~ Soul Bound ~ >{ A Scarian/Double Life Fanfic}<

Chapter 14

Grian awoke to Scar's arms around him. It wasn't unusual, but it still made him blush. He didn't think he could ever get used to waking up to such a wonderful person next to him. As he was about to curl up and fall back asleep, the flashes of last night struck him. The terrifying arrival of the remains townspeople of Pluma, his breathtaking view of the night sky from the balcony, and most of all, the realization that he was in love with Scar. The Avian sank into the blankets, groaning quietly. He didn't want to get up, but there were too many problems and too little time. Forcing himself to get out of bed, Grian prepared for the exhausting day ahead of him.
As he was dressing, he heard the brunette wake up. Finishing up, he grabbed a satchel and swung it over his shoulder, grabbing for the doorknob. He was stopped short when hands placed themselves softly on his shoulders. "Leaving without saying good morning?" the taller said from behind the blonde, adjusting so Grian faced him. The elf's face was in a fake pout, his lip stuck out and arms crossed. Resisting the urge to crack a smile, the shorter rolled his eyes and gave his friend a hug, his head barely reaching Scar's chin. "Happy now?" he asked, pulling away. The taller nodded, so the other gave him a final smile before exiting the room.
      It was early, and the parlor was empty except for a few Avians who had slept there. Quietly, Grian tiptoed into the kitchen, stopped short when he ran into someone. "So sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going, I'll be careful next time," he apologized, looking up to see who it was. To his relief, it was just Pearl, getting coffee to wake herself up. The girl smiled. "It's alright, I guess it's kinda hard to see where your going since you're so short," she joked, patting Grian on the head before heading back toward her room. The male stuck out his tongue, then sat at the counter of the kitchen. He sat down and took out a book, preparing to read until everyone awoke. He was about to turn a page when a voice came from behind him.
      "Isn't too early to be reading?" The winged man shook his head. "It's never to early to read," he explained. He turned, half expecting to see one if the hermits, and was surprised to be face to face with Aves. "Do you need something?" he asked curiosily.
      She shook her head. "No, but I've been meaning to speak with you, though." The other Avian grabbed a stool and sat across from her friend. "You know that their still our enemies, right?" she stated, her eyes boring into Grian's. "It doesn't matter how 'friendly' they are, we can't trust them." The male shifted uncomfortably. "I think they've been pretty trustworthy, and they've all been friendly, other than Mumbo," he remarked, thinking back on the past few weeks they'd spent in the tree base. At the mustached man's name, Aves raised an eyebrow. Noticing the look on her face, the shorter corrected himself quickly. "I don't think he's unfriendly, per se, just that he isn't very social," he stated, studying his sleeves. He didn't need to give Aves any more reason to dislike their elven visitors, and drama was the last thing the group needed. Looking up again, he shrugged.
      "I didn't expect everyone to like me. It's ok if some people don't want to talk to me or acknowledge me, that's okay. I'm not gonna start another petty argument when we have an actual war going on. I'd rather focus on that than the fact the someone doesn't like me."
      Aves nodded at his words, than stood up. "Well, speaking of war, we might as well get to work. There's lots to do before we're ready." Grian knew what she meant by 'ready'. He didn't like the thought of attacking anyone, let alone his friends' people. But he had to do what had to be done.
      "Alright. But first, I'm gonna talk to the elves. I might be able to do some... convincing." With that, he got up and headed into the living room, where the elves were sitting in a corner, looking wary and uncomfortable. The blonde trodded over to them, and sat down. They all stopped talking and looked at him nervously.
"I'm assuming you're torn against fighting with us or fighting with your people," he started, glancing around as they all nodded. "I have a way you can fight with us and not hurt your elven friends."
He explained an elaborate plan that would prevent them from hurting anyone but still be part of the action. He sighed in relief as the elves agreed, saying goodbye before heading toward his room.
The shorty went to the painting and opened it, crawling in before closing it carefully. He entered his Sanctuary and breathed a sigh of contentment. There were no problems here, just relaxation.
A few moments later, he heard moving inside the tunnel. He figured it was just Scar, so he continued to relax. At last the figure entered the room, but it wasn't Scar.
Grian looked up, surprised to see that it wasn't his friend but Mumbo, staring down at him with equally shocked eyes. "What are you doing here?" The mustached man asked blatantly, crossing his arms and staring at the shorter. The smaller rolled his eyes before replying. "I could ask you the same thing. This is technically in my room, so it makes sense I know about. Why do you, though?"
At this remark the black haired male stood silent, thinking for a moment before answering. "I was just.. exploring. And I heard a noise coming from behind the painting. That's how I found this place." he answered, quite obviously lying. To the tallers relief, Grian didn't press, and they sat in silence for a few minutes. "Well... I should probably get going." The blonde stated, standing up and heading toward the tunnel entrance. When he passed by Mumbo, he got a glimpse of what looked like a shiny stone of some sort. Catching him looking, Mumbo covered his pocket. The hybrid hurried out of the painting room, not stopping until he was in his bedrooms bathroom. There was something about that guy that made the Avian feel uneasy. He shivered, then exited the bathroom. Mumbo was gone by now, so he was safe to roam about. Even so, Grian locked his windows- tight. He had never been so paranoid, but the mustached male made him suspicious. An uneasy feeling settled in Grian's stomach; whatever Mumbo was doing, he didn't want to be around to find out.