Chapter Text
Soul bonds were a touchy thing for Grian now. Just over a year ago he would have said he was never going to have one. They were so rare, why would he of all people have a soul bon, and yet the universe wanted to laugh in his face.
He met the person he was bound to only a little under a year ago and for a while everything was fine. Great even. It had taken his soulbound a least two months to even recognise their bond, which Grian wasn't too bothered by, and after they finally did realise it felt like he was wearing rose tinted glasses.
The problem with that was that eventually you needed to remove said glasses and reality came crashing down on him afterwards. It had hit so hard that, now months later, Grian could still feel how damaged his heart was, cracked, battered, and bruised. Would it ever get better... He really doubted anything would ease without his soulbound back with him. And the worst part was that Jimmy got a front row seat to it all.
If he could take anything back it would probably be how much he told Jimmy. Grian had never been one for relationships and, as such, had told his brother pretty much everything. They never really did keep things from each other, it was hard to do so while living together anyway so why bother, and something as big as finding his soulbound was no different.
He had told Jimmy about first seeing Scar. How he had first been struck dumb that a hero like Hot Guy was talking to him. It had only really been a month or so since he had started as a hero in the city and to talk with the infamous hero was something big.
And then Hot Guy just had to take damage.
At the time Grian had fled as soon as he could. The encounter had freaked him out, more that he liked to admit, and he had immediately gone to his brother and told him about it.
To have a soulbound that was also a hero was not something that either of them had been expecting and Jimmy had spend the whole night just to calm him down.
The second encounter hadn't been much better on his end, he was freaked out for a whole other reason this time. But as he watched he noticed that Hot Guy had no clue. Grian would take small amounts of damage when fighting with the hero and still Hot Guy said nothing.
"I don't think he knows," Grian told his brother as they perched on one of the higher buildings, watching the city below them for any activity they would need to interrupt. It was a relatively slow day that day and allowed Grian to speak his mind, "he hasn't said anything at all."
"Surely he knows," Jimmy said from beside him, watching Grian more than the city he was supposed to be watching, "he can't be that oblivious."
Grian just have his brother a look at that comment and Jimmy put his hands up, defensively.
"Alright, alright, so he could be." Jimmy conceded and Grian huffed a laugh. His brother was one of the most oblivious people he knew, though Hot Guy could probably take the title from him now. "But still, how could he not notice the extra pain?"
That was something he hadn't told his brother, the weird waves of pain he got. They seemed to come and go at random times and sometimes even full weeks would go by without anything, though those were rare. He decided to keep that a secret for now. If he ever actually talked to his soulbound maybe he could ask.
It progressed like that for a while and then seemed to get better. Another chance meeting that lead to them seeing each other more regularly. Going on dates, doing hero work, training, and just generally being in each others orbit. It was bliss.
Which was probably why it ended the way it did.
Grian with his heart broken while he watched Scar fly away from him.
He had heard of some soulbound people living after one of them died and Grian wondered if it felt like what he was feeling. Sure he put on a brave face for everyone around him, joked with Jimmy as much as possible to not allow his brother become concerned, and he acted like nothing was different. Yet everything hurt, had been hurting since he was left behind.
That moment on top of the building was seared into him and sent his heart thudding painfully in his chest. Even as he tried to do his work the memory would invade his mind. He always had to grit his teeth and try to breathe through it, shaking out his wings and straightening up to hopefully distract from his thoughts. He had work to do, he didn't have time to wallow.
So instead he avoided the building where his heart got broken and instead glided around the city. He avoided the restaurant and park they had their first date at, the forest where they shared their first kiss, and any other thing that reminded him of Scar. His focus turned to protecting the city where his soulbound was still hiding, because even if he never saw Scar again he wanted the man safe.
The only way Grian knew that Scar was still alive was by the occasional little bumps of pain and the random flare ups from the chronic pain they suffered through together. It was both a blessing and a curse and Grian wasn't sure which one was more prominent right then.
Grian wouldn't say that he was a jealous man but the obvious love sick look on his brothers face made it hard to ignore the harsh twist inside him. It gnawed at his insides and made him want to do something reckless. Like ask a certain someone out on a date. But he knew he couldn't do that. The man in question had told him they shouldn't see each other and, as much as it hurt to hear, Grian knew it was for the best.
That didn't mean he wouldn't annoy his brother about it though. He had duties after all, as a sibling. Which meant that of course he was going to tease his brother about not sleeping at home, two nights in a row.
