Grian was sitting in front of the fireplace finishing the sandwich that Xisuma had made for him. X was still in the kitchen, cleaning up. He was singing a song that Grian had never heard before, but it had words that sounded like a different language.

"...Something that does right by you, I would do about anything, ╎ ∴𝙹⚍ꖎ↸ ᒷ⍊ᒷリ ꖎᒷᔑ∷リ ⍑𝙹∴ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ..."

Grian stole a glance over to his friend. Whenever X sang the foreign words, his freckles glowed and twinkled like real stars.

He hopped around the kitchen island, wiping it down with a rag, when someone banged on the front door. Xisuma stopped singing and set down his rag. Grian dropped down and laid down against the back of the couch so that he couldn't be seen by whoever was at the door.

Xisuma wasn't wearing his helmet as he walked over to the front door. He didn't need it when he was inside his house. He had left it on the couch, next to Grian. X opened the front door and saw a soaking wet Mumbo, who's expression changed as he saw the admin without his helmet. Xisuma realized why his tall friend was surprised, and he immediately slammed the door.

"SORRY! HOLD ON A SECOND!" he called out to the door. He ran over to the couch, grabbed the helmet, gave Grian a sympathetic look, put it on, and went back over to the front door.

He opened the door with a chuckle. "Sorry about that, mate."

Mumbo looked confused for a moment, but he shook his head and shakily spoke. "It..it's alright."

Xisuma examined his friend's emotional state. Mumbo was drenched (it was still raining outside), but it was obvious that the man had been crying. He looked very distressed and frantic, and he was holding a plastic container of cookies.

"It doesn't look like it's alright-" Xisuma looked up at the man. "Are you okay?"

"DoyouknowwhereGrianisbecauseIcan'tfindhimandI'mworriedthathemaybehurtor -"

X cut him off. "Woah, okay, I'm gonna need you to slooow down if I'm gonna help you; I can't understand a word of what you just said."

Mumbo took a shaky breath and tried again. "Do you know where Grian is? He's missing, and I...I'm worried about him."

Xisuma thought about the winged man hiding on the couch. He promised he would help

Grian, but that meant hurting Mumbo. He could lie to him, but that would probably just result in more panic.

He decided to play it somewhat safe.

"I know where he is, Mumbo. He's okay." Xisuma put a hand on Mumbo's arm in an attempt to reassure him.

"W-where is he?" Mumbo looked slightly hopeful. On X's shoulder was a shimmery purple feather, meaning that G must be close.

"I'm sorry but,...he asked me to keep him hidden. Just for a few days! He said he needed time to think without people trying to help him...if that makes sense."

Mumbo looked hurt. "I-...oh..." He started to say something, but then decided against it.

"I guess I'll just leave these with you." The tall man handed the plastic container over to the beekeeper. Inside were snickerdoodles and a few typed notes. "I made the cookies for him, and the notes are from our robot."

Xisuma took the case and watched as his friend started to turn away.

"W-wait! Hold on!"

Mumbo stopped walking and turned around. With a tired, sad sigh, he asked, "What is it, X?"

Xisuma stepped out into the rain, towards the Architech. "Grian loves you. You know that, right? You're his best friend, and, well, he's aware that what he's doing probably hurts you so much. And he's sorry! He doesn't want to hurt you. That's why he's hiding away. He doesn't want you to have to bear any pain because of him."

Mumbo listened to the words, which only made things feel worse. If Grian didn't want to hurt him, he would ask for help, right?

Mumbo didn't know anymore.

Instead of replying, Mumbo just pulled X into a hug. Xisuma was now also drenched.

"Can you give this to him as well?" Mumbo asked as he let go, referring to the hug. "It seems like he's much more comfortable hugging you than he is hugging me." Mumbo spoke in a rather cold tone. He motioned to the watertight feather on the admin's shoulder.

