#diego hargreeves angst

[shadowbriar]

Diego Hargreeves - Patches

Pairing : Diego Hargreeves x (she/her) Reader Word Count : 1.2k Warning : None. Notes : This might be the introduction of a story I'm working on. I cannot guarantee that I'll have the commitment to continue until it's end so don't have too much hope for this. I am open if you have any The Umbrella Academy requests at the moment, so do hit me up! If you like this story and would like to support me, please visit my kofi page and perhaps get me a coffee?☕

He got eight of them.

For the longest time in her life, she’s never understood the silly yet cruel joke life cursed upon her. To be able to heal everyone but herself, no matter the wound or injury one might have, she’ll cure it in no time, so long as it wasn’t inflicted on her.

Once, it wasn’t this pathetic nor lonely. She had her brothers and sisters to weather to storm through. There were Pogo and Mum to share cookies and stories with. It’s been years since she felt such comfort and to have to drag her feet back to the house that had turned itself from a warm home into a prison before the last days of her departure is surely weighing on her heart.

“Welcome home, dear.”

Her heart was filled with warmth once the familiar motherly voice greets her. The corners of her lips curved into a big smile as she dropped her bags, running to the dearly missed figure, “Mum.”

It took the bot a couple seconds to return the embrace. No doubt that she’s been lacking a lot of upgrades ever since she left. When the two broke the hug, she stared at the ageless caregiver with fulfilled eyes as it stared back at her with its bright smile, blank and not blinking. This might have been the most home she could feel while she’s here.

“You’re not supposed to come,” another voice echoes from the stairs.

“Diego, that’s not very nice.” Mum scolded lightly “Your sister has returned to us.”

The boy showed a thin smile to the bot, patting her lightly on the shoulder, “I think Pogo was looking for you, Mum.”

With a slight nod, the android excused herself out of the room.

Now if Grace’s presence lightened her heart, the sight of this black suited man certainly plummets it.

“You look awful,” She greets, noticing the scars that litter his face “Surely couldn’t find a better nurse than me now, can you?”

“Please,” Diego snorted “You’re more of a deadweight than a nurse, if ever.”

Ouch.

She lets out an exasperated exhale, folding her hands in front of her chest in defence, “Well, I’m not here for you and I don’t take joy either on coming back to this circus, so if you could just get yourself off that non-existent high horse—”

Before she could finish her words, Diego had already walked away as if she wasn’t there to begin with. His back becomes the abundant evidence that whatever bad blood they had years ago is still staining his skin.

It wasn’t always like this, him and her. In fact, they were the inseparable two growing up. If Luther had Allison, Diego had her. The many times she healed his wounds had led them to grow closer as the years went by. He was the one with the most injury to heal, after all. The most careless in battle out of the eight, never backing down from a close combat. Though he would always come out triumphant, a little cut here and there would be something he never escaped from.

“Don’t mind him, he’s giving us all the sour comments,” Allison said as she linked her arms to her “I’m glad to see you.”

She smiles at her sister, squeezing her hand slightly in reassurance, “As I am to see you.”

—-

“You should really learn how to dodge a punch, Diego,” She says as she runs her thumb through his bruise “One of these days you’re going to go home and I may not be able to heal you.”

“Is that a loss on your part or my part?”

Her eyebrow rose, purposely pressing on his bruise without healing it that he winces a little, “Or maybe I just won’t heal you, that’s definitely a loss on your part.”

“As if you’ll ever do that.”

“Is that a challenge?”

Diego tries his best to bite the grin but it proved to be an even harder task than to back out of a fight. He stares at her fondly, finding the jitters in his stomach to amplify the longer he stares yet it feels impossible for him to break the contact. Perhaps she casts a little of her magic everytime she heals him.

“Don’t stare at me like that.”

“Like what?” He asks.

“Like Klaus stares at a bottle of gin,” She says, now examining his other cuts “Like I stare at Mum’s cookies.”

Diego smiles.

“Like Luther stares at Allison.”

“Would it be so bad if I stare that way?”

The wake from the unintended nap hurts her head. Her bed is much smaller than she last remembered with her feet slightly dangling on the edge and how the pillows have certainly lost their fluffiness. Everything in her room stays the same yet at the same time, everything has changed.

—-

Diego defeatedly threw himself to the sofa. He sighs, his knuckles cracking as he tries to ball his fists. The tidal wave of emotions were beating him black and blue in silence. It feels as if he was swallowed by a giant blackhole with no light nor guidance to get out of.

There was no need for him to be rude to her, he knew that. He didn’t want to do it, but seeing her back in their house, hugging and talking to Grace, hurts. It took him years to try and ignore the ghost of her. She was the one force that would fuel his mornings and ease him to sleep at night. She was the one soul that he would always go to seek refuge. She was the one that he would lay his life on the line for without a second of doubt.

But he had to lose it all after one stupid night.

A night that he would never be able to grow out of, both from the horror and the guilt. Diego shut himself out for days following that terrifying night, locking his doors and skipping meals as he tries to think of all the what-if scenarios.

What if he stayed home that night?

What if he forced her to stay home that night?

What if he saved her before she saved him?

What if?

Mindlessly, he reaches for a knife on his left chest. It was a stranger to the rest of his knives collection. Compared to the polished lightweight knives he tucked in his suit, this one butter knife was rather dull. It would serve no harm to anyone, yet he kept it closest to his heart as if it was his most prized possession.

Diego stared at the knife. His brows knitted, examining the item as if it held the answer to all of his questions. Or perhaps some guidance. Anything to help him keep his sanity and not lose the plot now that she’s back in his life. Was she staying or was she leaving for the night? He wasn’t sure. But even if she is leaving, the hours he’d have to spend with her would suffocate nonetheless.

His thumb traces the engraving on the knife’s handle. A little trace of an infinite loop that had somehow become his stress outlet: the number eight.

[samdeancass]

Make It Count

Requested by @acing-dyslexia with prompt #16 from Sentence Prompts: "I'm going to beat you until you can't remember you're own name." "I'll give you one hit. You better make it good."

Pairing: Diego Hargreeves x reader

Genre: Fluff, Angst

Characters: Diego, Y/N

Description: Y/N is taken by an old enemy of Diego's and when he comes to their rescue, he makes the kidnapper pay.

If you were honest with yourself, you expected to be kidnapped considering who your boyfriend was and who his family were. What you didn't expect, however, is to be kidnapped by somebody you knew.

You were sat in the middle of a darkened room, the only light coming from the small window at the side of you. Your wrists were sore and slightly bleeding from the constant writhing to get out of the ropes. Hearing footsteps coming closer to the door, you sat up straight and put on a stoic expression before your kidnapper entered the room.

"Hello, Y/N. How lovely to see you again." Your eyes widened as your childhood best friend stood in front of you. "Bradley? What the actual hell?!" He chuckled as he walked towards you and knelt down in front of you. "Well, Y/N, it turns out that your boyfriend and I have a rather large rivalry with each other. He keeps beating down my illegal dealings and to be honest, I've had enough."

You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion. "OK, let me get this straight. Diego is doing good in this world by taking down whatever illegal shit you're doing and you've decided to take me as a way to teach him a lesson?" Bradley smiled at you and tapped your cheek. "Well done, you're catching on." "Well, I want to know something. How did my sweet best friend turn into a full-on criminal mastermind?" He smirked at you and stood up. "That's a story for another day I'm afraid. It seems as though Diego has made his arrival."

A huge smirk spread across your face. "He is going to kick your ass. It was the worst mistake taking me." Bradley made his way behind you and wound a gag tight around your head before pointing a gun at your head. A loud scuffle sounded outside the door and a pang of happiness rang through your body. You weren't scared in the slightest, you knew what Diego was capable of and you knew that he wouldn't let Bradley hurt you.

The door swung open and Diego pushed one of the guards in, ripping his knife out of their chest. Spotting you in the middle of the room, his eyes widened a little but you nodded to signal that you were alright. "You have 3 seconds to move that gun away from their head before I beat the shit out of you."

Bradley pushed the gun further into the side of your head, making you wince a little. Diego growled and Bradley chuckled at how quickly he was getting to him. "Now, now Diego. No need for violence. I just want you to stop interfering with my work. It's getting really annoying and I need to live, ya know?"

"I wouldn't have to interfere if your work was legit but what you're doing is hurting people and it needs to stop. There is no way I'm going to let it carry on." Diego gripped the base of his knife tightly in his hand as he spotted Bradley moving further beside you. "Well, then, I suppose Y/N here will have to say goodbye won't they?" You heard the click of the gun right in your ear and you closed your eyes, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

Before Bradley could shoot Diego threw the knife at the gun and knocked it out of his hand, causing Bradley to stumble back in surprise. "I'm going to beat you until you can't remember you're own name." Diego stalked towards Bradley as if he were prey, a sinister smirk on his face. "I'll give you one hit. You better make it good." "Don't worry, it will be."

Diego swung his fist back and put all of his power into the punch, knocking Bradley completely off his feet and to the ground. Diego climbed on top of him and grabbed the scruff of his shirt. "If you ever touch Y/N again, or even think about them, I won't be so easy on you. I won't just beat your ass, I'll kill you. Understand?" Bradley nodded his head, clearly scared. Diego laughed before swinging his fist back and connected it with Bradley's face, knocking him out cold.

Diego got up and ran over to you, cutting your binds from your hands. You took the gag out of your mouth and smiled at your boyfriend, who offered you his hand to help you up. "You alright? Did he hurt you?" "No, but I did know him. Turns out he was my childhood best friend." Diego raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "I will never understand the things that go through these guys heads."

He kissed the side of your head, swung his arm over your shoulders, and walked you out of the building. "Wanna go for food? I'm starving." You rolled your eyes and chuckled before getting into your side of the car. "Trust you to be hungry after beating a guy."

[hihomeghere]

Carousel Club | Five Hargreeves / Reader

Word Count : 3k Summary : After being dropped into 1963, you find work at the Carousel Club as a dancer. While following a tip where Luther could be, Five sees your routine. Overwhelmed by jealousy he sneaks into your dressing room. (I do not own the umbrella academy or any of it's characters.) Warnings/Tags : Smut, cursing, piv, men being sexist (its the 1960s what do you expect?) dom!Five, Aged up!Five. A little bit of angst. Not requested.

You always trusted your husband. He was your constant in a very fucked up world. You knew he would never purposely harm you, or put you in harm's way. Sometimes that meant following him through time and space, other times it meant trusting him to not burn your dinner. So when he said he had a way out of the mess you and your in-laws had caused, of course you trusted him wholeheartedly. 

You grasped Five’s hand tightly in your own, feeling a sense of deja-vu from the last time you two tried to spacial jump. Diego gingerly held your other hand, you looked up at him giving him a curt nod. He returned the nod before looking around at the rest of his siblings. You raised your eyes to the gaping hole in the ceiling, the intricate details of the theater framing the crumbling moon. Five squeezed your hand, drawing your attention back to him. You gave him a reassuring smile, well as reassuring as you could.

Electricity crackled around the seven of you, wind whipping your hair in front of your face. Five’s grip on your hand was almost crushing, like you were his lifeline. A giant blue orb of energy appeared above your family, growing and glowing. Five strained under the pressure, his face contorting into a pained expression. The blue light enveloped you all, flickering and pulsing. 

“Hold on! It’s gonna get messy!” Five yelled as the ground shook beneath you, shutting your eyes tightly you felt yourself being pulled away from Five and Diego. You only had a moment of panic before you were thrown to the ground.

You groaned sitting up, the blue light of energy blinding you. You raised your hand shielding your eyes.

“Five!” You yelled as you got to your feet. As fleeting as the orb had appeared it disappeared, as though someone had turned an old tv off. Was that a flash, or just your imagination? You shook your head, taking in your surroundings. No Five, no siblings, no briefcase. Where the hell were you? 

You wandered down the alleyway to the main street. Your hip twinged in pain after taking the brunt of your fall. You looked around the street, the lampposts and storefront neon signs were your only light source. You sank down on a bench, letting out a deep sigh. Your eyes wandered to a newsrack, you quickly got to your feet. You ran to it, holding the sides of the glass case. 

