa. "Yeah, I'm with Grian on this. You've made me watch those movies too many times and I am now pretty sick of them."
"No, no, no, I understand; You guys just can't appreciate good cinema..." Scar said, grumbling the latter clause under her breath.
As if he were impersonating an erupting volcano, Bdubs sprang out of his seat, Etho having to physically pull him back down as Scar attempted to hide a chuckle with her hand. "HEY, YOU TAKE THAT BACK!!! I KNOW A PLETHORA OF GOOD MOVIES!!!"
Giving Grian a knowing look, Scar chewed on her lip and looked away as he bravely gave a wink back. If only Grian knew what he was doing to her in her head...
In Etho's attempts to restrain the rabid animal known as Bdubs, she had wrapped her arms around his stomach as he wriggled wildly. But when Bdubs eventually gave up his feeble attempts, Etho didn't exactly clock it straight away, resulting in the shorter of the two being yanked onto the other's lap. Her ears shooting up dead-straight, Etho froze as still as a statue.
Turning his head to face Etho, Bdubs became scarily aware of how close they were to each other. Their noses seemed mere millimetres away, and if it weren't for Etho's mask, they would have felt each other's breath against their cheeks.
"Er... I—" Etho was cut short by Grian mischievously leaning over and giving Bdubs' back a gentle yet firm shove to get them even closer together. From beneath his oversized green hoodie that he wore above his pyjamas, his entire body suddenly became very hot, as he spun his body around to face Etho properly and, at long last, their noses brushed, neither of them saying a word during the tense encounter.
In the doorway stood a very confused-looking Mumbo, now changed into Hello Kitty pyjama bottoms and a white t-shirt with the words Mumbo For Mayor across the front in red. "Am I interrupting something?" They asked, their confusion turning to hysterics as they realised what was happening.
"No! No, you are not." Bdubs huffed, shuffling down to the middle of the sofa once more, crossing his arms and shooting Grian a glare that said, 'I will murder you in your shreep'.
"Alright. Wasn't sure when we decided to lie to each other, but okay..." They said as they practically dropped down onto the beanbag on the other side of Scar, being careful with their freshly painted nails.
Bdubs' eyes shot wide open. "Hey!" He shouted at Mumbo, lacking the energy to try and go feral on them too.
"Who stole your volume control?" Quipped Scar, a smirk on her face revealing how proud she was of her statement. And as a bonus, Grian found himself in fits of giggles, letting her take a moment to admire how adorable he was when he did so.
Giving an over-exaggerated gasp, Bdubs spoke his mind about how he believed he was being treated. "I feel insulted! This is probably, like, borderline bullying, y'know!"
Taking a hold of Bdub's hand, Etho rubbed his knuckles in a calming way, and it would have felt patronising if it weren't for the kind sentiment he could hear behind her words. "Oh, my little fragile flower, they're just trying to rile you up, that's all."
"Yeah? Well, I don't like it." Bdubs grumbled, still subconsciously keeping hold of Etho's hand. None of the other three dared say anything about it, else risk Bdubs exploding again.
"To change the subject..." Mumbo said, shifting the focus. "Film options?"
"We have already established: anything but Star Wars." Grian helpfully informed Mumbo, much to Scar's disliking.
Fanning their nails dry, Mumbo thought for a moment, along with everyone else, before giving a suggestion. "How about... Oh! Jurassic Park?"
"Wait... is that the one with the dinosaurs?" Bdubs asked, his voice shifting subtly higher as his grip on Etho's hand tightened slightly. She took her focus away from Mumbo and concentrated on Bdubs' face, studying the concerned look in his eyes.
"Do you know any other meanings of Jurassic?" Jested Grian, noticing the change in Bdubs' body language also.
"Shuddup, you." Bdubs snapped at him, already previously agitated. Though he attempted to hide his worries, his efforts were fruitless. "Maybe we could choose one not as... big-vicious-monster-y?"
Having been eyeing the opportunity to taunt her brother further, Scar took it, not looking back, and adopted a patronising tone to her voice. "Aww... Is wittle Bdubs scared of the mean, cut-thwoat dinosaurs?"
"Hey! Quit it with the short jokes! I'm 5'10", okay? That's average height!" He defended, bringing out his usual arsenal of arguments. What Bdubs saw as 'average', to any other person, would be seen as, 'a fair bit below'.
Sarcasm lacing their words, Mumbo pretended to side with him, nodding their head. "Oh, of course, Bdubs! It's not as if you're the shortest here or anything!"
"That's right, Mumbo! Glad to see I'm not the only one who can measure in this room." A smug grin plastered itself on his face, as he obliviously gleamed at his fraudulent victory.
Smirking, Scar cracked a classic joke, hoping to get under Bdubs' skin. "That's what she said."
"Oh, come on!" Bdubs groaned as everyone burst into uncontrollable giggles. "All the freaking time..."
