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Grian had woken up with a violent festering in his body.
His body was hot, the feathers on his wings sending sparks of irritation through his spine and ending up in his brain. He felt prickly - Like a mattress of fibre glass constantly rolling over itself.
All that to say: Grian was in heat.
He hadn't been in his heat cycle in well over two years. He'd completely forgot what it felt like until this moment; and it was absolute misery.
Grian groaned in frustration, biting down on his lip as he rolled over to get the pressure off of his wings. He had half the mind to just get a toy and deal with the problem himself, but his mind was itching with the need for human substance.
He laid there, sulking, until he got a ping from his comm.
Mumbo: Good morning :D
Grian: No
Grian: Not good morning
He dropped his comm back into the bed, the cracked screen glinting the reflection of the sun. Mumbo was such a sweet person. One of his best friends, honestly.
(He would be an amazing partner.)
There was a swirl of heat that consumed his stomach that he had to ignore, choosing to roll off of the bed and make his way to the bathroom.
Pointedly avoiding the mirror, he grabbed a couple of his baggiest clothes and dropped them on the bathroom counter before stepping into the counter. Grian turned it on, putting it on the hottest setting he could get and sitting down on the floor.
His mind naturally wandered whilst he sat, picturing Mumbo in certain scenarios with his knees drawn to his chest and head resting against them as the water beat down on him. The water practically burned his skin, but it was easy to ignore that when his mind started to think about his friend.
Mumbo was his best friend. He shouldn't be thinking of him like this.
But it wasn't like he could stop himself, could he?
He closed his eyes and continued with mild resistance.
Grian's first thought was an old one.
(Mumbo's lips trailing down his back as he rubbed his hand against the base of the Avian's wings, fingers diligently tugging on the feathers just enough to run a shudder down Grian's spine. He would pull his head up and murmur how much of a good boy Grian was being--)
When he opened his eyes, the shower wall was in front of him.
That fantasy had gotten a bit more vivid than he was comfortable with, Grian thought as he forced himself to stand and start washing his body.
He ran his hands down his skin, using his scrub brush to rub the suds in.
Spreading his wings to get the water to run between the feathers, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about it even more.
(Hands on his hips; the grip careful but secure as the man behind Grian mouthed at the bend of his wing. The hands sliding forward, running against his length as Grian attempted to be quiet.)
The Avian swallowed and cleared his throat.
Quickly finishing up the shower, he dried himself off and pulled his clothes on.
He had plans with Mumbo and Scar today. He couldn't cancel on them or else they'll realize something's wrong and try to take care of him.
(The instinctual part of his brain whispered about how nice it sounded to get taken care of. About how he should just give in and let them do what they wanted to him, regardless of what he enjoyed-)
He pushed that part aside and grabbed his comm before heading downstairs.
Grian made a quick meal and forced himself to eat it, ignoring how his body wanted to desperately reject the substance. His heat always made him a bit nauseous, but it was easier to eat and suffer rather than starve when it was all over in a couple of days. He choked the final bites down, shuddering at the feeling of sickness warring with the taste of food. He sighed shakily, standing and washing the plate.
He sat back down and pulled his wing over, humming to himself as he carefully carded through it. His body ached with the need for somebody else to do it for him; to reach over and run their fingers against the base of his wings and get rid of all the prickly feathers.
(Mumbo's strong hands slowly and lovingly breaking open the cases, whispering praises as Grian shuddered under him.)
A ping from his comm took him out of his involuntary fantasy, forcing him to reach over and grab it.
Mumbo: Hey
Mumbo: I have a weird question
Grian raised a brow, small part intrigued and big part excited that Mumbo was messaging him.
Grian: ?
Mumbo: Is there something about the soulbound that like
Mumbo: I don't know
Mumbo: Makes you feel super hot?
Mumbo: And like weirdly really irritated??
He paused, waiting for any examples, but none came.
When Mumbo had taken half of Grian's soul to become human again back in season 8, neither of them thought about what it meant in terms of instincts.
