Chapter Text
“I can’t do this anymore!” Scar yelled, tears streaming down his cheeks.
“Why? Did I do something wrong?! You’ve been avoiding me for a week now. Scar, you need to talk to me!” Mumbo yelled back.
They were arguing in Mumbo’s living room. It was a fairly big house, the ceilings were high, everything was spotless, and it fit the “modern” standards.
Scar turned his back to Mumbo, and crossed his arms. “I get that, I really do. I’m just not in the right place right now…okay?” Scar replied, voice still tense as he tried not to lash out again.
“Scar, whatever it is, we can get through it together. We’ve been through a lot. I mean our two year anniversary is next month,” Mumbo reached for Scar’s shoulder, but Scar flinched away.
“Not this time Mumbo. I’m sorry I really am, but like I said we- I can’t see you anymore…I need to go,” Scar walked to the front door. He could feel Mumbo slowly following from a distance.
Scar looked back, Mumbo looked heart-broken, but this was for the best.
“Goodbye,” Scar walked through the door and shut it behind him.
It was raining out, the sky grey and cloud-filled. The wind was cold against Scar’s face. He took a second to breath, then sprinted off the front step. Scar pulled his hood up, he was wearing a green sweatshirt that should be in the trash at this point from how worn it was, but he liked it too much to get rid of it. His jeans were in the same condition, they had some weird paint stains on them, but he didn’t care.
The rain poured down harder. The puddles on the street started getting bigger, the cars that drove by splashed Scar, but it didn’t matter because he was already soaked.
Mumbo’s face kept flashing in Scar’s head. He looked so torn, he looked like he actually cared. The furrow in his brow, the slight tilt of his head, the way his eyes got big. Scar didn’t feel bad for the man at all. The relationship had been toxic from the start, but of course Scar was in his own world and hadn’t noticed that; thankfully, Scar’s friend Cub did.
Cub had been trying to convince Scar to break up with the man from the beginning, but, clearly, Scar didn’t agree. Mumbo eventually somehow got Scar to think he was a liability, but then whenever Scar asked what Mumbo thought about him, all Mumbo would give were sweet answers. It’d messed with Scar’s head, it still did, and he probably wasn’t going to get over that for a while.
Eventually Scar got to a bus stop. He panted trying to catch his breath as he slowed to a stop. He took down his hood and combed a hand through his soaking wet hair. The tears on his cheeks had dried. Scar sniffled as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He put in the pin, then opened his contacts. Scrolling until he got to Cub’s name. Scar hesitated then hit call. It rang once, twice, three times, then Cub’s voice.
“Hey, Scar! What you need?” Cub’s voice was warm and upbeat, it was familiar and grounding for Scar.
“Hi, umm, can you come pick me up?” Scar’s voice was shaky as he spoke. He didn’t know if it was because he was cold, in shock from what just happened, probably both.
“Scar, are you ok? Where are you? I’m coming.” Scar could hear the panic in Cub’s voice, this jingling of keys, and the sound of a car door opening.
“I’m at 15th and G Street at a bus stop. Trying to stay out of the rain, and yes I’m okay,” Scar’s voice was still shaky, but just a little steadier.
“Okay, I’m on my way.” Then Cub hung up.
~~--~~
Cub showed up after twenty minutes. His car was a black SUV that was too big for just one person; Scar always complained about that to Cub just to annoy him.
Scar opened the car door and got in. He immediately pulled off his hoodie and put it on the floor, then he pulled the seatbelt across him and buckled it.
Cub looked over to Scar and gave a concerned look trying to figure out what was wrong.
“What!? Stop looking at me like that,” Scar eyed Cub.
“Okay, but you need to tell me everything,” Cub turned back to the wheel and pulled out into the road again.
“Fine, only once we get back to my place,” Scar agreed.
They drove across the city for a while as the rain ran down the window. First trees and houses passed, then trailer homes, then tall buildings and apartments, more tall buildings, a park, and eventually they got to the parking garage under Scar’s apartment.
Scar grabbed his hoodie off of the floor of the car and got out. He slammed the door a little too hard, the sound echoing through the parking garage. Cub flinched and looked at Scar with a look that said, ‘what was that for?’ Scar just shrugged.
They walked up seven flights of stairs before getting to Scar’s floor. The hall was dimly lit with fluorescent lights that hummed above them as they walked. It looked like a shitty apartment building from the halls, but it was cheap and the actual apartments were nice so Scar didn’t complain.