August 1st, 1963. Dallas, Texas.

Your heart leapt into your throat. Damn it, Five. Shit, Alison. God, where were the rest of Five’s siblings?

“Honey, are you alright?” A soft voice asked, you turned your head sharply. You were met by a sweet woman’s face, big blond hair and bangs. She had a cardigan wrapped tightly around herself as she reached out to touch your shoulder. You shook your head, still coming to terms with the last five minutes. “Come on, I’m just about to go get something to eat, why don’t you join me?” She said, smiling sweetly.

“I-” You cleared your throat, “I don’t have any money.” You said, shaking your head. “Well then my treat.” She said helping you to your feet. You followed the woman down the streets of Dallas to a quaint diner. You sat down across from her, taking a look over the menu. People chattered mindlessly around you as you came to terms with your situation.

“I’ve seen that look before.” She said, setting her menu down on the table. 

“What look?” You said furrowing your eyebrows.

“That look. Every girl I work with has had that same look.” She huffed thanking the waiter as he set down a coffee cup in front of her. “Small girl in the big city, not knowing where you’re gonna stay or what you’re gonna eat. Believe me, I’ve seen that look before because I’ve felt that before.” She said reaching across the table, taking your hand in hers. “So what’s your story, sweetheart?” You took a breath, choosing your next words carefully.

“My husband and I got separated.” You whispered, “My parents didn’t agree with our marriage and so we ran away. He was supposed to meet me here in Dallas but he didn’t show.” You said, not technically a lie, Five was supposed to be here with you.

“Oh dear,” She tsked, “well you do not have to worry about that anymore. I’m so glad I found you! You can stay with me until you get back on your feet.” You smiled, hopefully Five wouldn’t make you wait much longer. 

“Thank you…” You trailed off, realizing you hadn’t caught her name.

“Autumn.” She answered, holding out her hand for you to shake.

“I’m Y/n.” You smiled, taking her hand.

“You know Y/n, I could put in a good word for you with my boss. He may seem a bit rough around the edges, but we’re always short staffed.” She shrugged. Whatever the job was you would only have it for hopefully a week tops before Five caught up with you, along with his siblings.

“I appreciate it Autumn.” You smiled, patting her hand.

-

When you arrived at Autumn's place of work you wondered if you were a little over your head. You followed Autumn into the back entrance of the nightclub. You passed by many half dressed women, putting on their makeup and outfits. 

“This way sweetheart!” Autumn called, you picked up your pace following her through the dressing room. Once on the main floor of the club you were greeted by the intense smell of cigars. Autumn had all but disappeared, you wandered through the tables. Trying to work your way to the front of the club, while also trying to avoid the men’s wandering hands at the tables. 

“Y/n!” She called from a table, you turned your head. The club was familiar, but you couldn’t put your finger on it. You were face to face with Jack Ruby, the man who would put the hit out on Lee Harvey Oswald. You gulped, straightening your shoulders you walked over to them.

“Mr. Ruby, this is Y/n she’s looking for a job.” Autumn said, clasping her hands together. Jack looked you over, a cigar dangling from his lips. 

“Y/n who?” He said leaning back in his chair. You stuttered but only for a second.

“Y/n L/n,” You said with a smile, Hargreeves might get Five or your in-laws in trouble if anyone here caught wind of that name. He puffed his cigar, leaning over to whisper something to the man next to him. He chuckled before nodding, you bit your cheek. Feeling like a piece of meat in front of these men.

“Can you start tonight?” He said, lacing his fingers together. 

“Of course.” You replied, Autumn cheered quietly beside Mr. Ruby.

“Autumn, be a dear and show her the dressing rooms. Tell ‘em I want Miss Y/n to be on stage by tomorrow night.” He said motioning with his cigar in hand. On stage? You turned sharply looking toward the stage of the nightclub, scantily clad women fanning themselves with large feather fans. 

“Yes sir Mr. Ruby!” Autumn giggled, taking your arm and walking you towards the back.

-

You sat in front of your vanity, lined by bright golden bulbs. Brushing glitter onto your eyes before adding your long eyelashes. It had been three months since you had taken on your new job, along the way you had made many friends. You felt for all the girls alongside you, it was a rough profession but it paid well. You pulled your robe close around your body, walking over to the clothing rack. You rifled through the sheer jeweled fabric before your eyes landed on the black and white body suit. You threw your outfit over your arm heading back to your vanity. You were greeted by a beautiful bouquet of red roses, Autumn standing next to them with a coy smile.

“Autumn! Who are these from?”

“A secret admirer,” she cooed her bright red lips pulling back into a smile, “Just teasing! It’s from all of us girls here,” She said as she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around your shoulders. Her cheap perfume floods your senses along with her sweet sweat.

“Y’all didn’t have to do that!” You smiled as she pulled away, she only waved you off.

“You’re one of the best here! Don’t know where you learned all your little tricks.” She said bumping your elbow with her own. She looked down at your costume in your arms. “Need help?” Autumn asked, holding out her hand. 

“Yes please.” You said handing her your suit as you lowered your robe. You held onto her shoulders stepping into the suit, you adjusted your straps as Autumn tightened your corset. You admired yourself in the mirror, since taking on your new job you had become more toned. More than when you had worked at the commission, and these clothes were definitely more flattering than your blue suits you used to wear. You took in a sharp breath as Autumn pulled through the last loops, tying the ribbon with a neat bow.

“Alright sister, you’re ready.” She said squeezing your shoulders.

“Thanks Autumn, now go take your break!” You said waving her off. 

“Y/n! You’re on next!” Shannon called from the stage door. You nodded, quickly stopping to smell the sweet scent of your roses before grabbing your tulle skirt. You tied it around your waist as you walked backstage. You picked up your red feather fans, taking a deep breath. You walked up to the closed red curtains listening to the deafening cheers and whistles. You heard the clink of the ropes being pulled back before you were blinded by the spotlights. You closed your eyes, bowing your head, your body covered by the bright red fans. 

You started your routine, swaying your hips seductively as you pulled the fans back away from your body teasing the audience. You lost yourself in the music, thankfully it was difficult to decipher anyone’s face over the shadows cast by the spotlights. You unclipped the tulle skirt, throwing it off stage. You could make out a certain group of sailors, and a rather large man standing by the bar. 

You teased the audience, covering your body with the fans before flashing them a glimpse of your shimmering body suit. You pulled the fans over your head, rotating your hips in a circular motion as you lowered into a squat. You bounced on your heels before jumping back up to your feet. You smirked as the men whistled and cheered. 

The music slowed, and faded out as you walked behind the red curtain. You dropped off your fans before heading back to your dressing room. You opened the door, shutting it behind you. 

“Who sent the roses?” Five’s voice sent a shiver down your spine. You turned your head sharply, meeting Five’s predatory gaze.

“Five!” You gasped, your heart soaring in your chest. “When did you get here?” 

“I could ask you the same thing.” He said, crossing his arms. Your smile fell off your face, what was his problem? It’s not your fault that he dropped you off in the middle of 1963 with no resources. 

“Three months ago.” You said furrowing your brows, “I’ve been looking for you this whole time!” He scoffed, clicking his tongue.

“Oh really? It looks like you’ve been getting enough attention without me.” He huffed, glaring at the bouquet of roses.

“Excuse me for finding a way to survive here.” You spit pushing past him, knocking his shoulder against yours. You took a seat in front of your vanity, pulling out your makeup kit. He stalked up behind you, towering over you. He gripped your chin, forcing you to look at him through the mirror, effectively smearing your bright red lipstick.

“You’re mine.” He sneered, his lips pulling back over his teeth. You flushed, heat pooling in your core. You stared up at him through the mirror, his fingers squeezing your lips together. “Got it?” He asked. You glared at him, a devilish thought entering your mind. 

You kept quiet, smirking as you watched a shadow pass over his features. He clenched his jaw, shaking his head as he tilted your head to look him in the eye.

“You must need a lesson.” He smirked, pulling you to your feet, you stumbled slightly in your heels. He kicked the chair away, you jumped as it thudded against the carpeted floor. His arm moved behind you, sweeping everything off of your vanity along with the roses. They crashed to the floor, the vase shattering. He pushed you against the vanity, caging you in with his arms as he slammed his hands against the mirror. He stared down at you with a wolfish grin, you felt yourself flush. Your heart started to beat faster as you squirmed under him.

“Yes sir.” You said tilting your chin up, staring at him through your lashes. He growled spinning you around, your hands splayed out in front of you on the top of the vanity. His hand connected to your ass cheek, letting out a low chuckle as you gasped. He moved your hair off of your back, his cold fingers attacking the strings of your corset. 

“Stupid- fucking- ribbon-“ he said through gritted teeth, you caught the slightly crazed look in his eye through the reflection. Your body felt on fire, three months without him made every touch that more exhilarating. As soon as the corset was loose enough he was ripping it off of your body, along with your panties. You were entirely bare in front of your fully dressed husband. He stepped back, loosening his tie as he watched you squirm in the mirror. 

“Not so confident now, dearest.” He smirked, unbuttoning the top button of his dress shirt. You breathed hard, adrenaline rushing through your veins. Your nipples hardened against the cold air in the dressing room. You heard the familiar metal on metal as he took off his belt before unzipping his pants. He walked up behind you, nosing his dick against your folds. You clenched around nothing, pushing back against him. His hand came up to the back of your skull, wrapping his fist through your hair. He stared at you through his darkened gaze, you were breathless, your lips parting slightly.

“Please,” you whined, batting your eyelashes. He forcibly thrusted all the way in, knocking the breath out of your lungs. You let out a pornagraphic moan before you covered your mouth with your hand. He grabbed your hand, pulling it away from your mouth and holding it behind your back.

“Why don’t you let everyone here know who you belong to?” He huffed in your ear, thrusting erratically into you. You gripped the desk, the only thing holding you up as Five plowed into you. “Let them know that I’m the only one who gets to fuck you like this.” You clenched around him as his words seemed to straight directly to your core. He let out a groan, loosening his grip on your hair. “Fuck you like this don’t you?” You nodded enthusiastically, your eyes rolling back into your head as his cock prodded against your g-spot.

“Yes, yes Five!” You babbled tears pricking your eyes, as he bent you over the desk. His hands flew to your hips, pulling them against his own thrusts. You could only lay there as your orgasm came crashing down. You were thankful you were on top of the vanity because there was no way your trembling legs would have been able to hold you up. 

Five’s eyebrows knit together as he arched his neck back, his hips stuttering as his orgasm quickly followed yours. Cumming with a loud shout he collapsed on top of you, your sweat causing his thin shirt to stick to your skin. He pulsed inside of you as he gingerly tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. He pulled away, peeling himself off of you. He kissed your shoulder as his softened cock slipped out of you. Your breathing was slowly coming back to normal as he tried to return your room to the state it was before he had destroyed it and you. He picked up your robe draping it over your shoulders. You sat up, feeling his cum start to drip down your thighs.

“What took you so long?” You asked, tying your robe close around your naked body.

“I just got here.” He sighed, tucking himself back into his pants. “I’m sorry I made you wait.” He turned to you, brushing his thumb over your cheek.

“I’ll always wait for you.” You sighed, wrapping your arms around his waist. He held you against his chest, resting his cheek against yours.

“At least someone will, Luther and Diego weren’t too happy about me dumping them in the past.” Five sighed. Diego and Luther were here, too?

“Where are they?” You asked, turning to Five with wide eyes. Five looked at you inquisitively, a small smile pulling on the corner of his mouth.

“Luther works for Jack Ruby, y/n. I found him in this club before I knew you worked here.” Your stomach dropped. Luther worked for Jack Ruby? That means he must have seen your numbers.

“Oh god.” You said mortified, hanging your head against Five’s chest. He chuckled, shaking his head as he lightly rubbed your back.

“Believe me, he was just as mortified as you are.” He said, “Although I must say I thoroughly enjoyed your routine.” He lowered his voice, his hands trailing down your body to rest on your butt.

“I think I could give you a private showing.” You smirked, wrapping your hand around his tie. You pulled him forward by his tie, smashing your lips against his. His hands gripped your hips, the velvety fabric smooth against his palms. 