The first time they had found out, it was when Mumbo was downright miserable trying to preen feathers that hadn't existed on his body.
It was adorable at the time, letting Grian take care of Mumbo for a couple of days, and that's as far as they thought it would go.
But now Grian is now realizing that there may have been way more than he initially thought.
Because Mumbo might have gotten into his first ever heat.
Vampires had their own kind of heat, with a name Grian couldn't recall at the moment, but it was only triggered when they found their mate.
Mumbo had never had a mate - Nor had an interest to find one, if Grian remembered correctly, a past conversation lingering in his head.
So now an opportunity arose, and he couldn't help but feel oddly giddy.
This was terrible, yes - He shouldn't be excited over needing to explain this.
But...
Grian: Uh oh
Mumbo: ???
Grian: Soooo that's sorta
Grian: A part of my instincts
Grian: Have you ever heard of heat before..?
Mumbo: What.
Mumbo: Are you serious
Mumbo: Dude.
A handful of seconds passed before Mumbo sent another message.
Mumbo: I'm coming over
A jolt of pleasure shot down Grian's spine at those serious words, causing him to bite his lip as he got up and started to clean his base.
A while passed, but eventually Mumbo pretty much busted his door down.
Grian turned his head to see a very distressed Mumbo; the man's hair was thrown awry and he hadn't even changed out of his sleepwear.
It was really intriguing how they had managed to be triggered into heat at the same time - Maybe it was an Avian instinct thing? But Grian was pretty irregular-
"Grian." Mumbo practically panted, clearly having run to the man's base, "explain."
He forced himself to swallow down an excited chirp upon the commanding tone, and he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Explain what?" He tilted his head, trying to see if acting cute would get him what he wanted.
Mumbo only really glared at him, hands clenching where they were tensed at his sides.
Grian took the hint and dropped the act with a reluctant sigh, walking over to Mumbo to take his hand like how his body practically begged for. He found Mumbo squeezing the limb, almost like he was reassuring himself. "Do you wanna sit down while we talk?" He asked, receiving a surprising shake of the head.
"I just- I need an explanation. Being around you makes my head, like, fuzzy?" His body betrayed him, scooting closer to Grian and leaving a miniscule amount of space between them.
Wow, Grian was absolutely living the dream right now. He traced his thumb against Mumbo's palm, wings subconsciously shuddering. "That's alright," he said, instead of anything his lips wanted to reply with, "we can stand."
Looking into Mumbo's eyes, he caught onto the beautiful sight of a slight flush on the Vampire's face, a view only granted because of his half avian genes. Swallowing back the need to beg Mumbo for everything he could offer, he sighed. "So... Avian's have this thing called a heat. It's similar to your little Vampire thing, I guess, except it's way more... Uh. Less restricting. We feel the need to breed and find a mate before the spring time ends instead of already having one, and wanting to mate. If that makes sense."
A new expression shot past Mumbo's eyes - One that Grian could only describe as jealousy. "Have... You? Found a mate, I mean."
He had half the mind to say he did. Just to see how Mumbo reacted. "No." Grian answered truthfully. "But, uh, the entire time during it is pretty agonizing if you're doing it alone. Luckily for me, I've done it alone enough that I'm completely used to it."
"That's... Miserable." Mumbo frowned. "Nobody's offered to help? I'm sure Scar would have-"
"Scar? Ew." Grian scrunched his nose at the thought of it. "No, he's... Not my type. I've been able to do it myself, though, so I never really needed anybody." He knew he was just repeating himself, so he paused, tilting his head. "You, however..."
Mumbo blinked, cheeks coloring with red again. "Me? What about me?"
He hummed, feeling bold enough to take a step closer to Mumbo, their chests touching. A grin crossed his lips as he squeezed the Vampire's palm in between his thumb and fingers. "This is your first time. I don't think it'll be very pleasant for you, huh?"
He watched his friend gulp. "It's- It's horrible, Grian." Mumbo whispered, voice pitched just enough to sound like a whine. The noise made heat skitter down Grian's spine. "I don't- How can you stop it?"
