Chapter Text
Grian had gone from horrified to amused… to just annoyed. Mumbo was struggling with the fake stomach, and he had been having a rough time building furniture without it. “Mumbo… Just stop.” Grian eventually told the man who was trying to pick up a big piece of changing table, which the instructions so helpfully called it piece I or 1… Grian wasn’t certain but neither was Mumbo and that was most of the issue.
Mumbo huffed softly. “I can do this Grian.” He insisted sounding equally as annoyed. Which wasn’t fair really, considering Mumbo was the idiot who decided to put on a fake belly and then do DIY. Grian watched the man struggle before he just gave up dropping the piece of wood heavily and sighing. “I don’t know how people did this. Anyone who ever had a kid, just amazing. How do you not just lie in bed all day and just give up? How are any of us living?”
Grian put down the instructions, vaguely noting that they might have been upside down before joining Mumbo on the floor. He sighed, feeling the tension in his own body. He heard the way he sounded earlier and didn’t like it. “I dunno but you have the choice to take it off Mumbo.” He reminded him in a pointed way. “At least for this. Usually, parents have ways around this before they are unable to physically do the work. Like asking friends to help out or perhaps buying it premade.”
Mumbo sighed loudly and Grian could tell he was faltering. “I just… I just wanted to feel connected to Grumbot… I know I am not actually carrying them but… I want to be a good daddy to them? I know I am not the best at being well normal and welcoming. What if they don’t like me?” Mumbo went wide eyed at the very thought, his hands nervously coming up.
“Mumbo… It is a robot… so trust me, Grumbot will love you.” Grian insisted, feeling a little bad that he sorta insinuated that Mumbo was robotic in a way. He was just on the spectrum, Grian guessed but thankfully it seemingly went over Mumbo’s head.
“Grian do you think so? I just… as the day comes closer when we get them, I find myself worried about not being good enough. I realise that outside of the study and project, they if only for a while is a thinking being… Their life might be captured in a computer chip but to them, it is reality.” Mumbo told him softly. “They don’t know any different, just… I could have ran this in a simulation.”
“It wouldn’t be the same though Mumbo… I don’t know how advanced Mined has gotten but I know that simulations can never capture the real thing… there will always be something wrong. Have you seen the stuff that AI puts out… It can’t decipher real words and just makes fake looking letters almost as if it is saying ‘good enough’ or it messes up little things…” Grian looked over at the man, and snorted, as for a moment he had forgotten about the stupid stomach thing.
Mumbo gave him a smile. “You are truly wonderful. I am so glad I met you.” Mumbo told him ever so softly. “You are… just the perfect partner… in this. Would you like to uh touch the bump? Our kid?”
Holy fuck. Grian blinked hard at that. It was too damn similar to his fantasy… No way Mumbo was sitting there, hand on a fake belly bump just asking Grian if he wanted to feel him up too while calling it their kid. THEIRS. Grian froze for a moment and it was enough for Mumbo to grab his wrist and pull his hand to his stomach.
“I promise you, no kicking but honestly it is so damn heavy. It must come from your side of the family.” Mumbo joked and nudged his shoulder playfully as Grian stared transfixed as their hands joined on the swell of stomach. “Not that I am calling you fat… You are lovely portioned… Not like chicken portions… forgive me… I think this joke has escaped me…” Mumbo rambled and suddenly shot up.
Grian fell back in shock and nodded. “Uh yeah… Why don’t we finish up the last bits of whatever and we can… move on… How long are you planning on wearing that for?” He checked.
“Until we go pick up Grumbot.” Mumbo quickly answered… which meant they were going to go shopping like this…
Oh no.