“God I’d love that,” He let out a sigh, “but maybe we should wait until after we save the world.” 

Again? It was happening again?

“Vanya?” You asked, pulling away.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” He shrugged, “All I know is on November 25th the world ends, again.” 

“Guess it’s time for a family reunion.”

[moonyswoony]

A stitch in the heart

pairing: Diego hargreeves x reader

Summary: After Five’s betrayal you and Diego find unexpected comfort in each other.

Warning(s): making out, insults, humour

Your fingers trace the edge of the old, worn-out armchair, a painful reminder of all the moments you thought you once shared with him. A hollow feeling settles in your chest, and you can’t decide what hurts more—the betrayal or the fact that you actually hadn’t seen it coming.

The doorbell rings sharply, startling you from your thoughts. You hesitate before opening it, your heart sinking as you see Diego standing there. He had come straight from the Umbrella Academy’s chaotic mess, having heard about the situation from Klaus, who had filled him in on the details. Diego’s dark eyes are filled with frustration and concern as he steps into the apartment.

“I didn’t know he was that stupid,” Diego says, his voice rough with a mix of irritation and empathy. His short brown hair is slightly tousled, and his mustache gives him a rugged, determined look.

You scoff, biting back the tears that threaten to spill. “Neither did I. But hey, at least I’m not the one who’ll be dodging flying knives for a while.”

Diego’s jaw clenches, the muscles working under his skin as he processes your pain. He had always been the protector, the one to throw himself into danger without a second thought, but this was different. He couldn’t punch Five without making things worse—without hurting you even more.

“He’s an idiot,” Diego mutters, stepping closer. His presence is like a comforting weight, a reminder that not everyone in this messed-up world would abandon you. “And if he wasn’t, I’d be happy to throw him off a building for you.”

You look up at him, trying to find solace in his words, but the wound was too fresh, too deep. “You’re way too good at the ‘throwing people off buildings’ thing, Diego. I’d hate to see what you could do if you really put your mind to it.”

Diego’s jaw twitches into a reluctant smile. “Trust me, I’ve got a lot of practice. But this isn’t about me or Five or Lila. This is about you.”

“You mean it’s not about making sure Five ends up face-first in the dirt?” you ask, a hint of sarcasm in your voice.

He shakes his head, his expression serious again. “Look, I know you’re hurting. And I’m not saying Five isn’t a jerk—he is. But you don’t deserve to be dragged down by his mistakes.”

A heavy silence sits between you, filled with unspoken words and the shared history that ties you both to the people who had hurt you. Diego has his own scars, the ones Lila had left on his heart. He knew betrayal, maybe as well as you did.

“Lila…” you began, but Diego cuts you off.

“She’s not worth it,” he says sharply, his tone brooking no argument. “And neither is he.”

His words are a balm, a gentle reminder that you aren’t alone in your pain. You take a deep breath, feeling the weight of the day begin to lift, if only slightly.

Diego’s hand finally finds its way to your shoulder, a tentative touch that sends a shiver down your spine. His fingers, rough but warm, rest gently on your skin. “You don’t have to go through this alone, you know.”

You look up at him, really look at him. The scars, the bruises, the lines of worry etched into his features—Diego had always been there, in the background, watching out for you even when you didn’t realize it.

“I’m sorry about Lila,” you whisper, not really sure why you’re apologizing. Maybe because it feels like you should, because your pain is linked to his in a way you hadn’t expected.

Diego shakes his head, his expression softening. “Don’t be. That chapter’s over. Has been for a long time.”

There’s something in his eyes, something that made your heart skip a beat. He’s not lying, he had moved on. But from the way he’s looking at you, you wonder if he had been waiting for you to realize you needed to move on too.

And maybe… maybe with him.

“Diego,” you breathe, the air between you crackling with a sudden tension, a shift that makes your heart race for an entirely different reason.

His fingers tighten on your shoulder, his gaze dropping to your lips for the briefest moment before returning to your eyes. “If you ever want to forget about him,” he says, voice low and intense, “I’m right here.”

The world seemed to narrow down to the space between you, the inches that felt like miles. Your breath hitched, your heart pounding in your chest. This was the Diego you knew so well—hotheaded, stubborn, fiercely loyal Diego. The man who had been by your side through thick and thin, who was willing to pick up the pieces of your heart when they fell apart.

You take a step closer, your hand coming up to rest on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart under your palm. His eyes darken, and he leans in, his breath warm against your skin. The tension between you is palpable, like the air before a storm.

Then, as if on cue, he closes the gap between you two.

The kiss is urgent, his lips surprisingly soft as snow.It all feels like a desperate attempt to make something beautiful out of the wreckage of the day.

The kiss deepens, growing more fervent as you both lose yourselves in the heat of the moment. Diego’s hands roam to your back, pulling you impossibly closer, his embrace enveloping you completely. His lips move with a new, careful intensity, exploring your mouth with a touch of tenderness and need.

After a few moments, Diego pulls back slightly, his forehead resting against yours. His eyes sparkle with a playful glint, and he gives a light-hearted chuckle. “You know,” he smirks “Before Lila came along and turned everything upside down, I actually had a crush on you.”

You look at him, surprised and amused. “Seriously? You had a crush on me?”

Diego nods, grinning. “Yep, and I guess I was so busy trying to play the tough guy that I didn’t realize honesty might’ve worked out better. But hey, Five and Lila didn’t exactly set the bar high, did they?”

You laugh, shaking your head. “True, true. It’s not like they made the most convincing case for keeping things simple.”

Diego chuckles, pulling you closer again. “Exactly. And honestly, if I’m better at anything, it’s being upfront about my feelings.”

You smile, feeling the warmth of his words and the comfort of his embrace. “I guess that’s something I can definitely appreciate.”

Diego leans in for another kiss, his lips brushing against yours with renewed fervor and for the first time in a while, the future feels like something worth fighting for.

[anaargent]

HELPLESS

FIVE HARGREEVES X READER

Based on a request, Five are destined to always lose reader,an attempt to write angust. Also a sequel to the story of grumpy five.

The soft sound of breaking glass was enough to wake him up. Five reaches for his gun and stealthily starts looking for the intruder. Visitors weren't common in the middle of the end of the world, except for Delores.

"show up now or I'll blow your brains out" Five growls, seeing a shadow in the hallway, his finger on the trigger ready for the slightest movement. "maybe I'll blow yours out, darling" you whisper, placing the barrel of your own gun against the back of Five's neck.

And that's how Five went into a spiral.

Five is ashamed to admit that he left Delores that night, the only person who had been there for him for so many years. But he found himself tempted by a company that was pulsating and had long dialogues. From the first night, Five found himself captivated by your strange personality, although you were wilder than Delores, with a sharp tongue and terrible eating habits.

"I… killed them all" Five threw himself on the hotel bed, you turned to him as you wiped the rest of the blood from your hair "Of course, we can't leave any traces or loose ends at work"

Five shivered at your resolution, always so cold "I know…but, are you okay with this?"

You sighed and went to Five, holding his face with a desolate and disturbed expression "You're not a monster, to go back home, remember? your brothers" Five's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, his cheeks heating up at the invasion of his personal space.

"But what about you? Why do you do these things? Who do you want to go back to?" Five didn't want to sound so jealous or curious, but he failed. "My home is me, silly" he clears his throat and agrees, being pulled to watch you laugh at his reaction, your eyes almost closed as you pull away and return to the same neutral expression.

… "hey, I brought everything, we're ready to time jump, what are you…"five freezes as he opens the door to the cheap hotel, his pulse missing a beat as he sees his blood stained all over the carpet, while you choking on the floor.

Five threw himself to the floor, his shaking hands clutching you as he tried to process what had happened. "Hey, hey. W-what happened?"

"Five? Is that you?" You felt your throat fill with more blood, forcing you to choking on the words "go away, now"

"what?" he pulled you closer, feeling your trembling body shrink. looking around as he thought of the quickest way to get you out of here "we'll patch you up and we'll leave, remember? home, you and me"

you smile, your eyes clouding over as you watch five lie, he was terrible at pretending. You weren't going anywhere, you both knew, but it comforted you to think that maybe he would finally find his brothers. It took a colossal effort for your hand to reach Five's already damp face, you smile and hold him closer to you. Let's go home together?"

"That's right" Five kisses your hair and wraps his arms around your body, feeling your breath leave you.

…..

The second time Five saw you he freaked out, it was your last mission before disappearing from the commission. And there you were, in front of him as if he were a complete stranger to you.

He didn't even know what year it was, but you were there, alive and breathing. He still remembered the sound of your last breath, it haunted him at night.

"Excuse me? Are you the one sent by the commission?" Five was taken out of his reverie when he heard your voice, in front of him, waiting "Huh? You speak my language or-huh" You stop talking when you see yourself being hugged by the guy in front of you "What was that?"

"I'm sorry, you.. just remind me a lot of someone I lost" Five steps away when he realizes how strange that might sound.

"Hm" You examine him up and down "Okay, forgiven weirdo. Let's go?" five is amazed to see you let out a laugh and follow you

...

"Where is she?" Diego enters Five's room, tripping over a few bottles of alcohol. "What do you think? Dead?" Five growls and takes another sip and starts his calculations again, he would find you again.

Diego sighs watching his brother scribble on the wall full of numbers. "Dude, we…"

"No." Five cuts him off as he tries to find the next timeline you could be in. "We're all worried." Diego tries again.

Five lets out a dry laugh, turning to his brother. "This time I managed to spend a year there, maybe now I can keep her from dying and bring her home."

...

"two black ones please" Five asks before you can order another sugar bomb, he smiles watching you grimace at the order and turn to him.

"I was about to order a salad" you cross your arms "oh honey, I know you better than that, don't try to fool me" Five laughs and guides you to the snowy benches in front of the tent.

Five considers himself a rational person, come on, he's stopped the end of the world more times than he can count. But here he was, having coffee with you, again. Maybe this was the hundredth time he'd come back to you, the hundredth time just standing here, watching you complain about his food choices, was enough. At this point Five thinks he's met every version of you, rigid as a rock, some intimidating, sometimes you were bold and pertinent, sometimes you were shy and needy, maybe loving, but he loved all of them, every little flaw and quality of yours, he was completely paralyzed by them.

"bitter" you wrinkle your nose in disgust and Five smiles "next time we'll get a latte" Five just nods and wraps an arm around your shoulders, brushing the flakes off your coat.

"whatever you want, shall we go home?" You rest your head on his shoulder and sigh "let's go home" you give him a little kiss on the cheek and pull him to walk with you both in your arms.

He knew how it would end, it always ended in blood and tears, so he drank so much alcohol that he became numb to the pain. Then he would come back to you again, until love destroyed him completely.

[d1ana-m0nd]

╭─► ❝The Servant: Umbrella Academy's Servant❞

Five Hargreeves × Female! Reader || Written by Diana (d1ana-m0nd)

➢ Description : It's a well known fact that Sir. Reginald Hargreeves adopted 7 children to save the world from it's impending doom. Though, the number of children will change from 7 to 8 once a close friend of his, Rita Rossweisse was on her death bed and requested him to take in her child, who fortunately was born on October 1st 1989.

➢ Word Count : 11,660

➢ Links : Masterlist && Character Profile

➢ Content Warning : In this chapter, triggering content are present: self harm (bitting yourself), panic attack, and gore, skip the triggering parts if necessary. Please read this chapter at your own discretion.

Chapter 5: Number 5

When the boy in school shorts finally woke up, Luther cornered him into spitting out the truth: why he was running around the city like a headless chicken, evading the other numbers, and why he had caused so much destruction ever since he arrived from the future. Five reluctantly admitted to Luther that the end of the world was nearing.

“When's it supposed to happen? This... apocalypse.” Luther asked — the first person in the family who showed concern for the apocalypse.

The young male looked down as he fidgeted with his fingers, “I can't give you the exact hour, but... from what I could gather, we have four days left.”

“Why didn't you say something sooner?”

“It wouldn't have mattered.” Five replied; his tone sounded like he had lost hope.

The way he acted… It concerned you, but you didn't want to butt in. You couldn't help but wonder, were you the one to blame for his state? If you hadn't stopped him or had used your intuition beforehand, you could have helped him avoid the worst-case scenario.