There were ways, of course; pills, suppressants, surgeries...
But nobody in Hermitcraft was a pharmacist, were they?
Grian hummed. "Hate to tell you, Mumbs. Breeding's the only option for this."
He'll tell him the truth later - Right now, his body was burning from the inside out and he needed cold hands soothing him down.
Luckily for him; Mumbo was gullible when he was filled with so many instincts that didn't know what to do with himself.
He watched the Vampire's face turn even more red, before he shook his head. "No way. You're messing with me, right?"
Grian only stared at him, earning an even more desperate response.
"Grian, I can't- This is-" He ran a hand through his hair when he was lost for words, the once neat hair combed into a tangled mess.
Something in the Avian's brain clicked at the sight. He reached up, instinctively preening through the hair back to its original state. Mumbo froze, his entire body tensing before he practically slumped over with a half baked groan.
And, oh, if that noise didn't do something to Grian.
He leaned back, carefully scooting them back so that the top of his tailbone could rest on the kitchen island. Grian's talons carefully worked through the hair, reducing Mumbo to a quietly protesting puddle.
A coo trickled out of the Avian's lips, feeling Mumbo's breaths against his neck.
Just when Grian was starting to get a little restless at the position, the Vampires arms suddenly snaked around his waist. He stilled his body, although his hand kept moving.
"Mumbo?" He mused curiously. "You still with me?"
He didn't receive a reply for a very long moment, before a low pitched whine made it's way to his ears.
His friend gave in to his urges real easy, didn't he?
Suppressing a grin, he spoke again. "Heard you loud and clear. Do you want some help? Just until you're out of heat, of course. Then things can go right back to normal - You and me, just friends. Sound good?"
Mumbo pulled Grian a little closer, his face getting buried into his neck. The mustache tickled the skin, but the Avian did his best to ignore that; tracing mindless shapes against the Vampire's back.
His back arched into the touch, a content noise escaping his friends lips as Grian became lost in thought.
This was his first time spending a heat cycle with somebody. With Mumbo, nonetheless. His best friend. His number one fantasy for Void knows how long--
He felt a nip on his neck, making him jolt out of surprise. Turning his head, he was met with Mumbo rubbing his face against his shoulder.
"What're you doing?" He felt the urge to ask, his hand never stopping it's movements down Mumbo's back.
He only got a soft huff in response, before the Vampire bit down again - Harder.
Grian was not ashamed to admit that he had made a noise of out of the action.
Mumbo suckled a spot into the skin, ears flicking with every suck like a kitten drinking out of a milk bottle. When he pulled his mouth off, a red and spit-slick mark engraved in the skin, circled with sharp teeth indents, he spoke. "Can I try taking the lead?" He asked softly.
Grian's heart practically melted at the quiet, timid tone, but he replied through slightly gritted teeth. " 'Course you can. Just don't expect me to--"
His words were shut up when Mumbo grabbed the Avian's hips and pushed him against the kitchen island, enticing a yelp out of Grian. The surprised noise melted into a gasped moan, his body burning to be touched and clawed into.
Mumbo seemed to share the same sentiment; the Vampire's teeth dug into Grian's neck as his fingers slid under and up the Avian's baggy sweater. His cold hands sent a shock through Grian's body, pulling a soft, shuddered, hum out of him.
He swallowed, grasping Mumbo's shoulders. "We're really doing this in the kitchen..?" He pretended to complain, but his words didn't hold any weight as his neck was ravaged.
"Mm." Mumbo hummed, laving his tongue over the freshly marked skin. He panted, the worst of his heat suddenly spiking and making his head spin. "Mmh... Grian..."
Grian could smell the scent of heat on his friend, the words that left Mumbo's panting mouth making Grian's entire body shudder. He cleared his throat. "Now that I think about it, here's fine." He said meekly, grabbing onto the counter to keep his balance.
A desperate bite to his neck made him gasp, head tilting back automatically.