They reached Scar’s door. Scar fished out his keys from a back pocket and unlocked the door. It swung open and they were immediately greeted by Jellie.
“Hi Jellie!” Scar’s mood instantly switched up as he scooped up the cat in his arms and walked into the apartment. Cub followed in after shutting and locking the door behind him. They both toed off their shoes in the entryway.
“Scar, what happened?” Cub said, breaking the silence.
“Well, it’s complicated,” Scar replied, walking into his room and setting Jellie down on his bed; Cub just followed as usual.
“You know I can handle complicated,” Cub sat on the bed and leaned back against the head board as Scar chose a new shirt.
“Yeah. I know that, but… also I don’t know. I just feel like you don’t need to get wrapped up in this drama,” Scar said, peeling off the soaked shirt he had on.
“Scar, I’ve been wrapped up in your drama for what, like seventeen years now? We’ve been friends forever, your drama is my drama and my drama is your drama. So get your head out of the gutter and talk to me.” Cub insisted, folding his arms.
“Okay. Are you sure you’re okay with that?” Scar asked again needing confirmation as he slipped an oversized grey shirt on.
“Yes Scar, it’s okay.”
“Well,” Scar sat on the end of the bed petting Jellie. “I umm, I finally broke up with Mumbo,” Scar looked down at the cat who had shifted into his lap.
“Really? I thought you were scared that something might happen if you do that? That he might do something,” Cub was confused but still trying to figure out why Scar did this so suddenly.
“Yeah, and I guess I still am, but I have you so I think I’ll be fine,” Scar looked back up at Cub.
“Well you’ll always be okay when you’re with me,” Cub smiled, pushing himself up to sit next to Scar. “We need to celebrate this!”
“You sure? It’s just a break up after all,” Scar tilted his head slightly.
“Um, yeah we need to! I heard there is a traveling carnival that is staying on the edge of Hermit City this weekend. It opens tomorrow, do you wanna go?” Cub somehow got closer to Scar in his little excited rant.
“Yea sure, but that means you need to let me sleep,” Scar nudged Jellie off his lap and stood up stretching.
“It’s only five. Do you really wanna kick me out that bad?” Cub stood up too.
“Maybe~ or maybe I’m actually tired, you’ll never know,” Scar shrugged and nudged Cub out of his room into the living area.
“Okay! Okay! I’m leaving geez,” Cub bent down and put his shoes back on. “See ya tomorrow around six-ish, byeeee~,” Cub said, leaving the apartment.
Scar rolled his eyes, “Bye…” Scar shut the door and slumped forward to lean his head against it for a second. He then let out a deep sigh, headed to the kitchen.
Jellie padded after him, waiting for food. Scar reached up to a cabinet and got down Jellie’s food, he poured some into her bowl. Then shoved the bag back with a huff.
“I need to eat,” Scar muttered to himself, turning to open the fridge.
It was mainly empty other than some eggs, pasta sauce, things to make sandwiches, sodas, and energy drinks. Scar grabbed out a carton of eggs and set them next to the stove. Pulling a pan from a lower cabinet and set it on the stove to heat up.
Scar dragged a hand down his face and looked over to the bathroom door. Slowly he walked over to the bathroom and flicked on a light. He stopped in the mirror, his hair was a mess, and his eye bags were more prominent than they had been in a while. Scar opened the cupboard and grabbed out his meds, did he like taking them? No, but he needed them to be a human that was bearable to be around. Scar shook two out of the bottle then put it back, and walked back into the kitchen.
Scar got out a fresh cup and filled it with cold water, then downed the pills. The pan had gotten hot enough so Scar set the glass down next to the sink and cracked two eggs into the pan. He started to scramble them as they cooked.
Once they were done Scar tipped them onto a small plate and walked into the living room to switch on the tv. He started to continue Star Wars from last night that he never finished. He still couldn’t stop thinking about everything, the way he’d stormed out, Mumbo’s face, and the hurt in his voice.
Eventually Scar got up and set his plate in the sink. He turned off the tv, and headed to his room. Jellie was already sprawled out in the dark. Scar changed into sweatpants, tugged his shirt off, then climbed into his bed. He set his phone on the night stand, Jellie moved to lay on Scar’s chest. It centered him and brought him back to reality before he eventually drifted off to sleep.