The larger male furrowed his brows and interjected, “Of course it would! We could've banded together and helped you try to stop this thing.”

“For the record, you already tried.” Five corrected his brother, which took Luther by surprise. “What do you mean?”

“I found all of you. Your bodies.” The brunette kept his gaze downward. You found this state of his rather unusual. He always had his chin up, and he always looked people in the eye, regardless of the size difference. Right now… he looked so small and meek compared to the front he usually puts up.

“We die?” The dirty blonde was in disbelief, refusing to believe what he just heard.

For a brief moment, Five was taken back to the time he discovered their bodies. The day he never thought he would witness; the way their lifeless bodies were lying on the ground, unmoving, and either hidden underneath the rubble or stabbed by a reinforcing bar. The hazel-eyed boy glanced at you for a brief moment, but you didn't catch his gaze.

“Horribly. You were together, trying to stop whoever it was that ended the world.” He added, not having the strength to look at his brother's devastated expression.

Number One asked, “Wait, how do you know that?”

Five took out a cloth and revealed the glass eyeball to his brother, “This was clutched in your dead hand when I found you. Must've ripped it out of their head right before you went down,” He then passed it over to Spaceboy, silently hoping that he would recognize the glass eyeball.

“Whose head?”

The boy sighed, disappointed but not surprised that this was the result. His brother knew nothing about the eye. “Like I said, I don't know.”

“Well, there's a serial number on the back. Think maybe you could try…” The dirty blonde tried to suggest that, only for Five to interrupt him. “No, that's a dead end. It's just another hunk of glass.” He glances at you, making you flinch at your spot, then looks away immediately, which raises suspicion in Luther's eyes.

Luther then returned the eyeball to Five.

Just in time, the man in black-clad arrived and then slammed the door open to the boiler room. He marched towards where Five sat with an angry expression etched onto his facial features, as bloodlust and rage seeped through his aura.

“Piece of shit! Do you have any idea what you just did?” Number Two shouted, marching right over to his ‘little’ brother.

Spaceboy stands up, alarmed by Diego's hostility. The same could be said about the boy, though he seems calm. You drew your staff and made Diego trip, causing Luther to catch him and then lift him to prevent him from touching a hair on Five's head. It seemed like Diego had no way out, but you decided to keep your staff in hand just in case things got too out of hand.

The Latino grunted as he tried to fight back against the larger man's hold on him, “Let me... Get your ape hands off of me!”

“I can do this as long as it takes you to calm down.”

Reluctantly, the male being held up inhaled deeply, and then exhaled. Once he stopped resisting his brother, he was released from air jail. “Fine.”

“Now, wanna tell us what you're talkin' about?”

Number Two scoffed, “Our brother's been pretty busy since he got back. He was in the middle of that shootout at Griddy's, and then at Gimble Brothers, after the guys in masks attacked the academy, looking for him.” He said whilst jabbing a finger at Five's direction, as though telling him everything was his fault.

“None of which is any of your concern.” The younger male hissed.

In Five's mind, he couldn't help but agree with his brother’s statement. This was precisely why he didn't want to get anyone involved, but seeing as Cha-cha and Hazel plan to get their whole family involved… He had no choice but to work with them.

“It is now,” Diego declared as he panted, "They just killed my friend.”

“As for you, Rossweisse.” The knife-wielding vigilante glared at you, making you gulp, "Why didn't you say anything about Five running amuck the city?”

You were about to say something, but your lips shifted into a straight line. You didn't want to say something out of impulsivity. The last thing you wanted to do was mess up, so you had to think of a reasonable lie…

"Because I told her too.” Five lied on your behalf, "I didn't want you all to get involved.”

You were shocked that he lied on your behalf, though you were internally grateful. However, you were too shocked to process what you just witnessed. You were warned not to interfere with him, yet he was now trying to help you? If that was the case, the world was truly ending.

Everyone went silent due to the ‘younger’ male's words, though they didn't seem to doubt it; they were just shocked over the fact that he stood up for you. Luther then turned to Five and asked, “Who are they, Five?”

“They work for my former employer. A woman called The Handler. She sent them... to stop me. Then, as soon as Diego's friend got in their way, well, fair game.”

The Latino scoffed, “And now they're my fair game. And I'm gonna see to it they pay,” Then he headed out of the boiler room with a huff, bloodlust still seething through his body.

“That would be a mistake, Diego. They've killed people far more dangerous than you.” The younger brunette tried to discourage him.

“Yeah, we'll see about that.” Diego slammed the door closed on the way out.

Luther turned to Five with a confused look, “Former employer? What's this really about, Five? And don't give me any of this ‘It's none of your business’ crap, all right?"

"Well, it's a long story.”

The small brunette paused and looked up at Luther, silently asking him if he wanted to hear the whole thing. The larger male sat down and gestured for his ‘younger’ brother to continue with his story.

The boy started with a sigh and briefly explained what he went through with “The Commission” and what he went through as he worked for them: The Commission ensured the preservation of the time continuum by manipulating events and eliminating threats. The Handler arrived in the future to recruit Five as a hitman for the Commission, though she was unaware that Five was brewing up a plan to return to the past and prevent an impending apocalypse while biding his time.

The two of the numbers remaining in the boiler room listened to Five's story and explanation of the commission. As he spoke, you began to slightly understand why Five was avoiding getting the others involved because they would get involved in his mess. Ultimately, his efforts were in vain due to how the whole academy was now involved.

“Hopefully, Vanya was not roped into this. ” You silently pleaded. Though you kind of doubted it considering how she has stopped coming by the academy, since the intruders barged into their house and her siblings hurt her feelings.

As he explained, you got up and grabbed a glass of water for the boy while Spaceboy gave him some aspirin from Diego's cabinet. Once finished, the loyal duo sat down in their respective seats.

“So... you were a hitman?”

“Yes.”

Luther's eyes widened, “Uh... I mean, you had a code, right? You didn't kill just anybody.”

“No code. We took out anyone who messed with the timeline.” Five answered briefly, his tone was monotone, but you could tell he didn't particularly enjoy the thrill of the job.

“What about innocent people?” The larger man shot back.

“It was the only way I could get back here.”

Luther was appalled by his ‘little’ brother's response. How could he treat death so lightly? “But that's murder.”

The brunette looked away, then let out a ‘tsk’ till he looked Luther in the eye again, irritation laced his gaze. “Jesus, Luther, grow up. We're not kids anymore. There's no such thing as good guys or bad guys. There's just people, goin' about their lives. But when the world ends, all those people die, including our family.”

Everyone in the room went silent. It was true, after all. People are driven by desires - as others would say, selfishness. It's rare to find people who do things out of compassion. This statement can be applied to the individualistic society they lived in; Everyone wanted to stand out in their own way, and it was rare for someone in this day and age to do things out of compassion without something in return. Nowadays, people grow up looking out for themselves just to live their lives.

As the silence reigned, Five sighed and remarked, “Time changes everything.”

ㅤㅤㅤ❲ T H E ☕ S E R V A N T ❳

Klaus just returned from the past. Not only was he more brittle than he already was, but he was bloody, as his clothes were torn up, barely holding onto his body as he had just crawled out of hell. His brain was an orchestra playing an insane melody, making his head pound and his heart weigh heavier. With a heavy heart, he returned to the place he called ‘home', the Umbrella Academy.

Number Four rushed, but instead, he made a slow beeline to the bathroom. He undressed and slowly prepared himself to take a bath. Despite the eeriness of the room, he let himself indulge in the atmosphere; The darkness mirroring the absence of light in his heart. It felt oddly homely to him. It made him reminisce about the nights he'd shared his love, with his beloved Dave in each other’s embrace. He closed his eyes and wept, feeling the overwhelming sorrow and grief of losing his lover wash over him.

Although the brown-haired male was sluggish, he started himself a bath. Once the tub was filled, he sat at the bottom and let the water run. Even though the tub was overflowing with water and bubbles, it was nothing compared to his emotional state.

The seance sighed, then wore a pair of headphones to distract himself, his way of escaping his hell. However, the more he indulged in his escapism, the more the music in his ears was swelling and distorting per second as the sounds of the past were added into the mix, bringing him back to the day he dreaded the most.

Sounds of a helicopter whirring and gunshots overlapping as he shook Dave’s torso. “Dave!”

“Dave!”

“Dave!” In an attempt to keep his lover alive, Klaus kept screaming his lover's name over and over again in anguish and desperation. However, he failed as he slowly felt his significant other's pulse fade.

That was enough to sober Klaus from his immersion. He sat up straight and wiped away the bubbles from his face in an attempt to wake himself up. As he washed away the soap suds, neither his mind nor his heart wouldn’t stop reminding him of his loss. As he scrubbed away the dirt and blood, he couldn’t help but wonder why he had to be the one who survived.

Would Dave be in the same state as he was if he lost Klaus in war?

Would he just pretend not to be in pain and forever hide his true self from the world to protect himself from their judgment?

ㅤㅤㅤ❲ T H E ☕ S E R V A N T ❳

Once Five finished filling in the missing pieces for you and Luther, you three quickly returned to the academy to do what you needed to do. However, as you were about to return to your room to digest the information you had just received from Five, you saw bloodied footprints that led to Klaus' room. Worried for the seance, you headed to his room and lightly knocked on the door that he didn’t bother to close.

“Master Klaus?"

“Oh… thank God, it was just you, Rosey…” A sense of relief washed over him, which was odd coming for him. He was usually the relaxed one, so why was he so tense?

"Is everything-” You hold back your tongue, recalling that Klaus was not fond of opening up. Instead, you chose different words, “- Do you need anything? It seems like you had a rough night."

Number Four chuckles, “Sure. I know Pogo probably told you not to get me any more alcohol, but can you get me some?"

You nod and leave him to his devices as another set of footsteps approaches his doorway. Unbeknownst to you and Klaus, someone else saw the trail of blood leading to his room and followed the trail to the seance's room. The lanky man was scratching his back as he picked up a random shirt and threw it on.

Feeling a familiar sharp gaze on his figure, the curly-haired male muttered, “Oh, boy…” Klaus sighed to himself. He did not want to deal with Five right now, though he knew he would have to face the little guy. He was persistent when it came to something he needed.

The boy in school shorts knocked on the door, “You okay?”

“Hey.” Klaus turned to the small brunette and paused, "Yeah, I just... long night."

“More than one, from the looks of it.” His eyes narrowed, most likely looking for any details that pertain to Klaus’ rough shape.

“Yeah.” The jittery man nodded along as he fixed his appearance.

The boy noticed his jittering and silently took note of it, then pointed at the jiggling accessories that danced along Klaus’ neck as he moved, “Don't remember the dog tags.”

The lanky man grunted and then looked down at his chest, “Yeah, they belonged to a friend.” He tried his best to keep his lips in a straight line, whilst the dog tags jingled again as he reexamined them.

You grabbed some random alcohol from the bar and then headed back to Klaus' room. On the way there, you saw a familiar small brunette male in the hallway; instead of proceeding further, you chose to keep your distance from him and listened in on the two siblings' conversation. The servant leaned against the nearest wall and hid your presence as best as you could.

“How about that new tattoo?” Five gestured to the inked drawing engraved onto his adoptive brother's body.

The taller male stiffened then tried to shrug it off by acting nonchalantly, “You know, I don't totally remember even getting it. Like I said, it was a long night.”

“You did it, didn't you?” Five smiled as he saw that hope was finally within his reach.

Although the younger brunette didn't mean to come off weird, Klaus felt unnerved that someone like Five was smiling. “What are you talkin' about?”

“You know, I can recognize the symptoms, Klaus.”

“Symptoms of what?”

“The jet lag. Full body itch.”

The seance ended up sighing in defeat. He hated how Five practically knew everything and became more of an asshole than he remembered. Weirdly enough, it felt comforting to him that Five never changed; He was still the same person he knew, despite the shit he went through.

“The headache that feels like someone shoved a box of cotton up into your nose and through your brain. You gonna tell me about it?” The younger male smirked as he slowly approached his rarely sober brother. With each step, his eyes glinted with a hint of hope that he could finally prevent the apocalypse.