It had been so, so long since he's felt this before - Since anyone had touched him, loved him like this-
(But Mumbo didn't love him.)
The thought brings Grian out of his malleable state, souring his tongue.
He didn't love him; he just needed release. And Grian was the only person he could go to, lest he make anybody uncomfortable.
He was tempted to gently push Mumbo off, to ask if he truly loved him, but his friend suddenly rut against his leg. Soft, needy whines left Mumbo, panting hotly on his skin, leaving Grian's mind fuzzy.
He let out a quiet moan in reply, static shooting down his spine as he moved his leg. He pushed it up against Mumbo's tent, earning a choked gasp.
Mumbo ground his erection against Grian's thigh, hushed murmurs of "please, please, please-" being spoken under his breath as he pushed his face into the crook of Grian's neck.
He sounded beautiful, Grian thought sincerely. Mumbo was everything he needed - From life and death. And as much as he wished it was, it wasn't the heat talking when he said that he would let Mumbo absolutely destroy him.
He moved to sit on top of the counter, giving himself a bit of leverage as he felt Mumbo run his fingers over his chest. His body wasn't all that impressive; with feathers covering most of the things people actually looked for in a partner, but right now it wasn't like Mumbo cared.
Right now, he was Grians. And he was going to make sure the Vampire knew it.
"Mumbo." He murmured, breaking the silence of panting and moaning. "Don't you think this'll feel better in the bed?"
What he got was less of a response and more of an incoherent whine.
"Right." Grian snorted, the noise faint from how hard he was panting. "C'mon, let's go on over to my bed, okay?"
They just barely managed to stumble into the bed before Mumbo was yanking off Grian's sweater. The cold air was a blessing to his skin, leaving him shuddering. He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it when he felt Mumbo lave his tongue over his feathered chest.
An, albeit muffled, whine jumped from his throat, legs kicking up at the sudden stimulation before they were gently pulled down and spread by his friend.
This was new territory - It was happening to him right now, and not in his imagination.
And he was going to savor it.
Grian grabbed onto Mumbo's shoulders, gently pushing him back and making his friend whine. If he wasn't so deep in his instincts, he would've been concerned with just how wrecked the Vampire had sounded, but at the moment he tugged on the fabric covering Mumbo's skin. "Take this off." He demanded breathily, watching with delight as his friend gave into his order. He couldn't stop himself from murmuring; "Good boy."
Mumbo froze. And for a brief moment, Grian did too.
Had he said something wrong? Did he overstep?
He opened his mouth to apologize, to take it back, but was stopped in his tracks by how Mumbo looked at him with wide eyes. Like Grian was everything to him.
"Again." He said faintly, finding his voice. "Say- Again, please."
Grian processed that, the words melting down his spine. "Mm. Good boy?" He tested the waters. "You wanna be called a good boy?"
Mumbo made a desperate sound, rutting against the mattress under him.
At the reaction, Grian grinned. "You're doing so well, Mumbo." He reached down and ran his fingertips against his Vampire's belt. "Can you be good and take your pants off, vampy? Please?"
A mere second passed before Mumbo was following his order and practically ripped his pants off like he was a man on fire. He panted, a soft, curly, trail of hair leading down to where both of them wanted and directing Grian's eyes to the main event.
Mumbo was big, even when it was masked under baggy boxers.
(He wanted to put it in his mouth; swallow whatever was given to him and worship whatever he was given-)
He hooked his fingers onto Mumbo's boxers and pulled it down. The length sprung out as it's owner gasped and shuddered in surprise, the very tip nearly dripping from heat.
He was so new to this; So new to stimulation and enjoyment like what he was experiencing now.
(What type of person would Grian be if he doesn't give Mumbo what he needed so badly?)
Glancing up at Mumbo, the Avian wet his lips. "What do you want me to do for you?" He murmured, watching as his Vampire's body trembled with heat.
It wasn't like Mumbo was going to be super dominant, seeming to prefer being gently nudged along. Grian was happy to oblige, of course. If not for Mumbo, then for himself.
