Mumbo took a deep staggering breath. It was fine. Everything was fine....
He could do this!
Mumbo yelped as the door opened behind him.

He spun around to find Wels and Iskall.
Iskall bit into a pretzel stick while Wels carefully shut the door behind them.

"You ain't slick," Iskall announced, eyeing the youngest boy up.
Mumbo tensed up and stared at his older brothers in fear.

"Alright, here's what's gonna happen. We are gonna go out Wels' window into the side yard. Meanwhile, he's gonna be our alibi," Iskall informed.
"I'm great at it! Hels used to sneak out daily!" Wels chuckled.
"Really? I never knew that," Iskall hummed.
"Exactly, that's the point," Wels chuckled.

Iskall and Mumbo chuckled.
"Well hey, good reviews," Mumbo joked.
"I'm also good at buying time," Wels shrugged.
Iskall gave a firm nod.

"Ok, we leave once everyone is officially hauled up in their rooms," Iskall informed.
"Mom and dad fall asleep before 11. Usually, everyone is hauled up by 12. Though Tango and Hypno don't fall asleep until 2 to 3 am," Wels informed.

"Why do you know this?" Mumbo asked.
Wels blinked and a faint blush coated his cheeks.
"I like to do rounds, make sure everyone's where they're supposed to be," Wels murmured.
"Dude's literally the only reason it's hard to sneak out," Iskall scoffed.

"Do you sleep?" Mumbo asked suddenly.
There was a long pause. In fact, the middle child between them didn't respond at all. Instead just opting to shift his attention to a very interesting wall.
"Jesus, Wels," Mumbo snickered.

"Aaaaaanyway! Do you understand Mumbo?" Iskall asked.
Mumbo cautiously nodded.
"So you have to come with me?" Mumbo asked.
Iskall eyed Mumbo and raised a brow.
"Have you ever snuck out before?" He asked.
Cautiously, Mumbo shook his head.
"Have you ever snuck in before?"
Once more, Mumbo shook his head.
"Exactly. I'm coming with you," Iskall huffed.

"If it makes you feel any better, Hels wouldn't let Iskall out alone until he was 19," Wels offered.
Iskall grumbled angrily, "Which is complete and utter bullsh*t because I'm older than him!"

"And Tango wouldn't let Hels out alone until he was 15, he had to go with Tango or Iskall," Wels hummed.
"What?!" Iskall spun around with wide eyes.
"And then Hypno would not let Tango or Zedaph out alone until they were about 22, 23 maybe? Which I thought was hilarious!" Wels' face immediately dropped, "Tango did not agree."

Iskall let out a startled laugh.
"And the only reason Tango stopped caring about when Hels went out was because he was asking to go out every night," Wels grumbled.
"You sound like you've seen some sh*t," Mumbo murmured.
"Mumbo, we shared a room up until he moved out a year ago," Wels replied.
"Touché," Mumbo shrugged.

••••

The house was eerily silent when Iskall came to get Mumbo.
Walking through the halls was like walking through a horror movie. Waiting, just waiting for someone to poke their head out.

Mumbo jumped as they quietly passed Hypno's room. They couldn't quite hear what he was saying but it sounded like he was on the phone. Iskall didn't seem bothered by the awake presence and ushered Mumbo further down the hall to Wels' room.

Wels' room was surprisingly isolated. The library separated him and Doc's old bedroom, who now lived in an apartment a while away. Even better, he was moving away in February to live in Germany.

Mumbo always thought Wels' room was so cool.
It encompassed the turret in their house making it look like it came straight out of a fantasy book.
Hels used to reside in the outside section of the room, you know, the actual room area?
He had better access to the window that led to the roof there, and there were far fewer windows in the room itself.

Meanwhile Wels took up the turret. Red curtains over the entrance that used to separate their space are now drawn back to open the room up. Windows surround the entirety of the turret making it glow a soft blue in the moonlight. Fairylight that Mumbo was sure were usually on, strung up overhead.
Wels climbed out of his bed. He motioned for the boys to follow him as he took a key out from a box from the bookshelves that lined the entrance to the turret.
Let it be known though, there were only 3 books on that bookshelf. All looked well read.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your room?" Mumbo whispered to Wels as he unlocked the window, which seemed very purposefully locked.
Wels softly chuckled, "once or twice."