"Really, Tim?" Grian said as soon as he saw Jimmy enter the apartment. He leaned against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed and raised an eyebrow at his brother, "Two nights in a row?"
"Come off it," Jimmy said as he threw his bag onto the floor by the couch and walked over to the kitchen, "you've spent more time away before."
Grian ignored the comment and focused on his power instead. A blurry image began to pop into his mind; blonde hair that shone like fire, completely red eyes, a soft playful smile -
"Don't you dare!" Jimmy's shout drew him out of his ability and he huffed as the purple energy dissipated along with the image.
"I wouldn't have to if you'd just tell me what's going on with you."
"It's nothing okay!" His brother turned from him then, cheeks flushed and obviously flustered in a way Grian hadn't seen in a long time. Maybe even ever.
"You really think I would believe that Timmy?" He questioned and they glared at each other. Neither wanted to back down, but Grian was used to this sort of thing and knew that Jimmy would break first. He always did.
"Fine, okay?" Jimmy huffed in defeat as he started to play with the cup he grabbed earlier. He wouldn't look up at Grian but that was fine. Jimmy was definitely nervous. "I was at Tango. He - I well - he knows I'm a hero, and he's just really nice to talk to."
Grian softened at that, he knew his brother well but this was different. The way his brother actively sort out this Tango guy rang in his mind with familiarity. It was a blink and you'd miss it moment but Grian was watching for it. He was always watching.
"Have you thought that..." Grian trailed off for a moment. The tightness in his chest aching with something he had thought he lost a while ago. "never mind." He muttered as he pulled the cup from Jimmy's hand and filled it with water, then handed it back.
Grian had his suspicions, he was almost 90% sure the two could be soulbound, soulmates, whatever you wanted to call it, but he would keep that information to himself for now and just watch. If he was wrong then they had dodged a bullet but if he was right then it was up to them to figure that out. Though Grian would help his brother any way he could.
"What?" Jimmy glanced at the cup then back to Grian. "Have I thought what?"
"No never mind," Grian decided to change tactics and smirked as he continued. "You probably wouldn't even get it."
"I would too." Defensive. Good.
"Sorry, but my lips are sealed." Grian chuckled as he watched his brother huff and put the cup to his lips, trying to cover up what he muttered next.
"Oh, I wish they were, maybe I'd get some work done if you weren't so noisy." Jimmy then took a sip, looking all too pleased with himself.
"I'm the noisy one, am I?" Grian let out a squawk of protest. "It's you who always seems to crash into the furniture and cause a big commotion."
"Well, you're the one that - that..." Jimmy failed to give a come back and Grain smirked in victory, letting out a silent chuckle. "Whatever, just shut up."
Grian kept silent as Jimmy stalked to his room. He would give his brother 10 minutes before bribing him out with food. And maybe he could even get Jimmy to spill a little about this Tango person.
In the meantime Grian debated what to do for food that would coax his brother out of his room and he settled on a pasta dish and garlic bread. It was basic enough that his mind soon wandered back to the image he had briefly seen before Jimmy interrupted him.
Now that his brother wasn't in the room it was the best time to check again, what his brother didn't know wouldn't hurt him, and Grian needed to know that his brother was safe. It was just the two of them after all.
Grian let his power wash through him, his vision turning purple at the edges before going black completely. It was in that state that he could focus on who he needed to and it was surprisingly easy to do for Tango, even though he had never met the man before. That only confirmed to him that Tango had a connection to Jimmy that was more than a mere crush.
It twisted something painful in Grian's stomach that he ignored as he focused on what was happening in his vision. He watched as the man he had seen earlier walked down the street, turning down an alley and moving further towards the heart of the city. There didn't seem to be anything special happening until Tango began to look around himself, as if he knew he was being watched. It caught Grian off guard and he let his power fade.
Unless they had a certain type of magic, or ability, they shouldn't be able to notice him at all. There were only a handful that could, one being his own brother, and that thought just cemented what Grian had suspected. People who were soulbound could get the abilities and aspects of their other half but this seemed a little too fast, surely. The two had known each other for two days, that wasn't enough, was it?
There was only really one person that he knew that would know the answer to his questions but Grian was still unsure if he was welcome. Knew for a fact that it would just hurt them both further if he asked.
Grian was still wondering what to do when Jimmy came out of his room, bribed by the smell of food no doubt, and looking at his brother's flushed face didn't help him choose what to do either. For now, he would watch, it was what he was best at after all.