"Can- Just... Let me do this, please?" His Vampire begged, scooting close enough that he was pretty much sitting in his lap. "Please, Grian, I can't-"
Grian shushed him, pressing a kiss against Mumbo's sternum. "Go ahead, Mumbs. You're the one in charge, remember?"
At the reminder, his friend gently pushed Grian down to lay on the bed. His hips rocked, grinding himself against the Avian and earning a sharp gasp. Whining, Mumbo needily pulled at Grian's pants, freeing his length.
Grian wasn't nearly as impressive as Mumbo, having more flaws than he could count on both hands, but it didn't seem like the Vampire cared.
He practically worshipped him, running fingers up and down the erection and making Grian squirm and pant. Mumbo let go of him to gently flip him over, turning Grian onto his stomach. He was unable to look back at what his friend was doing, his wings spreading to instinctively show off as Mumbo traced fingers down his spine.
Fighting back a desperate moan, Grian stayed still when his Vampire started to kiss down his back, paying special attention to the base of his wings.
His fingers traced the small feathers at the root of them as his lips pressed hard and nearly revenant kisses against them. Grian shuddered, unable to keep in his noises as his fingers dug into the mattress under him.
Eventually, Mumbo pulled away. "...Do... Do you have any, uh, lube?" He asked, words stammering at how embarassing it was to ask for such a thing.
Grian brought himself out of the fuzz just enough to vaguely gesture at his nightstand, taking this moment of respite to subtly rut against the fabric under him.
It was relieving, yes, but it wasn't enough. He needed more- He needed to be ruined, ravaged, to be wrecked beyond coherency and claimed--
A hand on his hip jolted him out of his thoughts.
He lifted his head, looking back at Mumbo as his wings flicked. His friend was tracing shapes in his skin, playing with the soft feathers adorning his flesh.
"Can you, um... Lift?" He gently pat Grian's hip, words soft and embarrassed. The Avian lifted his hips up immediately, presenting the arch of his back with a confidence that left Mumbo letting out a flustered noise. He timidly cleared his throat. "...Thank you."
Grian pushed his face into the mattress as he felt his friend slowly beginning to prep him. Long, calloused fingers tracing his rim before one slowly inched into him. He couldn't help but sigh in relief, hips rutting back against the feeling of Mumbo's fingers reaching into him.
It pumped into his body, going all the way to the last knuckle before slowly pulling it back. This process continued until he was reaching three fingers into Grian, the Avian rocking into the rhythm in the most content headspace he had ever been in.
A disappointed whine escaped him when Mumbo withdrew his fingers, pressing a shallow kiss to the Avian's tail bone before flipping him back over. Grian's back landed on the mattress, dazed eyes landing on Mumbo's red face.
"Are- This is okay." Mumbo said, his words begging for reassurance. His hands landed on Grian's hips, gently pulling them closer to his own.
Grian hummed, swallowing before gently taking a grasp on Mumbo's shoulders to pull him closer. "It is entirely okay, Mumbo." He murmured, words as soft as they could be in the heat of the moment. "This- This is for me too, y'know."
"Right." Mumbo breathed, taking Grian's thighs into his hands and carefully pulling him over his shoulders. He took one of the pillows surrounding Grian's bed, propping the Avian's hips up to make it a bit more comfortable.
He was so, so gentle. He didn't really know what he was doing, that much was obvious, but he was being so kind and Grian couldn't help but watch Mumbo lovingly.
Mumbo bit his lip and gently started to inch his way in.
Every gentle slide caused sparks within Grian, shooting down his spine and lighting his nerves up. He loved him. He needed him.
Something inside of Grian opened his mouth for him. "Please go faster."
Mumbo looked up at him, ears flicking through messy hair. "Sorry?"
"Just- Faster, please. Harder."
Mumbo hesitated, his lips opening to ask if Grian was actually sure, but his mouth clicked shut when the Avian rolled his hips impatiently.
He secured his grip on Grian's hips, before starting up a quicker, more firm pace.