Iskall climbed very carefully out the window and Wels gave a soft smile.
"Just follow Iskall's lead and try to be back before, at the very latest 8? It gets harder to explain your absence after then," Wels huffed.
Mumbo nodded.

"Thank you," Mumbo whispered and Wels nodded and closed the window behind them.

••••

"Really?" Iskall asked, his eyes shifting over to Mumbo.
It was just past midnight though the festival was still packed full of people. Mumbo tugged Iskall into the event, paying their due at the concession.

No one seemed to register that the 2 Hermits were there. Though they both deemed that perfectly fine.

Hay crunched under their feet and the smell of pumpkin and caramel filled the air. Music filtered through the crowd and Mumbo picked up his boyfriend's voice easily. Or rather, his laughter.

Pushing through the crowd Mumbo couldn't help his large grin as he saw Grian. Purple glittered his cheeks in the form of makeup and glitter, his blond hair almost seemed to glow in the lamplight though it shrouded most of the rest of his face in darkness. He wore a red and brown outfit looking as if he had just stepped right out of a field of corn.

He spun a younger kid around, holding him up from under the armpits.
"Grian!" Another voice called right as he slowed down to deposit the boy on the ground.

"Yep?" Grian called back, fixing his shirt and shrugging hay off his shoulders.
When the light hit him just right the purple seemed to glow.

"15 more minutes!" The person called back.
"Iye!" Grian responded and turned to start moving through the crowd when he met eyes with Mumbo.

His face split open into a big soft smile. The kind of look a toddler would give to their best friend or their particularly favorite toy.
"Mumby!" Grian greeted bouncing over like a bunny and engulfing Mumbo in a hug which he gladly returned.

"Oh you came! You came!" Grian chirped and pressed a kiss to Mumbo's cheek startling Iskall and making the younger laugh.
Grian stepped back and subconsciously brushed hay and dust off of his outfit.
"Oh I'm so messy right now. But that should change by the show-!" Grian fussed.

"Grian!" A voice that Mumbo and Iskall vaguely recognize calls out.
"Coming, Mini!" Grian called back, turning his head towards where the shout came from so he wasn't screaming in Mumbo's ear.
Grian rolled his eyes and turned back to Mumbo.

"You're coming right? It's the big thing in the middle, you can't miss it. I'll be looking for you!" Grian chirped.
"Oh, also I get a good 30 minute break after the show so we can hang out then, kay?" Mumbo nodded and Grian tilted so he could see Iskall better.

"Hi Iskall!" He greeted simply before he ran off.
Iskall immediately slapped Mumbo's arm.
"Ow! What?" Mumbo asked.
Iskall slapped him again, and again.
"You. Did. Not. Tell. Me. You. Were. Dating. Grian!" Iskall accused punctuating each word with an arm slap.
"You didn't tell me you were dating at all! I thought we were close!" Iskall mourned, Mumbo rolled his eyes at his older brother's shenanigans.

"Please remember that we're not supposed to be here Issy," Mumbo grumbled but walked along as if nothing happened.
Iskall laughed at his embarrassed speed walk.

"Awww, Mumbo! You've been dreaming of him since you were little!" Iskall cooed, "I guess childhood fantasies do come true!"
"For the love of g*d, if you ever tell him that I will suckerpunch you in the throat!" Mumbo hissed.
Iskall laughed at his pathetic attempt at a threat.

••••

The middle section was just as cold if not a little warmer than the rest of the festival. Chinese lanterns hung from above coating the area in a soft red and orange hue even if it was past midnight.

Both being rather tall men they stood near the back of the crowd. A man dressed in what appeared to be a black negagi of some sort, much shorter than either of them, shuffled behind them with some kind of wire.

"Excuse me," he said softly. Both men shuffled forward letting the blond shuffle past. He plugged something in before shuffling past once more.
"Have fun," the man, early 20s maybe(Wels' age), nodded his thanks and disappeared behind a pole afterwards. Which doesn't make sense because he was much too big to hide behind the pole.

