Set in season seven/eight

Yes I have a problem with Helsbo I promise I'll start writing requests again
—

Season seven was when it started.

Grian began to show his true colors.

Mumbo didn't know that his friend could be such a...maniac. Clingy, obsessive, violent towards anyone who spoke to the redstoner. The mustached hermit didn't even notice the behavior until Iskall pointed it out to him.

By then, it was already too late.

Grian had already sunk his claws into his prey.

"Mumbo, sweetheart, I'm home!"

The Brit dreaded the sound of his boyfriend's voice, his gaze quickly shifting towards the ground as he heard the door to his workplace open.

Mumbo didn't get to live in his mega base. Not anymore, at least. Grian insisted that he live at the mansion, and the redstoner couldn't bring himself to ever say no to the strawberry blonde. He had a little workshop where he could play with redstone, it felt like his only safe place.

"How's my favorite redstoner doing?" The builder asked as he came up behind the mustached hermit, littering kisses onto his neck. He managed to wear a strained smile as he glanced towards Grian.

"I'm doing great, dear." Mumbo lied, sadness in his eyes as he spoke. Grian frowned at the answer.

"You're lying. You know I don't like it when you lie to me."

"I-I know. I'm s-sorry.." The mustached hermit managed to stutter.

Grian stepped a bit closer, holding onto the collar of Mumbo's white shirt. "Am I doing something wrong? Am I too clingy? Do I scare you? Tell me so I can fix it."

Nervously, the redstoner shook his head. "N-no! You're per-perfect!"

A sly grin spread across the builder's face. "That's what I like to hear." He said while pushing his lips against Mumbo, who didn't fight or resist.

"E-erm, Gri...?" The taller male asked, getting a slight 'hm?' from his boyfriend in response.

"I-I was wondering if I could go out and see Iskall. I think they're starting to worry about me.." Mumbo said, which caused Grian to stop kissing the redstoner's neck.

"Do I need to teach you again? I already told you, none of the hermits matter, only I do. Am I clear? Or do you need a bit more time in the closet to think about how much you love me?"

Mumbo shuttered at the thought, but he reluctantly shook his head. "N-no. I understand."

"I don't think you do." He said, the builder's eyes cold with no mercy. Mumbo's stomach twisted into knots as Grian snatched his wrist, tugging him towards a door in the redstoner's workshop.

Shoving Mumbo into the cramped closet, Grian gave a warm smile to his boyfriend. "You know why I keep you here: the world is so cruel—it'll ruin you. But don't worry about being in here, I'll be back for you." He said, the taller male nodding as he glanced towards the floor.

"Y-yes, of course dear.." Mumbo stuttered weakly, the closet door squeaking as it shut, locking the Brit in darkness.

He sat down on the floor, bringing his knees to his chest. Mumbo knew he deserved this, he needed to learn. Whatever Grian said was right, that's what the redstoner told himself, anyway. It was easier to submit and listen to his boyfriend, rather than try and fight.

—

The doorknob to the closet began to turn and twist. It woke Mumbo up, he wasn't sure how much time had passed. Days, most likely. His eyes were dull, his stare broken as light leaked into the cramped room.

Two figures stood in the doorway, people he hadn't seen in so long. Xisuma and Iskall, the two sharing the same, worried expression as they stared down at the broken male.

"Wha..? Where's Grian?" The Brit managed speak, his voice hoarse and raw. Xisuma didn't answer, though he offered his hand to help Mumbo to his feet. The redstoner didn't accept, moving further into the closet to try and move further away from the two.

"Mumbo, it's all okay now. He's not gonna hurt you anymore." Iskall spoke soft and slow, though the mustached hermit shook his head, tears rolling down his face.

"N-no! Where is he?! If he s-sees me talking to you—"

"He won't. I...I banned him." Xisuma managed to choke out, Mumbo's eyes widening.

"N-no. I-I c-can't be without him! H-he's been k-keeping me safe! He loves me!"

Xisuma knelt down, trying to move slowly so he wouldn't scare the already-terrified man. "Mumbo, he was hurting you. It's all going to be okay, now. He's gone. And he'll never hurt you again."

"It's going to be okay, dude. We're all here to help you recover."

"NO! GRIAN LOVES ME!" Mumbo sobbed angrily, Xisuma and Iskall sharing the same look of concern as the admin stood up.

"Alright, it looks like you still need some more time to process this. We'll be back tomorrow to check up on you."

As they walked away, Mumbo lifted up one of Grian's old sweaters from off the ground, holding it close to him. No, he couldn't function without his boyfriend. He needed Grian. Mumbo couldn't live without him.

He was apart of the redstoner. Why, why, why did Xisuma have to ban him? Mumbo was fine, he was happy living with his boyfriend!

Grian was perfect. Mumbo was broken. He didn't know how he'd heal from this.

—

Hels woke up to the sound of muffled sobs.

'Oh no,' he thought, 'not again.'

He pulled himself out of bed, slowly heading out of Mumbo's van and into Treeza, walking over to the closet, where the crying seemed to be coming from.