Every sure push was setting Grian's body alight, the soft pants and moans filling the air as Mumbo filled him so perfectly.
(It was like he had found his perfect part. His missing piece.
Mumbo was his perfect mate; he couldn't let him go.)
As Mumbo's hips moved a bit faster, both of them embarassingly close due to the heat festering their bodies.
Grian panted out harshly, grappling at Mumbo's shoulders as much as he could without ripping the skin open with his talons.
"Harder, harder- Breed me- Please, Mumbo-" He panted, words just barely coherent enough to make sense.
Mumbo understood him, though. He understood perfectly. He reared his hips back, just leaving the tip in, before bucking back into Grian.
It hit Grian's prostate dead on, making his tongue catch in his throat and his back bow. His dick ached with the need to finish, but he wasn't ending this until Mumbo did.
The near brutal pace rocked the bed, hitting the wall behind the headboard in a beautiful harmony of their shared moans.
Grian couldn't resist it anymore. He hooked his wrist at the back of Mumbo's neck, pulling him into a deep and hard kiss.
His lips were slightly chapped, a small groove of where his teeth had dug a permanent engravement into the skin. Mumbo moaned, deep and wrecked and so, so beautiful.
The Vampire's hips stuttered, a gasp escaping his lips with the noise being led down Grian's throat as he finished.
They had neglected to think about wearing protection, Grian thought for a split second as he felt the warm substance of Mumbo's release trickle into him. That thought was quickly brushed off as Mumbo quickly took a grasp of Grian's dick and started pumping his hand, wanting the Avian to finish as well.
He finished with a sharp gasp, head rolling back as cum spurted onto Mumbo's stomach. He could have sworn he heard his Vampire say something, but his brain was completely shut down for a moment.
When Grian blinked back to earth, he felt Mumbo's lips slowly kissing down his chest. He hadn't pulled out, the thick length plugging his seed from leaving, but neither of them made a move to pull away.
Mumbo looked up, meeting Grian's dazed eyes and staring right back at him.
("I lied, I'm sorry" "Did you like it?" "Was I good enough for you-")
"I love you." Was the first thing to come out of Grian's mouth.
Mumbo's eyes widened, his parted lips pursing closed.
"You do?"
"Yeah."
"...Why?"
Grian sat up, feeling the soreness in his hips protest at the movement. "...Because you're you." He said, completely expecting Mumbo to up and leave the second he got his answer.
But... Mumbo stayed. "That's silly." He mumbled, shifting to pull his length out of Grian and sit back on his knees. "...I- I think it's a bit too late to say, maybe, but... I think I love you, too."
"You think?" Grian repeated, his wings stretching to get the cramps out from squishing them.
"I'm pretty sure." Mumbo replied slowly. "It's super hard to tell, really. I've just... Felt like it since I've met you."
Oh. "Oh." He said softly. "That's- Okay."
"Okay? Is it alright..?" As if he needed to ask.
Grian moved to cup Mumbo's face, pulling him into the most loving kiss he could manage at the moment. He was exhausted, sweaty, and gross, but he pushed that all aside to relax into his Vampire's warmth.
Eventually, longingly, Grian pulled back. He was met with the sight of Mumbo's flustered face, his eyes wide with wonder.
He couldn't help but laugh a little at the look he was being given. "What?"
"I... Can we do it again?" He asked softly.
And Grian couldn't help but give in.
Again, and again, and again. they shared soft, loving kisses.
The heat in his body slowly calmed down into a far more manageable level, leaving him conscious of every move he made, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
He was present for this; he could feel the warmth of Mumbo's lips against his over and over.
And god, he never wanted to forget it.
When he pulled away, he gently tugged Mumbo down and into the bed. He didn't protest, going down easily and getting comfortable against Grian's side.
"Can we talk tomorrow?" He mumbled, words heavy with sleep.
Grian agreed quietly, wrapping his arms around Mumbo and tossing a wing over their bodies. "Mmhm. Tomorrow."
With that promise, their bodies slowly relaxed into sleep.