Cover of Night |A Vampire Mumbo Fic|

Close Call

Grian left the next morning, and business in Boatem went back to normal. Well, almost.

Mumbo stayed relatively distant from the rest of the group, not really leaving his base besides for the occasional trip to the shopping district.

The others took notice of this, and internally they all began to grow more concerned for Mumbo's well being. Well, all except for Grian.

Grian consistently visited Mumbo at around the same time every day for the next week. He had insisted upon visiting to check up on Mumbo, although Mumbo himself seemed rather opposed to it at first.

In fact, Mumbo had been acting very distant ever since his whole... interaction.. with Grian earlier in the week. He didn't feel comfortable being around Grian.

Truthfully, he didn't feel that Grian was safe with him.

Ever since Mumbo had bitten him, it was like all he could think about was Grian's blood. Sure, Mumbo wasn't starving anymore, but that didn't mean that he craved blood any less.

If anything, he craved it more. It had been so lond since he'd really eaten, and the wonderful taste of Grian's blood lingered in his mind. Every time he spoke to Grian, all he could think was how much he wanted to feed.

Because Grian kept insisting on checking up on Mumbo, he eventually allowed him to. However, Mumbo limited their visits to the afternoons alone, as that was when he was weakest. This would hopefully prevent any other incidents from occurring.

This worked well for a few days, up until Mumbo received a letter from Scar requesting a meeting. Mumbo couldn't help but feel panic at the idea of meeting with him.

"What if I hurt him on accident?" Mumbo asked Grian when he arrived the next day. "It's a miracle I didn't accidentally kill you, y'know. I don't want to risk it with Scar, too."

Mumbo sighed and buried his head in his hands, ruffling his hair. "I.. I don't trust myself alone with him, Grian."

Grian nodded sympathetically, resting a hand on Mumbo's shoulder. "But you know Scar, he'll feel hurt if you don't show up."

Mumbo nodded. "I know," he sighed.

They both sat for a moment, thinking. "Well, maybe," Grian began, "You don't have to go alone."

Mumbo looked at Grian questioningly. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I can just go with you," Grian replied. "If things get too risky or you start to slip, I'll just get you out of there."

Mumbo thought for a moment. "That.. makes sense, I guess. Still, I'm a bit worried about going out." Grian waved a hand in the air. "It'll be fine, trust me."

Mumbo looked at Grian, a worn expression on his face. "Well, if you say so," he said. Grian smiled triumphantly.

The next morning, Grian and Mumbo took the walk to Scar's base together. Mumbo was still reluctant to go, but it was too late at this point.

The pair approached the door. Grian knocked loudly, and almost immediately Scar's smiling face greeted them. "Hello there," he smiled. "Come in, come in!" Scar gestured inside eagerly.

As the two entered, Scar's smiling face dropped to a look of concern. "Are you alright, Mumbo? You're looking a little down."

Mumbo looked at Grian nervously, before nodding and saying, "I'm just feeling a little under the weather today." Scar nodded. "Well, I know something that'll cheer you up," he said excitedly. "Wait here!"

Scar rushed off eagerly, to Grian and Mumbo's amusement. Mumbo still felt a bit nervous, fidgeting with his tie. Grian reached out and grabbed Mumbo's hand, offering him a reassuring smile. Mumbo smiled at him gratefully.

Scar rushed back, this time carrying something in his hands. "Ta-da!" he exclaimed, holding the object out towards Mumbo.

It was a small top hat, with a thin, crimson ribbon rapped around it. Scar smiled and said, "I figured it would fit well with you're outfit. I guess you could say that this hat ✨suits you✨"

Mumbo let out a laugh as he took it. He smiled gratefully at Scar. "Thank you, Scar. I love it."

Scar smiled wide. "Aww, I'm so glad! Although, I do wish I made it fit your whole 'Peace, Love, and Plants' theme a bit more."

Mumbo stiffened at the mention of his 'Peace, Love, and Plants,' bit. Look how well that had turned out-

"Actually," Scar said thoughtfully, "Maybe I can make it fit." He walked to one of his chests and began to rifle through it, searching for something.

"Aha!" Scar exclaimed triumphantly, pulling a small box from the chest. He opened it, revealing that it was in fact a sewing kit. He removed from it a needle and a spool of red thread.

"I'll just sew a little peace sign onto your hat," he said. Scar took the hat from Mumbo and began to stitch busily. Mumbo shook his head. "It's really alright, mate, I love-"

Mumbo froze as Scar let out a sharp breath. He watched as a small droplet of blood bubbled from his finger. "Aww man, I pricked my finger," Scar whined.

Grian looked at Mumbo anxiously. He felt Mumbo grip his hand tighter, nearly crushing it with his grip. 'Uh oh,' Grian thought, 'He's losing it.'

Mumbo watched as Scar rubber his finger, frowning. His heart began to pound as the smell of blood hit his nose.

"Well! We should be going now!" Grian cried suddenly. Scar gave him a confused glance, watching as Grian began to tug Mumbo's arm.

Grian rushed out the door, with Mumbo close behind. "Thanks Scar! Talk to you later!" Grian called as they left.

Scar stood alone in his now empty living room, clutching the hat to his chest. "Oh... alright then," he said quietly.