The lanky male finally gave in, “Your pals, when they broke into the house and they couldn't find you, they took me hostage instead.”

“And in return, you stole their briefcase.” Five added as he paced around the room, tapping his chin as he began mentally laying down a plan.

“Yeah.” The Seance confirmed, his thoughts swirling from recalling the night. He seemed fine but he couldn't stop thinking about it. Even if he wore a smile and carelessly taunted his kidnappers, he was still scared. However, the loss of Dave hurt more than the physical torture he went through. “I thought there was money in it, or I could pawn it, you know, whatever.”

Number Four sighed, "And then I opened it."

“And the next thing you knew, you were... where? Or should I say when?” The Boy turned his head to Klaus, his eyes glinting as he felt that he was nearing what he was looking for, the very thing that would serve as the salvation of mankind, the briefcase.

“What difference does it make?”

“What diff-” Five stopped walking, his shoulder slumped at his brothers. He was caught off guard by his pessimism but he continued anyway. “Okay, how long were you gone?”

The curly-haired male breathed out a breezy yet tired reply, “Almost a year.”

“A year? Do you know what this means?”

“Yeah, I'm ten months older now.”

The younger male quickly interrupted, “No, this isn't any sort of joke, Klaus. Hazel and Cha-Cha will do whatever they can to get the briefcase. Where is it now?” He turned his head and began looking for the briefcase, eager that he finally had something to work with, though it quickly dissipated.

“Gone. I destroyed it. Poof.” He mockingly imitated the explosion with his hand.

“What the hell were you thinking?”

“What do you care?”

“What do I care? I needed it, you moron! So I could get back, I could start over-” The smaller brunette angrily rambled, then paused as Number Four began standing up. “Just... Just... Where are you going?”

“Interrogation is over, just... leave.” The Seance said, but he is the one who ended up leaving the room instead of Five.

Number Five was left by himself to ponder about his situation, the mess was unbearably stressful, putting him under a lot of pressure. He ended up sitting on his adoptive brother’s bed as he fidgeted with his fingers or played with his hair to help calm himself down. Comically, the room he - unwarrantedly - chose to settle himself in reflected his mental condition, the same could be said for the whole family, even Rossweisse herself. It was an unspoken mess that everyone became used to and chose to accept, thus causing them to end up the people they are now.

You noticed Klaus leave his bedroom, and you left your hiding spot as you hurriedly ran up to his side with the alcohol in hand, ready to give it to him. The ‘physically’ younger brother noticed your figure ran past him and called out to you, “Oi, Y/N gimme that bottle.”

At first, the servant was caught off guard but nodded, and gave the bottle of alcohol to Five. After doing so, she hurried to Klaus' side to try and make sure he was doing alright, not wanting his - seemingly - deteriorating state to get worse than it already was. Inaudible words were whispered under the young man's breath when he was left alone. The boy then began scribbling down something on the memo pad, and once Five finished, he harshly ripped it.

The curly-haired male headed downstairs with you in tow. The once shell-shocked man began gaining awareness of his surroundings. The whole academy was a mess, he just caught a glimpse of Pogo fixing Grace, whilst the chandelier from the center of the house became a centerpiece for the floor instead.

He stopped his tracks, as he examined the aftermath of what he missed out on. “What happened here?”

“A lot happened while you were gone…” You replied as you anxiously tapped on your arm, “In short, it's those masked people's fault.” The seance nodded along as he observed the damage that was left by the intruders.

“You look like shit.” A fully equipped Diego pointed out as he walked past his brother.

The lanky male mindlessly nodded, used to his siblings' assholery, “Why, thank you.”

“Where are you going, Master Diego?” You quipped, making Diego jump a little since he didn’t notice you were in the same room.

“Can I-?” The Latino cut in before Klaus finished his question. "Nope."

“What?”

“I'm not giving you a ride.”

“Oh, come on, man. You know I can't drive.” Klaus whined and slightly shook his brother’s shoulders in a weak attempt to convince him.

The Kraken tried to dismiss it but, as his stutters took over, “I don't c…”

“Okay, great.” The Seance pats Diego's back while the Latino groans. “I'll just get my things. Two minutes.”

"You're stuck babysitting him this time, aren't you?" The clad in black groaned and threw the ‘younger’ girl a questioning look.

"I wouldn't say I'm babysitting him.” She shook her head, dismissing Diego’s statement, “No one's ordered me to look after Klaus. I'm doing this out of concern, he's been acting odd since he returned.”

Number Two shook his head in acknowledgment, but he didn’t buy it. You have always been the honest type, but ever since a certain old man’s death, you have been acting weird, and not the usual weird that he was used to.

Amidst the discussion of his father’s funeral, you were the only one who was on guard and taking Luther’s words seriously. Albeit, he understands why Luther would pin you as the suspect. He knows you are more likely to kill the old geezer since you were the only number left behind, and the only number who stayed by their father’s side like the loyal dog you were. However, the Latino believed you didn’t kill their old man, but you had to know something about his death at most; Diego believed you didn’t have a motive unless you were ordered to do so. For now, he will keep you within arm's length.

ㅤㅤㅤ❲ T H E ☕ S E R V A N T ❳

Throughout the car ride, Klaus was unusually silent, which worried Number Two and Number Zero. He was downing the alcohol he swiped from home, quicker than the drugs he purchased. Diego glanced at his brother to check on him, as he silently gestured for you to talk for Klaus.

“Master Klaus, are you alright?” You tilted her head, hoping for a response, but Klaus took a swig of his drink, refusing to let out a word about his sorrows.

“Wow.” The Latino let out an empty laugh, “This is a first, my brother Klaus is silent. Last time you were this quiet, we were 12; Ran down the stairs wearing Grace's heels, tripped over, and broke your jaw.”

The lanky man kept drinking, which prompted Diego to play dumb as he shot a question. “How long was it wired shut again?”

“Eight weeks.” The servant replied.

Diego wore a pleased smile and nodded along, “Eight glorious weeks of bliss.”

“Hey, just... just drop me off here.” The curly-haired man sat up straight and gestured at a veteran bar that was close by.

His brother glanced at the bar and furrowed his brows. Despite the number of questions that were going through his head, he pulled up causing the car to screech, “You sure you okay, man?”

Unfortunately for Diego, Klaus didn’t reply because he was quick to sigh and exit the car with the drink in hand. You were about to follow him into the bar but, the man clad in black stopped you from taking another step.

“Don’t, they won’t let you in because of your powers.” You silently nodded, understanding your own powers' drawbacks.

The servant anxiously waited for her masters to return; You did your best to keep yourself distracted but, even with every distraction you did. You could not help but let your eyes drift to the veteran bar out of concern. When they came out of the bar with bruises littered across their skin, she wore a relieved smile and let out a grateful sigh. For the duration of the car ride, you did your best to pick up the pieces from Klaus and Diego’s conversation to fill in what you had missed.

“You got a big mouth, you know that?” The Kraken grunted, side-eyeing his brother.

The curly-haired brunette was chuckling to himself, “Oh, wow. What a truly shocking revelation, Diego.”

“Everything's a big joke to you, right?”

The lanky man did his best to quickly take out the drug from its packaging, despite his sluggish state. An angry brother glared at him and yanked the drug from his brother's hands. “Would you stop it? Why are you putting this shit in your body?”

You silently agreed with Diego but didn't express your thoughts about it. Everyone has always known Klaus was the type to use something to escape rather than live life as it is; he can’t bring to help himself, no matter how many times he has been sent to a drug rehabilitation center or arrested for his shenanigans. It became tiresome, but the best they could do was put a house over his roof and not enable him till he decided it was time to stop.

Though, now that you thought about it… was it a good idea to bring alcohol to Klaus earlier? Or did Five see your mistake and decide to take away the bottle to help Klaus?

Begrudgingly, Number Four looked away and blew a raspberry.

“Check this out. Hm?” The Latino proudly showed off his well-built torso, “My body is a temple. All that shit you do, it's just weakness.”

“Oh. Well, weakness feels so good.” The seance took out another drug he was hiding and tried to consume it but, his brother hit the back of his head. “What's goin' on with you? Huh?”

“Don't hit me, asshоlе!”

Diego angrily ruffled his hair, then jabbed a finger in Klaus’ direction, “Don't tell me everything's alright! Because I saw you in there, you were crying like a baby!”

“Because I lost someone!”

You and the man dressed in black were taken aback, seeing this side of Klaus was not a normal occurrence since he usually hid his emotions through escapism. Even at Ben’s funeral, he didn’t grieve as hard as he was right now… He cried, yes, but he didn’t look like the death of his brother impacted him as much as the lover he lost.

“I lost someone. The only…” He paused, then looked away, sorrow glazing his orbs. “The only person I've ever truly loved more than myself.”

“When did Klaus settle down with someone? ” You asked yourself, trying to recall when that happened.

The curly-haired man dug through his pockets and took out another stash he hid, “Cheers.” then swallowed it this time without any interruptions from Diego.

“Well, you're luckier than most. When you lose someone, at least you can... see them whenever you want.”

Number Two adjusted the rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of a familiar figure, “That's our man.”

You perked up, followed Diego’s gaze, and saw a familiar man who wore the same suit that caused the fire at the prosthetics building. Klaus glanced at the side mirror out of curiosity as his eyes widened, “Hey, I know that guy…”

“How could you possibly know that-”

“He and a really angry lady tortured me. I barely got out with my life.”

The well-dressed man went into his car and started the engine. Once the hitman began driving away, Diego immediately started the car to tail him. Fueled by his anger in his veins; He did his best to maintain both his wits and his anger, to give Detective Patch’s murderers the taste of their own medicine. Whilst you and Klaus were just there for the ride.

ㅤㅤㅤ❲ T H E ☕ S E R V A N T ❳

In Five’s bedroom, fast chalk tapping against the wall could be heard, reminiscent of a teacher jotting down important points against the chalkboard. At the moment, the boy was in his bedroom, busy scribbling down equations and solving them at his own pace. Unknowingly, this led to him vandalizing his whole room. He was standing on his knees on top of his bed whilst he was busy solving his final equation. Delores sat on a nearby chair, sometimes chipping in if needed.

“Oh, I think I’ve got something Delores. It's tenuous, but promising.” The small brunette turned to Delores.

If the mannequin could move, it would have shaken her head and wore a concerned gaze. “No offense dear, but do you think this’ll just… work?”

“It won’t ‘just work’, it has to work. This is the only solution I have that doesn’t involve the others getting endangered.”

“Well, it seems that I have to remind you then.” The mannequin’s vacant look is replaced by a (non-existent) smug expression, “You messed up your time travel, twice, thus resulting in you going too far into the future and messing up your body.” She gestured to Five’s fifteenth-year-old body.

He clicked his tongue and averted his gaze as the color red and embarrassment took over his cheeks. “Numbers have never failed me.”

“They did fail you once, which ended up with you getting this body and little time to stop the apocalypse. You sure you want to mess up - possibly - your second and last chance to fix things?”

This time, the young man was struck with reality once again. Delores was right yet again, and he hated it, this was his last chance and he couldn’t mess up. He wanted to face it head-on, which made him forget he needed time to stop and think, or things could fall apart based on one mistake. Out of instinct, he clicked his tongue with an irritated look thrown in Delores’ direction, making the imaginary woman laugh.

An uninvited guest walked into the room, taking in the mess of numbers and letters all over the room, thus making the bedroom look like scratch paper. “Who you talkin' to? What is all this?”

“It's a probability map.”

“Probability of what?”

“Of whose death could save the world.” Number Five turned to the dirty blond-haired brother and added, “I've narrowed it down to four.”

Luther approached the list of names and gestured to it. “Are you saying one of these four people caused the apocalypse?”

“No, I'm saying that their death might prevent it.”

“Oh.” Spaceboy stared at the equations littering the room with amazement, though it seemed like he was not registering what Five explained. The sound of chalk scratching on walls continued till Luther disrupted it, “I'm not following.”

“Time is fickle, Luther. The slightest alteration in events can lead to massively different outcomes in the time continuum. The butterfly effect. So all I have to do is find the people with the greatest probability of impacting the timeline, wherever they may be, and kill them.” Five explained as the gears in Luther’s head spun. Once he was able to digest the information, his eyebrows shot up as he finally understood what Five meant.