"Mumbo-"

"It's alright. You don't need to tell me anything else. I'm not mad...I'm just...I don't even know what I am anymore." The tall Englishman looked defeated.

"I've got to go." he pointed with his thumb over his shoulder.

Xisuma sighed. "It's only for a few days."

Mumbo nodded and turned around, shooting himself off with a rocket and gliding away with his elytra.

X turned back around and went into the house. He was now soaking wet, and there was water inside of his boots. He took them off and dumped the rainwater outside before setting them by the door. He took off his helmet and set it on a stand next to the door as well.

Xisuma took the plastic case and walked over to Grian, his soggy socks leaving puddles on the wood floor. Grian was laying on his side, facing the fireplace. He looked unbelievably tired.

Xisuma set the case next to Grian's head. "He left this for you."

Grian slowly sat up. He had heard the whole conversation.

"He also wanted me to give you a hug, but I think it'd be best if I changed out of my wet clothes first." Xisuma said with a slight chuckle.

Grian gave a slight smile, but his heart was not in it. Xisuma headed up the stairs as G took the case. He could see paper and cookies inside.

He opened the latches and removed the top of the case, setting it down beside him.

He set the papers aside for a moment and held up a cookie. No chocolate.

Grian, who's eyes were already filling up with tears, couldn't help but chuckle as he started to cry.

Mumbo had taken Grian's birdness into consideration.

Now Grian felt even worse for abandoning him.

He took a bite of the cookie, and it was actually really good. Mumbo made them for him.

G wiped the tears from his eyes and picked up the papers.

They were typed, and looked to be responses from Grumbot. He read the one on top.

"I know you will be a great mayor, Dad."

Grian stopped. He looked at the other papers, hoping for context. The second one read, "Yes! You built me! You are my dad!"

Now G was confused. He shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth and picked up the rest of the papers, reading them out loud as he examined each one.

"Yes! Grian is also my dad! You two are my dads!" Grian choked from surprise on the cookie as he read that.

He coughed and went to the next one.

"I will see you later then, Dad. Tell other Dad that I say hi!"

Grian felt really weird about the whole situation. But at least he hadn't thought about his wings since Mumbo dropped by. The weirdness seemed to be a good distraction.

The final paper simultaneously warmed and broke his heart.

He held it up and read it outloud to himself.

"I love you, Dad!"

Grian couldn't help himself from breaking down in tears.

From upstairs, Xisuma could hear Grian reading the notes out loud. He couldn't make out what his winged buddy was saying, but he could tell that he was crying.

X quickly changed out of his bee suit and into a casual pair of shorts and a Metallica t-shirt. He threw his soaked suit into the dryer and ran back down the stairs as Grian read out the final message from his robot.

His friend started to sob. Xisuma vaulted over the back of the couch and landed on the cushion next to Grian, who was crying into the paper.

"Hey! It's gonna be alright!" Xisuma put his arm around Grian's shoulder and gave him a side hug. Grian turned to Xisuma, allowing the admin to fully hug him. He cried into X's shoulder, clutching the paper.

X knew that it was more than just the note that was making G cry. The whole situation, combined with what Mumbo had said (Xisuma assumed that Grian heard the entire thing) was too much for the tired bird to handle at the moment.

Xisuma just rubbed G's back and stroked his wings to comfort his crying friend. After a long while, Grian's sobs became quieter and his breathing was more peaceful. He stopped crying all together.

The admin looked down at Grian, who had fallen asleep against X.

With a smile, X pulled Grian closer so that he would be in a more comfortable sleeping position. The fire flickered and continued to warm the house as the cold rain continued to soak the outside.

Xisuma sat there with Grian for another 10 minutes or so until he had to get up and attend to his admin duties.

As he got up, he set a pillow under Grian's head and put a blanket over him. X took the case and the notes and set them on the floor next to the couch. He ruffled G's hair and smiled before heading back upstairs.

Grian was going through a lot, but it was about to get even worse.