After a few bouts of laughter, Grian hushed everyone to almost quiet. "Alright, guys, settle down." He told them. "We still need to choose a film to watch!"
"Honestly, I'd be happy with anything." Etho shrugged, readjusting her sitting position while making sure not to let go of Bdubs' hand.
"Er... How does... Mamma Mia sound?" Bdubs suggested after a moment of thought between the group.
Cocking their head in confusion, Mumbo asked. "You like musicals?"
"Oh my void, does he like musicals!" Scar emphasised his words in an incredulous way, laying a hand on Mumbo's arm, which made them blush slightly. "They were the only movies I could get him to watch with me from the ages of, like, 5 to 15!"
A soft blush of embarrassment appeared across Bdubs face as he spoke in a sheepish tone, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "Well, they're okay, I guess..."
"I—I never knew that about you." Etho commented, initially looking Bdubs in the eye, but shifting her view elsewhere when Bdubs' gaze locked on her.
Struggling for words, Bdubs spluttered out a few incoherent noises, before Grian cheekily wolf-whistled at the two of them, causing the pair to go red (though you could barely see it on Etho under her mask). "Shuddup!" Bdubs said as he turned to Grian.
"Alright, alright, I think that's enough bulling Bdubs for now." Mumbo said, laughter lacing his words.
Giving a nod, Bdubs agreed. "Yeah!" As he spoke, Etho couldn't help but notice how his big, brown eyes sparkled with life, illuminating the whole room. His enthusiasm made her let out a small giggle, it dawning on her how truly beautiful he was, not just in looks either, but in spirit.
"Mumbo's right; let's get the snacks out and get this movie on!" Scar said, trying to hype everyone up for the night—No one would be getting a wink of sleep if she could help it.
Gesturing to the kitchen, Grian gave Mumbo a suspicious look, then instructed them, "Buttercup, come help me get the food."
Watching the two of them get up and leave with a wistful look in her eyes, Scar found herself letting out a yearning sigh. When Grian and Mumbo had invited her round for a sleepover, she had been overjoyed at their request, (though her mood had dampened slightly when Bdubs had overheard and invited himself and Etho along too). But when she was there, she just found herself feeling more and more lonely, despite being surrounded by three amazing friends (and her brother, of course), who all cared about her so much. She just wished that two of them cared for her in a slightly different way. Being so close to them somehow made her feel even more distant; having the ability to witness what could never be hers. Everything they had together, Scar longed to have shared with her. The nicknames, the quick glances of adoration, the... Well, to put it simply: the love.
Abruptly, she was knocked out of her thoughts by her brother tapping her on the shoulder. "Earth to Scar? Hello?" She turned her head slightly, giving a short hum to let him know she was listening. "Y'know, you are so smitten for them." He jested, poking her cheek, just to be annoying.
A blush quickly grew on her face, as she rushed to defend herself against his joshing. "What?! No, I am not!" She denied.
"Look, Scar, I hate to be the bearer of good news, but... it's kind of obvious." Etho told the elf, giving a shrug of her shoulders.
Defeated, Scar muttered a cheeky comeback under her breath "Yeah, well, you two can talk."
"What was that?" Bdubs asked, despite knowing very well what she had just said.
Forcing a smile to creep back onto her face, Scar hastily replied, "Oh, nothing, nothing! It must have been the wind..."
"I'm going to go help them grab the snacks..." Etho excused herself as she got up from her seat, finally letting go of Bdubs' hand. As an only child, she had avoided sibling rivalry her whole life, (up until she met her friend Beef in her late teens, that was, who quickly became like a brother to her) so she didn't want to get in-between Scar and Bdubs. "Oh, hey, Mumbo!" She greeted as she spotted the vampire coming out of the kitchen. "I'm just going to grab Scar's cookies; I'll be right back!"
○●○●○●○
Dragging Mumbo by the arm, Grian hushed them as the two made their way into the kitchen, leaving their guests to natter in the living room in their absence. Once out of earshot, the avian explained why he had pulled them away. "Mumbo, we're going to have to find a time when we're alone with Scar to do this because I don't particularly want to ask her in front of Etho and Bdubs."
"You read my mind." Nodded Mumbo in agreement, bending down and grabbing a few share bags of crisps from a cupboard. "No offence to them but this would have been so much easier if they weren't here."
Grian hummed, "Well, you could say that again. I'm thinking we wait until after the film? 'Cause let's face it; Bdubs is probably going to be asleep and knowing him, he'll drift off on Etho, trapping her."
"That's true." They confirmed, since they knew how much Bdubs loved his beauty sleep.
"So... it's a date?" Grian cocked his head as he grabbed Mumbo a bottle of blood from the fridge.
Showing a smirk, Mumbo walked up to him left a small kiss on Grian's forehead. "It's a date." They then added, "You're lucky I'm not wearing my black lipstick."