“Oh, yeah... “

The dirty blond-haired man read one of the names and asked loudly, “Milton Greene. So who's he, a terrorist or something?”

“I believe he is a gardener.” In haste, the Five got off the bed and jotted down the names on a copy of Vanya’s autobiography.

Number One whips his attention to Five, “You can't be serious. Wait, this is madness, Five!”

The boy in schoolboy shorts brought out a sniper case under the bed and opened it to reveal a sniper. Catching Luther by surprise, “You... Wh... Where'd you get that?”

“In Dad's room. I think he used it to shoot a rhinoceros.” He took out the sniper from the case and carefully examined the weapon’s build, “It's similar to the model I used at work. Nice shoulder fit and highly reliable.”

“But you can't... This guy Milton is just an innocent man.” The ape hybrid man argued.

The small brunette furrowed his brows, “It's basic math. His death could potentially save the lives of billions. If I did nothing, he'd be dead in four days anyway. The apocalypse won't spare anyone.”

“We don't do this kind of thing.”

“We are not doing anything. I am.” Five corrected.

Which prompted the dirty blond man to be more assertive. “I can't let you go kill innocent people. No matter how many lives you'll save.”

“Well, good luck stopping me.” The boy turned his back and was about to walk away.

“You're not going anywhere.” Luther grabbed Delores and provoked Five more by hanging the top half of the mannequin outside the window. Five’s eyes widened and he immediately swerved as he positioned himself and pointed the sniper at Luther.

“Put… her... down.” He used the tip of his gun to gesture to Luther to place the mannequin down.

“Put the gun down. You're not killing anyone today. I know she's important to you, so don't make me do this.” The large man insisted, gesturing to his brother to lower the weapon down. Though Five scoffed at his words, his actions were betraying him as his hands were trembling from the thought of hurting his brother or losing his ‘lover’.

“It's either her or the gun. You decide.”

Seeing his brother’s silence and hesitation, Number One quickly took the window of opportunity - literally - and threw the mannequin out the window. Five reacted swiftly and teleported to Delores’ side to save her. Meanwhile, Luther ran to the sniper and pointed it downward to avoid shooting anyone by accident.

The young man cradled his imaginary lover in his arms and double-checked if she had gotten hurt. “Phew.”

“I can keep doin' this all day.” Luther looked down at the weapon and then at Five, “I know you're still a good person, Five. Otherwise, you wouldn't have risked everything coming back here to save us all. But you're not on your own anymore.”

The young brunette sighed, then turned to his brother, “There is one way. But it's just impossible.”

“More impossible than what brought you back here?”

Five sighed as he held onto Delores tighter and looked into the matte eyes that looked back into his hazel orbs, a smile - that he was imagining - present on Delores’ face. The conversation he had with his ‘wife’ earlier rang throughout his head as he couldn’t stop second-guessing himself and his choices. He won’t say it out loud, but he was just as lost as the others; he knew what he wanted but he was not sure what he was supposed to do. With every plan he created, he felt like he was straying farther from his goal, and he didn’t want things to get worse or get his family involved, and now that they were.

He couldn’t help but question if this was a fruitless endeavor. But then again, he can’t just stand around and do nothing.

ㅤㅤㅤ❲ T H E ☕ S E R V A N T ❳

A short-haired woman in a dark navy suit walked into the motel they just checked into then walked away. As for the man who wore a matching uniform, he stared down at the room in contempt as he irritatedly breathed through his nose.

“Singles instead of doubles. What's next, futons on the floor?” He whined as he lazily placed the donuts that he purchased from Agnes’ donut shop on a nearby round table.

Cha-cha sat on the edge of the TV stand, “What difference does it make? We're only here another night.”

“Well, that's easy for you to say. I've been in every pawn shop all over town, lookin' for our briefcase.” Hazel picked a bed and gently put down his suit jacket on the bedside cabinet then turned on the lamp attached above the bed. “You've been relaxing in the library.”

“Well, at least we know somethin' on the family that can help.” The woman held up Vanya's autobiography that she had borrowed to show to her partner, “It's like a Hargreeves family handbook.”

“Let me tell you, they're a real freakin' mess.”

Meanwhile, the Latino parked outside the inn. You and Klaus watched Diego do his thing. He lowered himself as he attached something at the bottom of the hitmen’s car then connected the device to the object he attached to the car. You weren’t sure what he attached to the car but, you assumed it was a tracking device.

“I’m surprised Diego has a tracking device but can’t purchase his place.” You silently giggle, though you presume he didn’t buy it but swiped it from the academy and brought it along for this mission.

“Number Five can time travel without a briefcase, but not that well. The big oaf lived on the moon for a few years. The little girl you fought with is a 31-year-old but she stopped growing up when she turned 15; while her blood can accelerate the recovery process of injuries. The junkie can conjure the dead, which explains why he knew about the dead Russian yesterday. And the idiot in the mask can curve anything he throws, usually knives.”

Whilst Cha-cha was summarizing the information she gathered from her intel gathering, Hazel found himself zoning out. He walked towards the window to peek in case someone was listening in to their conversation or someone was having a stake out nearby. Fortunately for him, he did discover that someone did tail them, so he can stop listening to Cha-cha ramble. Unfortunately for him, Cha-cha was going to scold him later for not being careful and they would be forced to move to a different motel now.

“Well, he's the one we need to worry about right now.”

“Why?”

The hitman gestured to the window with his head tilting in the same direction, “Cause he's in the parking lot, hiding behind an ice cream truck.”

Hurriedly, the hitwoman hurried to the window to check if her partner was telling the truth. Her brown gaze noticed a green car and a slightly banged-up car. She narrowed her eyes a little to try and figure out if the person sitting in the driver's seat was someone from the academy then, they made eye contact with Diego.

“Bingo.” The one clothed in black smirked when he made eye contact with the ones he was tailing and mentally took note of the room they stayed in. When the well-dressed woman took notice of his smirk, she took the curtains from Hazel’s hold and hastily closed the curtains.

Number Four chimed in before he took a short sip of his alcohol, “You do know that killing these people is not gonna make you feel any better.”

“Yeah, but when it's done…” The Latino turned to his brother, with a small smile as Klaus was chugging his drink, “...I'm gonna sleep like a baby.”

“Sure you will.” The drunk man’s lips curled up a little, his tone doubtful.

“I feel like Diego is just here to look for a punching bag.” You internally commented knowing that neither of your masters asked for you to speak nor for your opinion.

On the temps commission side, they were preparing themselves for their getaway just in case another mess occurred. Cha-cha was double-checking her handgun: if her magazine still had bullets, and if she lubricated her gun well. Whilst Hazel sat on his bed ready to open up the donuts he purchased, someone knocked on the door catching both hitmen’s attention. They both stealthy neared the door while Hazel peeked who was at the door through the window.

“Motel clerk.” The man said in a low volume, not wanting to be overheard by the clerk.

Cha-cha opened the door a little and took the note from the motel clerk then read the note. “It's from Five.”

“How'd he find us?”

“Well, he was us. He knows all the protocols. He says he has the briefcase. He wants to set up a meeting. Come on, we're late already.”

“What about our friends outside?” Hazel gestured to the window, “Last thing we need's a tail. Manila, 1902.”

Cha-cha pointed at the ice bucket, “Let's just go with the ice bucket.”

The hitman let out a reluctant groan. Nonetheless, he grabbed the ice bucket and robotically made his way out of their motel room and went to ‘grab’ more ice then left the room. Diego was intently observing the other hitman then quickly prepared himself before heading out to the motel room the hitmen were staying at.

He eyed you and his brother, “You two stay in the car.”

“What are you talkin' about? This guy tortured me.”

“I have a plan.” The knife wielder asserted and left the car in you and Klaus’ care, as he made his way to the cartoon-masked hitmen’s room.

The lanky man spoke with a drunken smile that did not make you feel reassured, “Rosie, stay here, ‘kay?”

“Master Klaus you should really listen to Master Diego-” You tried to discourage Klaus but got shot down, “I’ll do fine.”

“Master Klaus you said it yourself, they tortured you and you aren’t in the right state of mind. We wouldn’t want you to endanger yourself in another crossfire.”

“I’m fine Y/N, trust me but, you can come along with me if you want to keep me in check?” The servant reluctantly sighed and tagged along with Klaus… again.

Number Four and Number Zero followed the direction Diego went. They saw a familiar physique at the top of the stairs ready to tackle the door down. Well, he was planning on tackling it down, till you and Klaus walked up to him.

“So, what exactly is the plan here, big guy?”

“I told you both to wait in the car.” The Kraken glared at you and Klaus, though it felt like the glare was mostly directed at you since he did expect you to keep Klaus in check.

The curly-haired male drank his alcohol and then pointed out, “Yeah, but you also told me that licking a nine-volt battery would give me pubes.”

Number Two looked mildly amused but the look was quickly wiped off as he donned a serious one then whispered. “We were eight.”

“Sorry, Master Klaus insisted we come along. I didn’t want to leave him in your care while you fight, so I decided to come along.” You said shamefully as you looked at your feet, and pushed your thumbs against the other anxiously.

As expected of the drunk man, he brazenly took a step forward ready to charge forward but you and Diego grabbed onto him before he could do anything brash.

“Uh-uh, uh-uh…” The man dressed in black grabbed his brother’s arm and dragged him back to the bottom of the stairs and pushed him in the direction of the car, as you followed their trail like a lost puppy following its owners.

“What? Come on.”

“For once in your life, I need you to listen to me, okay? Now, go back to the car. If I don't come out in two minutes, that means I'm probably dead.” The Latino placed his calloused hands on Klaus’ shoulders, despite the rough texture of his hands the gesture was gentle and warm. “So... That happens, go get help. Okay?”

The seance let out his breath hesitantly but, weakly shook his head in agreement, as he placed his hand on Diego’s forearm. “Yeah, okay, okay, okay, okay. Okay.”

One last time, Diego patted his brother’s shoulders and then headed upstairs. As for you and Klaus, this time you took the lead and guided him back to the car. The anger that was building up within Diego was nearing its explosive stage. With every step he took he couldn’t help but recall his ex-girlfriend’s smile and seeing her lifeless expression as she laid on the floor. Once he came face to face with the door, he didn’t hold back and took out all his anger on the door, wanting this whole thing to end as swiftly as possible, not caring whether he would die in the process or not.

As his foot made contact with the door, it was surprisingly easy to open. Diego looked around the room that the hitmen checked in and it was empty, the hitwoman was not there. He scanned the room and noticed that neither of their belongings were present, only the sound of horse neighing, the sound of gunfire, and the sound of a crowd screaming on television occupied their room.

Out of nowhere, he heard an engine revving from the outside. The knife wielder lowered his guard a little as he was curious as to the source of the sound, and then he approached the railing. The vehicle that the masked hitmen used ran past the motel and shot up the place. The bullets flew out from different directions hitting everything they came across, one of the stray bullets was in the course to hit Diego, till you showed up and used yourself as a shield.

Adrenaline rushed through your veins as you stood in front of your master, willing to die in his stead. The fear of pain and the fear of death were quickly discarded as the life of the pupils of Umbrella Academy mattered more than yours, that’s what the patriarch of the household reminded you every day, so you would remember your purpose. The bullet went through your shoulder, the crimson liquid trickled down your shoulder blade as the color red bloomed onto your clothes and the searing pain followed.

For a brief moment, the pain was sharp and severe but the pain dulled down as the adrenaline took over you, making the servant dismiss the injury. However, every time you moved you couldn’t prevent your body from wincing as the sensation of the foreign object was poking in your shoulder. While Klaus came in clutch and grabbed his brother and you out of the way. The gunshots eventually died down, allowing the three to relax as you leaned against Diego’s side for support.

“Oh, man. See? You used to think I was an idiot.” Klaus giggled to himself, which prompted a small smile on your face. You were glad he lightened up a little.

Diego rolled his eyes, “I still think you're an idiot.”

The sound of tires screeching alerted Diego to the car speeding up to leave the three Numbers behind. The Latino straightened himself and placed his knives back into their rightful place as he ran down the stairs. “They're getting away!”

