Chapter Text
They reentered the ballroom soon after, refreshing genuineness in their intertwined hands. They did their best to not attract too much attention, ducking around to stake out by the food table again. More than one glance was shot in their direction, but they pretended to be too absorbed in their conversation or snacks to notice. It was hard to ignore, though, when the rest of Boatem dislodged themselves from their conversations and started towards them. Scar and Grian looked like they were trying to disappear into the foliage.
“Well, well, well,” Impulse said. The other two laughed.
“Well!” Scar said.
“Well,” Grian agreed.
“Well,” Pearl said, “I take it you aren’t going to announce your prank before the closing remarks.”
“Psh… what makes you say that?” Grian glanced up at the raised platform where he had been meant to reveal their fake relationship to the Hermits.
“Grian,” is all Pearl said.
“Okay, okay, maybe it’s… progressed past that point.”
“Maybe?” Scar raised an eyebrow. Grian covered his face with a hand.
“Please spare me.”
A chuckle rumbled through the circle.
“So, are you two dating or not?” Mumbo asked.
“Uh,” Scar looked down at Grian. Grian looked up at Scar. “Are we?”
Grian shot him a look and said, with infinite sarcasm, “No, that was actually a platonic kiss directly on the lips, sorry.”
“I’ll take that as a yes!” Mumbo replied. Scar and Grian did not protest. Pearl looked at Impulse, who sighed before fishing two diamonds out of his jacket and forking them over. Grian blinked.
“You bet on us?” He asked incredulously. Pearl and Impulse snickered.
“Well, that’s just rude,” Scar commented.
“Look, it was low stakes!” Pearl laughed, “Two diamonds to me if you got together during the prank, two to him if you didn’t.”
“Is that why you sent us out this morning?” Grian asked. Impulse furrowed his brow at Pearl.
“Wait, is that why?”
Pearl smiled, “...Maybe.”
“Oh, so you two were too busy to help me restock because you were rigging your bets?”
“Don’t drag me into this!”
Their argument dragged on for a while after that, closing remarks mostly forgotten as Scar and Grian stood there, hand in hand at last.
“Do you want to come to my base?”
Grian looked up at Scar, who was fidgeting with his hands. The opening was basically over, most Hermits gone and the few that remained not doing much other than idly chatting. Scar and Grian were still planted by the- now mostly picked through- snack bar.
“Sorry?”
“Oh, well obviously you don’t have to, but-”
“No, Scar,” Grian interrupted the other’s backtracking with a raised hand, “I’d love to, really. But any reason in particular why?”
“Uh… we spent last night at your base?” He offered.
“That’s your excuse?”
Scar nodded. Grian laughed.
“In that case, of course,” He looked up at Scar with a warm smile, then linked their arms, “Shall we?”
Scar chuckled.
“We shall.”
The next morning, Scar awoke under a mess of blankets and Grian. He smiled when he saw the dirty blonde hair sticking out from the comforter, moving slightly up and down with Scar’s breaths. He carefully threaded his hands through Grian’s hair.
“Morning,” the other mumbled. Scar jumped a mile and Grian chuckled sleepily as he pushed himself up.
“I didn’t know you were up,” Scar said. Grian rubbed his eyes, sitting back on Scar’s legs.
“Barely. I’m surprised that worked.”
“You know I’m easily startled!” Scar said defensively, pushing himself up on his elbows. Grian laughed, then leaned forward so he and Scar’s faces were inches from each other. Scar recoiled reflexively, and Grian laughed again. Scar sighed with a smile, putting his forehead to Grian’s.
“This is no way to treat your boyfriend.”
“Mhm,” Grian hummed dismissively.
Again, Scar sighed, but this time he took Grian’s cheek and pulled him into a light kiss. Warm, domestic, and sugary sweet. They were both grinning as they pulled back.
“Good morning, sunshine.”
Grian groaned, shoving his face in Scar’s chest. Scar laughed.
Knock knock.
They looked up. Scar hesitated, but nudged Grian off of him to get the door. Grian trailed after him to the main room. Opening the door revealed a fairly smug looking Cleo.
“Oh, brother,” Grian muttered.
“Morning, you two!” She greeted, cheerful to the point of maliciousness, “So, you, uh, spent the night?”
It took their tired brains a second to catch on to her implications.
“Cleo-!” Grian objected, but she interrupted.
“I’m just teasing, come on now.”
“Do you- d’you need something?” Scar asked. His face was red.
“Oh, not particularly, just here to extend my congratulations. I’m assuming you didn’t just forget to announce your fake dating last night.”
“Uh,” Grian cleared his throat, “no.”
“Right. So, congrats! And you’re welcome.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I texted Scott about it last night, and he made an excellent point,” she pulled out her communicator, pressed a few buttons, then showed Scar and Grian a chatlog.
Interservernal Communications open [HC.serv to ESMP.serv]
<ZombieCleo> Scott you remember the fake dating thing right
<ZombieCleo> Yeah I don’t think its so fake anymore
<Smajor1995> ajsgdjsgfdh
<Smajor1995> Was it ever, really?
<Smajor1995> I’ll expect our payment in the form of gift baskets and/or cash. Wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t for us <3
“Oh, please,” Grian sighed, “I’m not paying you.”
“I mean, he makes a point,” Scar posited.
“I’m not giving either of you gift baskets because we happened to get together,” Grian said.
“Oh, a simple thank you will suffice.”
Grian’s firm “No” collided with Scar’s “Thank you, Cleo.” Grian gave him a look of betrayal. Cleo laughed.
“How about this, Gri- a thanks or an IOU.”
“An IOU?”
“For getting you a boyfriend? Yeah.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Mhm.”
They stared at each other for a long while. Scar elbowed Grian lightly in encouragement. He sighed dramatically.
“Fine. Thanks. I guess.”
Cleo smiled.
“I’ll take it! I’ll pass your gratitude to Scott as well.”
And she took off. Scar closed the door and Grian put his head to the wall.
“This is already exhausting,” He said with the quietest of laughs. Scar sighed and drew the other to his chest.
“I think it’s worth it.”
“You sap,” responded Grian, but he melted back against him.
“Mmh, get used to it, sunshine.”
“I hate that name.”
“You love it.”
Grian scoffed with a smile.
“I love you,” He said. Scar buried his face in Grian’s hair to hide his grin.
“I love you, too.”
Grian hummed, warmth swirling in his chest. He leaned his weight back into Scar and Scar’s arms were wrapped firmly across his chest and-
And maybe he could understand why this had been so anticipated.