Whenever Mumbo thought he had done something wrong, it was almost instinct to lock himself in a dark, cramped space. If he didn't have one near by, he would build one to hide in.

The knight softly knocked on the door, which didn't stop the crying, so Hels pushed open the door.

Mumbo was clinging to a few of Grian's sweaters, he had brought them from last season, refusing to let go. The evil knight let out a sigh, taking a seat next to his boyfriend.

"Gri-grian?" He sobbed, clinging to Hels. The knight stroked his boyfriend's hair, nodding his head.

"Yes dear, I'm back." He cooed, indulging Mumbo's fantasy to help with the nightmares. This happened almost every other night, but Hels thought that the redstoner was starting to finally move on. Seems like he wasn't. He was still scarred by everything that his former boyfriend had done to him.

"Y-you came back for me. I knew you would.." Mumbo sobbed into his chest, while Hels stayed silent as he comforted the mustached hermit.

"Come on, let's get you back to bed."

Mumbo shook his head. "N-no. I've been awful, I-I need to st-stay here."

Hels kissed the redstoner's cheek. "You've been wonderful. You're the best boyfriend I could ever ask for."

"I-I...I am...?" He choked back a sob, the knight simply nodding.

"Of course. Now, let's get back to bed, okay?"

Mumbo nodded compliantly, Hels scooping up the Brit into his arms to carry him back into the van. The redstoner clung to his boyfriend, eyelids heavy as he struggled to stay awake in the warmth of the knight's arms.

"It's okay, you can fall asleep. You're safe with me." He assured, which caused for the mustached hermit to pass out without hesitation.

Mumbo was, to put everything delicately, messed up. Never spoke out of turn, quiet, obedient. Grian had twisted him into a scared, fragile, paranoid boyfriend, just to make sure he never left. The nightmares still haunt him, but the Brit never wanted to talk about it.

Xisuma couldn't fix him, therapy with Joe never seemed to work, and he was always overwhelmed with three or more people in the room. Hels could see that without Grian, he was getting worse. No one really knew what to do to help.

Setting Mumbo down on the bed, he pulled the blanket over his boyfriend's sleeping body. No one really expected that Hels could be so...Caring. Neither did he, actually. It was more like instinct.

They met one another in the beginning of the season. Mumbo ran to the north point of the island to try and get away from everyone, panicked and stressed, while Hels ran to the north point of the island to try and hide from Wels.

Mumbo was in shock, mainly from the earlier gathering of all the hermits, which caused him to go into a panic. He mistook Hels for Grian, mainly trying to cope with the fact that the builder was gone, and never coming back. Both Xisuma and Wels allowed Hels to stay, since he seemed to be a help to Mumbo.

A slight buzz in his pocket pulled the evil knight from his thoughts. He pulled out his communicator from his pocket, Hels glancing down at the message with his eyes widening.

<Grian joined the game>

Hels opener his messages to try and contact Xisuma, but it seems like the admin was one step ahead. With a flash of purple light, the Brit appeared in the van, stumbling as he tried to gain his footing.

"Grian—"

"I saw." Hels said in a quieter voice, the redstoner slightly stirring in his sleep. "We need to get Mumbo to a safe place."

"I'm afraid that won't do much," Xisuma said with a solemn tone. "Grian is a watcher. Or at least, he told me that he used to be in season six. He can teleport and use magic, and I assume he broke through the ban to get back onto hermitcraft."

Hels lifted his sleeping boyfriend into his arms. "Okay, I'm going to try and get Mumbo as far away as possible, you try and stop Grian.."

"Stop me?" A voice called out, Hels and Xisuma glancing towards the entrance to Treeza, where a flash of purple light appeared.

"I'm not here to do anything wrong. I just want to take Mumbo with me and leave." Grian laughed as he stepped into view, large, feathery wings on his back as he smiled. His focus was on the sleeping redstoner in the evil knight's arms.

"I told him that I'd be back," Grian said as he stepped closer, cupping Mumbo's cheeks as he kissed his former boyfriend's forehead. "—and here I am."

Hels stepped away, his back hitting the van wall. "S-stay away! Mumbo isn't going to endure anymore hurt from you!"

"I'm not going to hurt him, I'm simply going to take him home with me, to the watcher's castle. There, he'll live out the rest of his days with me, and he'll remain pure and untainted. He'll remain perfect, as he's always been."

Xisuma stepped in front of Hels and Mumbo. "You need to leave. NOW." He said, pulling out his sword. "I won't ask agai—"

Before the admin could even finish speaking, a large, purple crystal shot out of the ground. It pierced through Xisuma's armor, shooting right through his chest, blood staining the end of the pointed rock.

"Pretty, isn't it? I spent the rest of season seven finishing my training, so I could come back for Mumbo." Grian smiled as Xisuma writhed in pain, turning his attention towards Hels.

"Now," he said, waving his hand. A purple crystal shot out of the ground, poking Hels' neck to the point where it drew blood. Grian's smile was horrifying cruel.

"hand Mumbo over."