Creation Of Cremations - Mumscarian Superhero AU

Chapter 8 - Jellie

Mumbo hadn't meant to end up like this.

All his life Mumbo had been told that he showed great promise, whatever that meant. An A* student, he was excellent at science. He was his secondary school's prodigy and they loved to show him off. Mumbo was less thrilled about the attention. He preferred to grab his books and sit in the corner, practising small-scale mechanics. If anything, attention just brought him trouble. Other people in his year picked on him regularly. For the way he talked. For the way he wore his uniform - which was the correct way, he'll have them known. The way everyone mocked him when his moustache started to grow. 

That one especially ticked him off, he'd been waiting to grow a moustache for years. One summer came and went and Mumbo entered year 11 with a perfect moustache, according to him. Others felt differently. A group of boys in his year had cornered him. Mumbo was lanky but an easy pushover so his struggles remained futile as they cut off his prized moustache. 

"Get off of him!" 

Grian had been Mumbo's only saviour on that day. Heavens knew Grian could hardly defend himself but something about Mumbo had made him suddenly protective. Grian took a beating just like Mumbo had but his yelling thankfully alerted teachers to break it up. The opposite of Mumbo, who tried to yell as quietly as possible.

"You didn't have to get involved," Mumbo mumbled bashfully from the chairs outside the nurse's office.

"Yes, I did." Grian protested. "They were hurting you! They cut off your moustache!"

"It was against school policy anyway…" Mumbo sighed, feeling the tuft of hair that remained. 

Grian didn't agree.

"Listen here, Mr Mumbo Jumbo!" Grian declared, looking Mumbo dead in the eyes. "That moustache was a part of your identity! And it looked fantastic! It was worth getting revenge." 

"You're gonna get yourself hurt!" Mumbo protested. "You're already hurt! You have a bruise on your face."

"It makes me look more masculine…"

"Grian I know you want to pass but getting injured is not the way to go about it…" 

Grian stared at the ground below him.

"I just…" Grian sighed. "I hate it when they pick on you."

"And I hate it when they pick on you too!" Mumbo returned.

"Mumbo, I'm trans," Grian mumbled. "People have a reason to make fun of me. With you it's not fair, you're just a nerd and that's my favourite part about you!"

"You're not going there, it's not fair on you either," Mumbo spoke sternly. "Hey, I hear college is a lot more accepting. Hopefully, there's someone who's on your side."

"Of course there is." Grian grasped Mumbo's hand. "You are."