“You're welcome by the way!” The lanky man carefully cradled you in his arms and carried you downstairs as fast as he could without hurting your injured side.

The man clad in black groaned as he did his best to run up to the car, “Shit! Get in the car.”

The curly-haired man did his best to catch up but when he saw the flat tire he slowed down. “Oh…” You and Klaus said in unison.

Out of frustration, the Kraken kicked the wheel and groaned in frustration. He began pacing back and forth as he fidgeted with his knife by throwing it in the air and spinning it before repeating the pattern.

“Was this all part of your master plan? Hm?” His drunk brother cheekily asked, even though the look on his face said that he knew what the answer was to his question.

The frustrated male shot him a glare as warmth crept up his cheeks, “Shut up.”

The servant and the seance laughed together as the other man turned his attention to you, “For now, we need to apply first aid on Rosie, okay? She took a bullet for you.”

Diego silently agreed and went to get his first aid kit in his trunk. As he was preparing the required materials, he couldn’t help but question himself for his initial suspicion regarding Number Zero. He always knew you were loyal to the academy, though he didn’t understand if you could do things on your own accord or have to follow orders. Earlier, you protected him even though their father didn’t order you, nor did he tell you to protect him. Don’t get him wrong, he is thankful that you stepped in but, he still didn’t understand what prompted you to do that.

However, if their father had something to do with how you could easily throw away your life, then all he can say is that his ‘father’ deserved his death.

ㅤㅤㅤ❲ T H E ☕ S E R V A N T ❳

Spaceboy drove one of their father’s cars into an isolated place. While Five sat in the passenger seat with the ‘time travel machine’ briefcase seated on his lap. Luther stopped the car in the middle of the barren area. It was the perfect meeting place; The location was isolated from society, and there were more electric posts compared to the number of buildings, trees, and civilians. Through this they could avoid getting more people hurt, so Five chose a fairly good spot.

The small brunette looked out the window, an indescribable look that Luther was familiar with, yet something he couldn’t decipher so quickly. Said boy sighed then finally spoke, “You know, I never enjoyed it.”

“What?” The larger male turned to the young man.

“The killing.” Five clarified in a hushed tone, his gaze on the road. “I mean, I was... I was good at my work, and I... I took pride in it. But it never gave me pleasure.” He let out an irritated sigh, “I think it was all those years alone. Solitude can do funny things to the mind.”

“Yeah, well, you were gone for such a long time.” Luther agreed with a slight nod as his fingers drummed on the steering wheel. “I only spent four years on the moon, but that was more than enough. It's the being alone that breaks you.”

In spite of the one-sided rivalry, they put it aside to agree on one thing they shared in common. Isolation drives people insane. Wanting to change the subject, the dirty blond-haired male eyes the fake time machine. “You think they'll buy it?”

The young man shrugged and tried to sit comfortably, “Well, what I do know is that they're desperate. It's like a cop losing his gun. If the Commission finds out, they'll be in deep shit. Oh, not to mention the fact that they'll be stuck here until they get it back.”

“Well, I should hold onto it.” The ape hybrid man suggested to which Five raised an eyebrow, “Hm?”

“In case they make a move on you.”

“Okay, Luther, but be careful. I mean, I've... I've lived a long life, but... you're still a young man. You got your whole life ahead of you. Don't waste it.”

Number One wore an expression that was akin to confusion and gratitude. He did appreciate receiving advice from an elder, someone like Five who cared for him… who showed it weirdly. However, his younger brother- er- brother’s appearance does not match the wisdom he withholds. It felt and looked contradicting in his eyes, even his heart and mind did not know how to take in the advice, nor disassociate Five’s appearance from the wisdom he accumulated over the years.

In the distance, a light blue car was approaching the meeting spot. Both Numbers came out of the car and stood by each other’s side. Said car stopped a few feet away from the other car, the familiar masked hitmen came out of the car with their guns, then they slowly approached the middle of the road with Five meeting them there halfway.

The hitman carried a handgun that was pointed at Five though, the boy seemed bothered by something else. Since he merely raised a brow at the guns and gestured to the masks that the two wore. “Are the masks really necessary?”

The duo quickly discarded the masks but Hazel still kept his gun pointed at Five. Then Cha-cha finally spoke, “So, where is it, kid?”

“Wow, that's how you're gonna start.” The small brunette feigned an amused expression, he clicked his tongue then, turned to the car that Luther stood by. “You know, we can get right back in our car and call it a day.”

The well-dressed man lightly pressed his finger on the trigger, an obvious threat that anyone could pick up on. “You won't even make it halfway there.”

“Maybe.” The boy in school shorts gestured to his stronger brother, “But as I'm sure you found out in your previous foray, my brother is not your average giant.”

“He's right. You dropped a chandelier on him, got right back up.”

“By the time you took him out, he'd smash your precious briefcase to a pulp.”

Hazel quipped, “Probably us too, right?”

Discovering that they were at a stalemate, Cha-cha raised a question with a displeased look on her face. “So, how do we help each other?”

“I need you to get in contact with your superior so I can have a chat with her. Face-to-face.”

“About what?” She narrowed her eyes at the boy, suspicious of his proposition.

“Well, I don't believe that's any of your concern.”

The woman was hesitant to trust the ‘traitor’ of the commission but she shrugged it off. “Just don't tell her about the briefcase.”

“Fair enough.” Number Five nodded as he backed away slowly and returned to Luther’s side.

The woman in a bob cut headed to the nearest phone booth and began dialing down their superior’s number, while the larger brunette still had his gun directed at Five as he slowly walked backward and to his partner’s side. From time to time, the dark-skinned woman would look over her shoulder to check if Five or Luther were doing anything dubious.

“What happens now?” Number One asked.

The boy stuffed his hands in his pockets, “Now we wait.”

Only the sound of the wind whistling was heard, till an inaudible chime at the distance could be heard thus catching four people’s attention. Even if they had different goals, they all had the same question, “What the fuck is that? ”; They all kept their eyes on a bright vehicle that was heading in their direction with the music at full blast, it was playing the orchestra tune of ‘Ride of the Valkyries’.

“Is that her?” The dirty blond-haired male asked but, the brunette didn’t have an answer to his brother’s question because he was just as confused as he was.

As the ice cream truck passed by the Boy and Spaceboy, they incidentally caught a glimpse of the culprits: Y/N, Diego, and Klaus. The curly-haired man waved at his brothers as he was carelessly steering the wheel, while Diego and you were holding on for your dear lives. Ironically, the one who looked like he was the most scared - Diego - is the same person who was screaming at Klaus to go faster, and the only sane one - you - was discouraging your masters from becoming more reckless. At this point, Five and Luther were not surprised, just confused at the abrupt appearance.

The short brown-haired boy thought aloud, “What the hell are they doing here?”

Diego shouted as he closed his eyes and held onto his seat, “Go faster!”

“With pleasure!” The seance laughed maniacally as he stomped on the gas pedal resulting in the ice cream truck accelerating.

“I beg of you Master Klaus please don’t!” You pleaded as you finally understood why his driver’s license was taken away.

“It's a setup!” The hitmen began shooting up the ice cream truck and the defenseless numbers, the sound of their bullets echoing as they landed a hit on the truck. Swiftly, Luther used himself as a shield for Five as his brother hid behind him.

The colorful truck hit the assassins, they were supposed to be thrown backward and then rolled on the floor, yet they were frozen in mid-air the truck collided with their torsos but the after-effect never happened. The other stray bullets that were headed to both the ice cream truck and the two numbers were slowing down and then stopped altogether. Confused, Five came out of his hiding spot, whilst you were busy trying to process why everything froze, you tried to shake Klaus and Diego’s sides but neither of them responded. You were about to go outside the ice cream truck and check out what was going on when a new voice spoke up.

“Neat trick, isn't it?” Before Five there stood a tall sophisticated woman with silver hair: She wore a dark coat, sunglasses, and a small hat with a small veil attached to it, while carrying a briefcase in her other hand. With her free hand, she removed her veil and glasses to reveal her devilish expression that neither the sunglasses nor the veil could hide.

You froze up in your spot, your hand withdrawing from the car door. Even though you have never fought with villains by the Umbrella Academy’s side, this woman gave off the same air as the villains that the other Numbers spoke about as children.

“Hello, Five. You look good, all things considered.”

“It's good to see you again.”

You peeked from the car window, trying to hide your presence from both of them. You couldn’t help but be in awe of the small brunette. He stood before the mystery woman with his hands in his pocket, as though she was not a big threat. Though, knowing him, he was probably holding a weapon hidden in his pockets ready to charge at the woman when the opportunity came.

“Feels like we met just yesterday. Course, you were a little bit older then.” She joked then added. “Congratulations on the age regression, by the way. Very clever. Threw us all off the scent.”

The former assassin of the Commission merely rolled his eyes. “Ah, well, I wish I could take credit. I just miscalculated the time dilation projections, and... Well, you know. Here I am.”

“You realize your efforts are futile.” Five’s former superior faux a smile, “So why don't you tell me what you really want?”

The young man said, “I want you to put a stop to it.”

You felt a drop of sweat drip down your forehead as your face shifted into a look of disappointment; you expected more from Five, and that’s why you didn’t think he would resort to this. Though, you suppose you couldn’t blame him since at this point a lot of people were getting involved: the academy, Diego’s ex-girlfriend, and civilians. He probably assumed compromising with the enemy is the best solution for now.

“You realize what you're asking for is next to impossible, even for me. What's meant to be is meant to be. That's our raison d'être.”

The boy pulled out a gun and angled it to Handler’s head, “Yeah? Well, how about survival as a raison? ”

“I'll just be replaced.” The tall woman shrugged, her fake smile not faltering. “I'm but a... small cog in a machine. This fantasy you've been nurturing about summoning up your family to stop the apocalypse... is just that. A fantasy.”

Her heels clicked as she took steps to close in the distance between her and Five “I must say, though, we're all quite impressed with your initiative, your... stick-to-itiveness, really quite… quite something. Which is why we want to offer you a new position back at the Commission, in management.”

“Sorry, what's that now?” He chuckled in disbelief as he lowered his gun a little, obviously intrigued by the proposition.

“Why would they offer a job after his betrayal? ” You asked yourself, your brows furrowed at the mysterious woman.

“Come back to work for us again. You know it's where you belong.”

“Well, it didn't work out too well the last time.”

The silver-haired woman shook her head as she corrected him, “But you wouldn't be in the correction division any longer. I'm talking about... the home office. You'd have the best health and pension, and an end to this ceaseless travel.”

“You're a distinguished professional in-” The Handler looks down at Five’s uniform with a strained smile that was tempted to chuckle, “-schoolboy shorts. We have the technology to reverse the process. If Rossweisse came along with you, her blood could be of use to speed up the reversal process, and I heard she’s a good fighter, yes? She could be of use to the correctional division.”

The servant’s eyes widened as you straightened up a little, you were tempted to speak up and accept the offer so you could finally redeem yourself. But, Five’s words brought you back to reality.

The angry boy replied, venom seething through his words. “I’m the one you are offering the deal to, not her so leave her name out of your mouth.”

You slouched in your hiding spot and averted your gaze to your master. This was confusing… Why didn’t he just accept the offer? This way you could redeem yourself for your past mistakes and he would return to his proper age. It was practically killing two birds with one stone yet, he chose to discard a tempting offer. However, now that you think about it, there is a chance the commission would use that offer to their advantage but, if this was about not getting others involved anymore, it’s kinda pointless now… They need as much help as they can get to arise victorious from this apocalypse.

“I mean, you... you can't be happy like this.” The woman pointed out in a soft tone as she casually pushed the gun down.

Number Five insisted, his grip on the gun tight but the weapon was pointed downwards. “I'm not looking for happy.”

“Master Five please don’t lower your guard! ” You silently cried as you readied your retractable staff ready to intervene. Though, you were hesitating because every time you tried to help or obey an order it seemed like you always messed things up. The thought of not being of any use to the academy but, being the cause of chaos resulted in a tear running down your cheeks then another.