Shoving the bottle in Mumbo's hands, Grian gave a lopsided smile before telling them, "You take these in. I'll follow."
" 'Kay." Mumbo replied, then set off to do as Grian said, carring the various crisps and their bottle. As they went out of view, Grian spotted Etho enter, her tail tucked between her legs in nervousness.
"Hey, Etho." He chimed, trying to be friendly and welcoming.
"Oh—Hey, Grian." Stuttered Etho in reply. "I—I've come to help you carry some stuff in."
Kindly, Grian sent a smile her way. "Okay, if you could just grab that jug and Scar's cookies that would be great."
Doing as he asked, Etho picked up a jug of apple juice and the tub of cookies, then turned to face Grian, as he grabbed another jug (lemonade, if Etho could rely on her nose) and a bowl of strawberries. "Grian." She said, attempting to hide the nervousness in her voice.
"Yeah?" He replied, spinning around on his heel to face her.
Taking a deep breath, Etho asked him, "All that stuff you guys say about me and Bdubs... Is it true? Does he... Does he like me?"
Giving a sigh, Grian told her the truth. "I'm going to be completely honest with you, Etho." At his words, Etho's ears drooped, expecting what was seemingly bound to come next. "The way he looks at you... he's had his eye on you for a long time."
A spark reignited in Etho's eyes as her ears perked up again, her tail also picking up speed. "Really?" She asked, half in disbelief.
"A blind man could see it." Confirmed Grian, his wings giving small flaps out of joy. "Now, come on, let's take these through to the others."
After they had both reentered the living room and laid out all the snacks on the coffee table, Mumbo turned off the lights and they all settled down to watch Mamma Mia.
Unlike Grian has expected, it was actually Etho who fell asleep first, at around halfway through the film, before Bdubs had promptly woken her up, complaining how she was 'missing the best bit'. But it didn't take long until, Bdubs's head had slowly drooped onto Etho's shoulder, then falling down onto her chest as he fell deeper into his sleep. But by the time that had happened Etho had once again nodded off.
As the credits began to roll, Mumbo subtly kicked Grian in the leg, noticing sleep had started to gnaw at his tired mind. He gave a squawk in return, but managed to wake himself up a bit more.
"Alright," Scar whispered, not wanting to wake up Etho or Bdubs, "Who's face are we drawing on first?"
All three of them giggled quietly for a moment, before Grian gave Mumbo a certain look. Unbeknownst to either of them, Scar's heart cracked just a little, at what she assumed was some inside joke she was missing out on.
"Scar? Can me and Mumbo ask you something?" Grian began, his nerves becoming quickly apparent, especially to himself. Nodding her head, Scar gave a small hum in reply.
Looking to Mumbo for help, Grian encouraged for them to speak. They managed a stumbling confession, going along the lines of, "Well, Scar. We—We were wondering if you... If—If you would maybe want to... I mean, only if you're free... if you would possible consider going out with—with us? Sometime, maybe?"
It stayed nearnly silent for a few moments, the only sound to be heard being Bdubs' snores. Scar's eyes darted about wildly as she became statue-like, unsure of her next move.
The amount of energy it too for Grian not to face palm was colossal. He was sure Mumbo had just screwed it up for the both of them. If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself. "What Mumbo was trying to say, Scar, is; Will you be our partner?"
"Your—Your partner?" She asked in disbelief, her mind rushing through thousands of ways that she must have been misinterpreting that. But when she locked eyes with Mumbo, all of that melted into a pile of nothingness. The two of them drifted closer to each other, their eyes flickering shut. They indulged in a short, sweet kiss, Mumbo's hands coming up to run their fingers through her hair, before pulling away.
Her heart battering against her chest, Scar turned to Grian, who awaited her with a hopeful smile. "I take that as-" He didn't get to finish his sentance before she reached out and grabbed his jumper by the collar, pulling him into a feverish, adrenaline-ran kiss.
When they parted, Scar apologised gently. "I'm sorry, I probably should have asked first."
"It's alright, Scar." Grian whispered. "But we ought to get to bed. We can talk properly in the morning."
And with that, Mumbo and Grian led Scar to their bedroom, where they all slept soundly for however little of the night there was left. As they drifted of together, kisses were softly peppered on each of their cheeks and strong wings covered them all like a extra blanket.
All three of them wished the moment could last forever. And, for that night, at least, it felt like it did.
○●○●○●○
When Etho woke up with the sun to find the most handsome man she's ever seen asleep on her chest with no one else in sight, she took a deep breath before slowly reaching up to drag her mask down with one finger. Gently, she leant down a planted a tender kiss on Bdubs head, then whispered to him, knowing he would never hear her. "I love you, Bdubs. I just hope that one day, I'll be brave enough to tell you when you aren't getting your beauty sleep."
And if Bdubs was secretly awake to hear her, he would never admit it.