Instinctually Iskall walked over and circled the pole before giving an almost disgusted look. He returned to Mumbo and whispered, "where the heck did he go?!"
Both men stood awkwardly after that.

They didn't see him again after that.

••••

The fog seemed to part for Grian as he rushed towards Mumbo and Iskall. LED wings trailed behind him, now turned off from their previous flashing earlier. The fog machines made the ground much more difficult to see, though it didn't seem to hinder the performer who now stood in thin white clothes with what looked like a purple infection across his face, neck, and wrapping around his outfit like vines.

He looked a lot more adorable now then he had while in the pitch with only his wings as a light source. Though according to the shrieks the kids were giving him, not everyone felt the same.

"Jesus christ! It's freezing!" Grian hissed, wrapping his sheer LED lights over his bare arms.
Which although probably produced some heat still left him shivering. Mumbo pulled his red jacket off and draped it over Grian almost protectively.

Grian fell into the warmth easily, leaning against Mumbo just to suck some of it from him too. Mumbo clearly didn't seem to mind and Iskall was still riding the scare high.

"Were your eyes glowing or did I just imagine that?" Iskall asked, immediately tugging the couple away from the departing crowd.
Grian laughed.
"Creepy contacts right? So cool but such a pain. Also, it's hard to see out of," Grian admitted, "which is why I'm not wearing them now."

"That is so cool! Like Doc's! Though his isn't a contact, it's his actual eye," Iskall chattered bringing the younger kids to the corn maze.

"Wanna?" Iskall offered.
"Sure!" Grian agreed quickly and Mumbo hesitantly nodded letting the oldest lead them in.

They were separated quickly. Which is probably why Mumbo was already shaking in his boots. He tried to find them, slightly more focused on finding them then looking at where he was going. Which made every jumpscare just that much scarier.

By the time Mumbo made it to the other side he was crying and Iskall had to soothe him from his small panic attack. It didn't take long to soothe him, Iskall was always the best at it. Only second being Xisuma. Maybe someday Grian would learn too.

"Food?" Grian offered softly and the Hermits agreed easily.
They sat down at a small concession stand and ate funnel cake and corndogs.
Grian let out a soft moan as he took his first bite.
"G*d I haven't eaten anything all day!" Grian moaned and dramatically leaned against Iskall who laughed airily.

"Are you guys gonna stay for the Aerial show?" Grian asked, perking up.
"It's right after the 30 minute break," Grian explained.
"Oh, sure!" Mumbo agreed while Iskall nodded.
"Yay!"

••••

Iskall nudged Mumbo and carefully began climbing up the wall to the roof. Mumbo climbed up after him, using the safe footholds.

They returned home at 2:42 am. Mumbo's coat still draped over Grian's shoulders. Iskall doubted he'd be getting that back over the weekend. Wels opened the window for them, shoulder length blond hair draped over his face. He looked like he was asleep which made Mumbo wince.

Wels pressed a finger to his lips and pointed towards his door once more, shutting the window and locking it behind them.

Figuring they could tell him later they both left his room and fled to their rooms.

••••

Mumbo was alone in the library when it got brought up for the first time the next day.
"Have fun?" Hypno's voice startled him so bad he let out a yelp and jumped, his science book cluttering onto the floor.

Hypno chuckled and picked the book out.
"Well, did you?" Hypno asked, placing the book down in front of Mumbo once more.
"Watching my movie?" Mumbo asked, trying to recall what else he did today that Hypno would ask.

"No silly, when you went out. To wherever you went to," Hypno scoffed, Mumbo went rigid.
"What? I started the 'going out Wels' window' trend! Ain't like you were slick," Hypno scoffed.

Blush coated the teenager's cheeks.
"You did well though! Especially for your first try! When Tango first started going out he knocked over both of the trash bins, which of course, had to be metal at the time," Hypno laughed, Mumbo let out a similar laugh.

"Yeah, really the thing that tipped me off was you stopping in front of my room. Otherwise I would have thought you were just going to grab something before bed or something," Hypno laughed.
Mumbo groaned.

Hypno ruffled his brother's hair.
"So, you never answered the question. Did you have fun?"
Mumbo grinned up at the older.