At some point Grian needed to talk to someone else about Jimmy's behaviour. With every day that passed his brother looked more and more love sick and Grian just knew he was soul bound to someone, most likely this Tango person. It made the ache in his chest hurt more and more. He tried to ignore it for as long as he could, and he wouldn't admit it out loud to himself, but he didn't last very long.
Grian had invited Mumbo over while Jimmy was out doing god knows what, though Grian could always check he knew that his brother would know straight away. The hardships of his brother knowing his magic. His friend had a key so the man didn't bother to knock and just opened the door.
He soon heard the door open as Mumbo let himself into the apartment, and Grian shouted out to his friend before he was even fully in the room. "Jimmy's soul bound."
Mumbo stopped in the doorway, his hand poised to shut the door behind himself, with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
"What?" The man questioned as he slowly closed the door, confusion written all across his face.
Grian left the man and wandered into the kitchen to start the kettle. He waited for his friend to follow him and he didn't have to wait long at all before the shuffling of feet could be heard behind him. With the kettle then turned on the sound did little to overpower his thoughts, as he set about making two cups of tea, and when he was done he had no other choice but to face Mumbo.
"Jimmy, he's found his soulbound." Grian sighed as he waited for the water to finish boiling. Mumbo was quiet behind him until the kettle finished and Grian was done pouring the water.
"How do you know?" The man asked softly in the quiet the kettle left behind.
"I just know he's soulbound," Grian stated as if there could be no doubt in his words, "its practically written all over his face."
Grian handed the finished tea to Mumbo and the two of them walked over to the brothers small dining table. It had a total of three chairs and, like most surfaces in the brothers house, was almost completely covered in random objects. From paperwork to sewing supplies to random empty plant pots. There was just enough space for their cups and that was about it. Grian would have been self conscious about the mess but Mumbo had known him and Jimmy for many years now and knew just how messy the brothers could be. Organised chaos, Mumbo jokingly called it.
"Maybe he's just in love?" Mumbo, always one to question Grian's ever running mind, gave a shrug as he sipped his cup of tea.
"No," Grian waved it away immediately, his own tea immediately forgotten in front of him in favour of convincing his friend of what he was saying, "this isn't like with Scott, this is more."
"I guess you'd have a better reference for soul bonds than I would," Mumbo said it without any sort of malice but Grian couldn't help by flinch at the reminder, "as I don't have one."
"But I do." Grian chose to finish for his moustachioed friend. It was painful to admit but seeing how flustered Mumbo got did make it feel better.
"No, that's- I wasn't, you know that I-"
Grian cut him off with a laugh as he placed a hand on Mumbo's arm. "I'm alright." He gave the man a warm smile that hid his pain as much as he could manage. "I know you wouldn't say anything like that to hurt me and it's not like it isn't true."
"Still," the man drew the word out with a sigh as he swirled his tea around, "I didn't need to bring it up like that."
"Hey, it's a valid point," Grian finally took a sip of his own tea and made a face at how lukewarm it already was. He would drink it anyway, no point in wasting a perfectly good tea, even if it was a bit cold for his liking. "And if I'm right about Jimmy, which I know I am, I'll have to deal with that kind of stuff anyway."
Mumbo hummed in agreement and the two stayed quiet for a while, just enjoying one another's company. It was the perfect afternoon for a bit of lazing around and with work done already neither were in a rush to get moving.
"Have you, you know, heard from Scar lately?" Mumbo muttered quietly, like the question could shatter the entire building. It definitely felt like a near thing for Grian as he sucked in a sharp breath at the name alone.
He only managed to shake his head in answer and cupped his now cool tea in his hands, he didn't think he would be able to finish it now with the way his stomach was turning. And all from just a name. How pathetic.
"I haven't either," Mumbo kept that quiet almost whisper tone to his voice as he continued. Grian couldn't bring himself to look up at the man, "I bet he's doing fine. I don't think you need to worry."
Grian couldn't bring himself to tell anyone that he grew more worried everyday he didn't feel pain, that he didn't know if his soul bound was alive half the time. As sad as it was, Grian was kind of glad that Scar had chronic pain, it gave the avian something to focus on and was a good reminder that his soulbound was still there.
"You know, you could talk to him" Mumbo said, pulling Grian from his thoughts, with a gentle hand on his arm. It startled Grian and he nearly knocked his cup over as he jumped in his chair.
"He doesn't - I don't think he -" Grian drew in a deep breath and looked away from Mumbo and down at his discarded tea, giving a shrug as he continued with a much more measure voice. "I mean, he left before I could even say anything. You know this."
"Still," Mumbo paused as he contemplated his word. "I'm sure he'd love to hear how you're doing."
