Hermitcraft Oneshots

Nicknames - Grian-centric (angst)

389 words. It's short, I'm currently working on a long one which will hopefully be done soon. Set whenever in s7. Won't make sense if you don't know about YHS and Samgladiator. Lil bit angsty. I will probably do more around this kind of idea in future. Also this is platonic grumbo but it could be romantic grumbo if you want.

"Mumbooooo," Grian called, lengthening the 'o' significantly, as he circled the moustached man, before landing on top of the ancient monument. He grinned.

"Gri!" Mumbo replied, smiling and checking he had his redstone box in his inventory; they'd arranged to meet up so that he could show the gremlin how to make a contraption.

"Mumby!" Oh, this was a game, was it?

"G-man!"

"Bumbo Baggins!"

"Gri-Gri!"

"Mumbo Jumbolio!" Laughter, by now, had filled the air.

"Grain!"

"Moustached friend!"

"Uh, Totally Not Poultry Man!" He was starting to run out of nicknames.

"I'm not- Spoon!" Grian denied before continuing the competition that Mumbo seemed to be losing.

"Ariana Griande!"

"Mole-o Gumbo!" Now that one brought back some memories.

"Grian-y?" Grian chuckled, seeing that he was undoubtedly winning.

"Mumby Jumby!" It was a slight repetition but it still counted, right?

"Gree-on!" Grian immediately frowned, his laughter ceased and instead he took on a completely different expression. Mumbo stopped laughing too when he saw this. He'd never seen this look on anyone before, and definitely not on Grian. "Grian, are you... are you okay?"

Said hermit didn't reply, and instead stayed absolutely silent, like he didn't trust himself to speak. He looked panicked. He looked nervous. He looked scared. He looked like he was completely broken inside. He looked like he was ready to burst into tears but couldn't  because fear was stopping him.

He looked nothing like the mischievous, up-beat gremlin he usually was, and instead he looked so painfully horrified that it honestly scared Mumbo. The ex-hobbit took a step forward, hoping to give him a hug or hold his hand or do anything that might help, but Grian stepped back. Instinctively. Instinctively.

That scared him even more.

"Grian I'm- I'm sorry. Are you okay?" He said, but the other didn't seem to register the words until a few seconds later.

"Sorry, I- uh, I have to go." And with that he launched multiple rockets and left.

Mumbo decided to let him be alone, although that didn't mean he wasn't worried. Eventually he went back to working on his base, like he had been doing before Grian arrived.

They next saw each other a week later, at which point Grian was back to his normal, bubbly self.

They never brought it up again.

Also I am aware that a gri-gri is a kind of belay device in rock climbing.