Chapter Text
Mumbo had never seen such a beautiful thing in his life.
According to Grian, they were called honey blocks, and according to him, they were sticky but probably the best thing about this world so far. Oh goodness, if he could go back to his own world (and bring the honey blocks), he could probably get up to emerald tier… at least, he could have if he hadn't been banished by his own… no, he wouldn’t think about him, that little traitor.
Grian was apparently taking him to see someone called X. He had a friend that he would call X as a nickname when he was younger, but then him and his brother both got banished from there because apparently they had both taught themselves the forbidden language. He was surprised hearing that, because X and his brother never really got along at all. They absolutely wouldn’t get along for long enough to learn a whole language.
They had just exited X’s nether portal (something both of these worlds actually shared), and Mumbo was busy prodding the honey blocks when he heard his name get said by a familiar voice behind him. It couldn’t be...
“Is that really you, Mumbo?” He turned around to face someone wearing a strider themed helmet and outfit. Wait a minute… was he…?
“Huh?” Mumbo saw Grian swivel around to face him and the strider masked man, “X? First of all, where did you come from? Second, do you know him?”
“Come inside, both of you.” X told them.
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Grian did not expect to find out that Xisuma was not actually human. I mean, sure, he wore a helmet and armor everywhere and never took it off, even if it was a boiling hot day and he was surely sweating in it (which now that he thinks about it, he might not even have been sweaty), but really? The admin of Hermitcraft? Is Ex also an alien too, or is he adopted? Grian’s thoughts were spinning round in circles.
When X invited both of them inside, Grian was a bit confused about how he’d known who Mumbo was, mostly. Then, as they were wandering through the hallways, Grian thought that he’d come to the truth: X’s admin powers let him know whoever was in a specific radius from him. They all went into the living room and X told both him and Mumbo to wait here while he made them some nice warm hot chocolates.
“What’re hot chocolates?” Mumbo had asked softly.
“Oh! They’re these sweet drinks! You’ll probably find it to be nice… probably.” Grian explained.
“I’ll fill them up with marshmallows as well.” Xisuma told both of them as he left the room.
Grian had seen Mumbo’s face fill with confusion as he left the room, “Marshmallows are like sweet clouds for your mouth.”
Around five minutes later, Grian saw someone enter the room while he was talking to Mumbo. For a second he thought it was X, but then did a double take at the person… or alien. He looked similar to Mumbo with the antennae and webbed ears, but they were green, and… he also had X’s suit on and was carrying a tray of hot chocolates. He looked over at Mumbo and thought that he was just as shocked as he was, yet when the guy put the tray down Mumbo immediately ran up to him, tears streaking down his bandaged cheeks, and hugged him.
“I… X… You got exiled… thought you’d died…” Mumbo stuttered through sobs.
“I’m so sorry… I tried to find a way to communicate to you guys, all my friends, but I couldn’t.” Was this… really what X looked like?
“X?” Grian started but then realised that he didn’t know what to say past that.
The man turned and looked at him, a small guilty smile on his face, “Yeah… I’m sorry I never told any of you… just please don’t tell anyone else… please.”
Grian was too shocked to do anything but nod his head. That was half an hour ago, and he’s still shocked. X had let them both stay the night, probably so he can see his “new best friend Mumbo” some more, and it would be rude if he didn’t let Grian stay as well… damn it X, he wanted to be the one to take Mumbo around, show him the world. He wanted to see the shock on his face when he saw a mooshroom for the first time, when he tried out elytra for the first time… stupid X…
Grian suddenly heard a knocking sound on the door of the room he was staying in, and wiped a few stray tears away, “Come in, I guess…”
The door opened and in came… the person he was least wanting to see right now, Xisuma, “Hey, Grian, just wanted to check up on how… wait, are you ok? Why’re you crying?”
“I wasn’t crying!” Grian snarked at him loudly.
X started to approach him. He tried to block the space, but instead, he felt arms wrap around him. Grian jumped, slightly startled at the coldness of his hands, but then realised who was hugging him. He tried to squirm out of it, but X’s grip was too good. He was like a trapped animal, wanting to leave but unable to.
“C-can you let go of me…” Grian grunted, and to his surprise X did let go of him.
X looked at him for a few moments, enough time for Grian to realise that X had put his helmet back on, “Are you sure you’re ok? I… I do understand that… that the fact that I’ve been lying to you all…”
“What? You can’t think of anything else that’d be upsetting at all?” Grian snapped, “Not… the fact that I perhaps wanted to be the person who Mumbo trusted most? Ever since I joined you guys here, I’ve felt a bit like… left out. I still don’t have many people I talk to often, especially compared to all of you… I was sort of hoping that this’d... help that…”
“Gri…” X tried to comfort him, “Even though we don’t talk often, it doesn’t mean we don’t want to! We just... all have projects we need to do… I’m sorry if I was…”
Grian let out a sigh of defeat, “No, no. I was being selfish… I shouldn’t have lashed out at you. I’m gonna take a walk.”
“Oh… ok. See you in a bit, then?”
Grian got up from his bed, and left the room. A single, frail tear slid down his cheek as he left the building for now. The sun was still high, yet his spirits were low.