"I don't think so." Grian pulled a discarded pencil out of the pile of junk on the table and began fiddling with it, just so that he had something to occupy his hands and maybe his mind. It didn't work like he thought it would and he couldn't help but think of Scar in those last moments.
He had seen the man around the city but Grian kept his distance, so as not to upset Scar. Grian always caught the man with a smile on his face. Even when people knocked into him or shouted at him, it didn't seem to bother Scar at all. Grian couldn't get his head around how his soul bound could always look so happy. It was part of the reason Grian never confronted him in the first place. If Scar was happy why destroy that with his presence.
"You never know." Mumbo muttered from behind his cup and Grian shook off his negative thoughts to laugh.
"You're way too optimistic, Mumbo." The avians felt like he succeeded in hiding the pain with his smile but, from the grimace of a smile Mumbo returned, he hadn't.
"And you're too pessimistic, Grian."
Grian waved the words away, not bothering to comment on how true they were. They both knew them to be true and the ache in his chest only justified his pessimistic thoughts and feelings. He put the pencil he had been playing with down and rolled it back towards the pile of junk covering the table. He thought briefly of cleaning it up but ignore it instead.
"Sometimes I wish you were my soul bound." Grian blurted without much thought and he held back a wince as soon as the words left his mouth. Thankfully they went clear over Mumbo's head as the man laughed.
"Mate, I love you," his moustachioed friend looked Grian dead in the eyes as he said, "but not like that."
Grian laughed along with Mumbo at the comment, not holding himself back, and just enjoyed the diffusion of tension that Grian had caused them. "You don't need to for a bond. Come on, Mumbo, get with the times."
Something in Grian loosened the more he was around Mumbo and he was glad he had a friend like him. His unintentional nonsense brought a much needed smile to Grian's face and it was endearing in a way that made the avians heart swell with fond exasperation.
"Oh, fine," Mumbo huffed but his smile was wide, "though I don't think I could handle you being a hero either. I can't really handle much pain."
"Then I guess it's a good thing we're not bound then," the avians chuckle slowly died down as he stood up to wash his long cold tea down the sink.
Grian rinsed out his cup afterwards and turned as he heard the front door bang open. His brother spilled without grace into the room with that same love sick expression on his face that made Grian ache. The commotion effectively cut off any conversation about soul bonds and he was secretly relived about that. Though, he did shoot Mumbo a pointed look that Grian wasn't sure his friend understood.
"Oh, hi Mumbo," Jimmy greeted as he made his way further into he apartment. Grian watched as his brother looked around for a moment and completely missed seeing him standing in the kitchen. It was too good to ignore the need to annoy his brother, so he crept forward on quiet feet.
"Hey, Jimmy, how's it going?" Mumbo glanced right at Grian over his brother's shoulder and wing. Grian shook his head at the man to not blow his cover.
"Yeah," Jimmy scratched the back of his neck, the tip of his ears had an obviously flush to them that Grian could see from behind. "I've, um, yeah, I've been busy."
Grian was right behind his brother at that point and waited for the most opportune moment to scare Jimmy.
"I heard you've got yourself a boyfriend." Mumbo glanced at Grian again and it was a wonder when Jimmy didn't catch on. Usually his brother was much more suspicious then this and it just spoke volumes to how distracted he was.
"Oh, um, I - I guess, yeah, I guess I do." Jimmy's head ducked down, embarrassed no doubt, as he admitted it like he couldn't believe his own words. "Where is Grian, by the way?"
"Hello, Tim." Grian whispered into his brother's ear and watched as Jimmy jumped so hard and tried to spin around at the same time that he ended up falling to the floor instead. Grian couldn't hold in his cackling laughter as he tried his best to breathe at the same time. He was getting light headed but he couldn't stop as he bent over to hold his stomach.
"You - You - You. Why are you like this?!" Jimmy shouted from the floor, a pout on his lips, and it only succeeded in setting Grian off again.
His stomach was sore by the time his laughter died down and at some point Mumbo joined in with his much quieter laughter. Jimmy grumbled for a while but eventually sat up and smiled slightly as Grian handed him a glass of water and asked what he wanted for dinner. It was calm after that and the three of them enjoyed each others company until Mumbo had to leave.
Grian knew he would be okay eventually and, even if he felt completely drained from the small talk he had with Mumbo, he was glad to get some things off his chest. Maybe it was too early to talk about his practically broken bond, but with what was happening to Jimmy, it felt like it would have come up sooner or later and Grian wanted it to, at least, be on his terms.