Tears began streaming down your eyes followed by your nose sniffling uncontrollably, you did your best to wipe your tears away with your sleeves. The irrational fear of the Monocle or the other Numbers seeing you like this was at the back of your head, you didn’t want to get caught- No, you can’t get caught. Not right now. The familiar wave of panic washed over you, more irrational thoughts flooding your mind as your rationality and sense of reality slipped. Your breaths came in short, desperate gasps that you struggled to quiet down but, it only grew louder. The feeling of your head pounding and your head spinning overwhelmed your senses that you couldn’t process what was going on anymore in the outside world; The only thing you could think of was that you had to stop, you were a mess. This is not how a servant should be acting, this is not what the patriarch of the household expected from you. Out of desperation, you dug your fingers into your skin to wake you up from your despair, whilst you used your free hand to bite on to muffle your cries.

Whilst you were spiraling in your misery, the high-ranking commission individual and the traitor were busy conversing.

“We're all looking for happy.” The cheeky woman’s smirk widened slightly, noticing that her target was faltering, and then she caressed Five’s cheek. “We can make that happen. We can make you... yourself again.”

The small brunette sighed and gestured to his siblings who were frozen in time, “And what about my family?”

“What about them?”

“I want them to survive.”

The silver-haired woman turned her head to check on Five’s siblings, “All of them?”

“Yes, all of them.” He confirmed with a firm tone.

“Even Y/N Rossweisse?” The woman wore a Cheshire grin as she tilted her head a little as though she was recalling something. “From what I recall in Vanya Hargreeves’ autobiography, she’s deemed like a servant and an outsider of the family. And the book even states you dislike her, you sure you don’t want to use the opportunity to get rid of her?”

The boy clicked his tongue, “Dislike is different from hate.”

“She may not be a Hargreeves but there are people out there who will cry for her. Heck, the others might get mad at me if they find out I abandoned her. ” He internally remarked.

Five may act like he does not care about anyone but, he is observant. He knows how close Diego is with you for your shared fear of needles, how close you were with Vanya because you always followed her around, how you always did your best to stop Klaus from causing any more trouble for himself and others, and probably Allison since she grew a soft spot for children ever since she became a mother.

“Well…” The Handler retrieved her glasses from her coat pocket and equipped them again, “I'll see what I can do.” She brought out her hand to Five, “Do we have a deal?”

“One thing.”

While time was still frozen, the brown-haired boy hurriedly grabbed the gun that Hazel dropped and removed the magazine then threw both of them in different directions. He then turned his attention to the bullet heading towards Luther’s direction then adjusted its course. Once he was satisfied with his work, he finally shook the Handler’s hand. For a brief moment there was a bright light and the sound of electricity zapping, when they disappeared time took its course.

You were so busy trying to calm yourself down that you didn’t notice that everything went back to normal. The orchestra tune of ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ continued its chime and the ice cream truck continued moving forward then, the truck collided with the assassins’ torsos, thus they were thrown a few feet away whilst groaning in pain. The stray bullets that were shot earlier finally penetrated the truck and missed Luther. The colorful truck kept moving till it crashed against the masked men’s car, resulting in Klaus and Diego being thrown back in their seats but, due to your position you were thrown forward consequently your head crashed against the dashboard which led you to pass out.

“Good God, Rosie!” Klaus hurried to your side. He carefully examined your state. You were bleeding, a large gash on your forehead as brittles of glass were lodged onto your skin with remnants of tears still present across your skin.

Panicked, Luther looked around because one of his siblings who had common sense just vanished. “Five?”

“Oh! Ow!” The man dressed in black cried out in pain.

Spaceboy frantically screamed, “Five!”

The dirty blond-haired man kept looking around for Five but, when he saw the hitmen began shakily gathering themselves despite being recently run over and getting hit in the torso. He turned his gaze to his family who were still in the ice cream truck, he noticed that they had not left the vehicle yet. They probably needed a distraction.

Luther shook the briefcase to catch the enemy’s attention, “Come get it!” Then he quickly threw it as far as he could.

The ape-man hybrid ran for the ice cream truck to assist his siblings, while Cha-cha ran for the briefcase and Hazel ran for the discarded gun. Once he arrived, he quickly scooped up your passed-out form in his arms as Klaus aided Diego to the other car. Oddly enough, they managed to assist the injured ones, while they were screaming their lungs at each other as they retreated to the car.

“No!” Hazel got a hold of the gun and tried shooting at them but there was no magazine, “Shit!” he grunted and threw away the gun out of frustration.

“Get in the car,” Luther ordered as he placed the knocked-out H/C maid in Klaus’ arms and Diego hurriedly scooted over to give you and Klaus more space.

The larger male went to the driver’s seat and hastily started the car, as his brother anxiously screamed. “Luther, go! Go! Let's go!”

When Number One finally managed to get the car working, the engines revved its excitement for their escape. When he pressed the gas pedal the tires began screeching and they finally left their perpetrators in the dust. From the back of the car, Klaus flipped off the hitman with two middle fingers, “Woo!”

“Damn it!” The man approached Cha-cha’s side to check on the briefcase but all they saw was random junk in the briefcase. The woman threw the decoy and kicked a random junk as she screamed, “Shit!”

➢ Taglist : @igotanidea @incapableofanything @kumioon @buuhsworld @stray-npc @sunsunhe @x0xodnvt @theredvelvetbitch @yoashh @keowthedino @snoopyluver20 @sol3chu @instabull @d-a-r-k-s-w-a-n @supernova25 @venuseuripedis @cluelessteam @lovely-maryj @cultish-corner @fionaapplelover2010 @inkedeye2345

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[krittec]

imagine if in season 3, Five tried to rewind to find out who killed Luther or try to save him but as his rewinds aren’t well practised so he can’t go too far, he rewinds to Sloane walking in as he’s stood near his brothers body, so his family thinks that he killed Luther.

[othernicknameisgaslighter]

you know a fic is good when ur voice sounds like mickey mous

[perpetuallyburntout]

Grace: What? No, I am a real person. Maybe we have a bad connection, I’m sorry about that.

Young Diego: *trying not to cry* W-will you tell me… you’re not a robot? Just say “I’m not a robot.” Please?

Grace:

Grace: I am a real person…

[imnotyetfound]

Day 4: Angst (x)

@fivelaappreciationblog

[shadowbriar]

Diego Hargreeves — If the World was Ending

Pairing : Diego Hargreeves x (she/her) Reader Word Count : 5k Warning : Smut, MDNI! Angst but it ends with fluff. Season 4 references. Synopsis : After the Cleanse, Diego wasn't sure why he was brought back to the original timeline. Notes : Inspired by JP Saxe, Julia Michaels - If the World was Ending. If you like this story and would like to support me, please visit my kofi page and perhaps get me a coffee?☕

Diego wasn’t sure how he suddenly found himself standing in front of the Academy once again. He tried to look around, noticing the panic in the eyes of the passersby and how there were cars crashing by the road. Some of the buildings were ruined, rubbles and debris decorating them. An alarming view that raises his vigilance, especially since he couldn’t find any of his other siblings in sight.

Rushing inside, Diego tries to call for the names of his siblings. He runs around the hallway, calling for anyone in hope that they could regroup and think about what’s going on. Make a new plan to figure out the strange timeline they’re in, but the Academy was eerily quiet. No other soul was present— not even Pogo nor Grace.

He wasn’t sure if this was supposed to happen. If the Cleanse was supposed to kick him back to this timeline or if they’ve succeeded in stopping the Apocalypse at all. The uncertainty was daunting. He desperately needed to see someone, someone familiar who he could take refuge to, but as the only sound echoing through the house was his own, Diego understands that he’s left all alone.

“Think, Diego, Think,” He mutters to himself as he runs back to the living room.

He tries to make sense of the unfamiliar setting. Studying the Academy as he tries to find any piece of clue that would be useful to help ease his anxiety. Spotting some newspaper by the table, Diego ran his desperate hand through his hair and grabbed it. His blood ran even colder as he read the date: April 1, 2019. The day of the Apocalypse.

Just as he tries to compute the new information, an earthquake shakes the ground. It was powerful enough to make the chandelier rattles, threatening to fall from the weak bolts that were loose from the tremble. The books by the cabinets were falling, vases broken and furniture displaced. If this was the start of the Apocalypse, with none of his siblings around, Diego was sure that there would be no way he could escape nor stop it.

And so he runs back to his room, grabbing his car keys that he hasn’t seen for far too long. He’s lived one too many lifetimes coming in and out of foreign timelines. Perhaps it has only been a few days in this one since he was gone, but it certainly wasn’t the case for him. Still, the sight of the item patiently waiting for its master to return brought a short-lived sense of comfort in his heart.

The road was in chaos by the time Diego drove the car out. People were trying to flee the city. Sirens blaring, children crying as their parents try to keep them collected. Diego’s palms were wet. He’s got no idea of what’s happening nor what to do. He doesn’t know how to help, how to save anyone from this terror. For once, Diego felt entirely helpless.

Another quake was felt as he got to the main road. His heart was beating erratically, distracted by thoughts of her safety. Is she home? Is she out drinking? Is she in the living room, chilling and watching television?

It’s been far too long. Perhaps in this timeline it might only have been a year since they last saw each other, but for Diego, it would be an understatement to say that it felt like forever.

He wasn’t even sure why he felt like he needed to see her now. The thought of her hasn’t entered his mind as intensely, given how the task at hand was much more demanding, but she lingers still. In the split moments where he realised that the plan was spoiled or that they would need to figure out a way to escape to another timeline, he would always wonder if there would be a time where he could see her again.

A part of himself was grateful that they ended their relationship before the whole Apocalypse thing started to play. He wouldn’t have the heart nor strength to call it quits with her, knowing that the world was ending and that he couldn’t be with her to share their last moments. He was shamefully grateful that his inability to truly show her what he felt fueled the arguments that ultimately led to their separation. For once, Diego was glad that his flaws have done him more good than harm.

The sky was dark by the time he reached her place. He let out a breath of relief when he spotted her car outside, parked neatly in front of the house that he used to call home. There wasn’t much damage done to this neighbourhood, despite the bins and trees that now litter the road. Her house was in good shape too. Knowing that she’s safe was like a breath of fresh air after being suffocated by such an aggravating situation.

Wasting no other second, Diego runs to her door. He presses the bell a little too impatiently, desperately in need to see her in person.

“I said, I’m coming!” She yells as she opens the door, clearly disturbed by the uninvited guest but all anger evaporates once she recognises the man on the other side of the door “Diego?”

—-

By the third quake, she knew that something wrong was happening. They’ve never had this many earthquakes before, let alone ones that happened one after the other within a short period of time. The worry in her heart starts to bloom as more things in her house fall and shatter, wondering if there’s anything she should do in such a situation.

How long should she wait until someone instructs them to evacuate? Where should she go? What should she do?

Diego would’ve known what to do, she thought. She tried to imagine his reaction, the way his alert eyes would be all wide and the rigidness of his shoulders. He wouldn’t be afraid of what’s to come. He would try and save her, even when she wasn’t sure she needed saving. He would be busy rushing her under the tables while he stood and watched the post.

An involuntary chuckle escaped her lips. Yes, that would be Diego alright. Always too busy trying to save the world without giving himself the chance to register the danger he’s putting himself into.

It wasn’t that she was scared of the earthquakes. No, it was something she could weather through still. But it surely got her thinking about the time she had with him. How, through the many times he saved her, made her realise that she’s gotten a little too attached to the safety net he’s set around her. How he would always put everyone else before him, never one to complain about getting bruised or scratched when it comes to saving someone.

She remembers that one night clearly, when they went drinking and stumbled in the house. How she landed on top of him without making it past the kitchen, giggling like they were on the clouds of nine. She would always remember the gentle touch he would always reserved for her, the way his frown turns into a smile every time their eyes met, and how he would bring the warmest laughter to the house.

But such bliss was short-lived once she realised Diego wasn’t ready for forever. There’s still so many things he needed to do, so many people he needed to prove, that the words she showered him with felt like a passing buzz with no lasting meaning. She knew that it wasn’t his fault. Diego has got too many scars and wounds to heal before she could ever place the weight of guilt on his shoulders, but she too couldn’t wait forever. Perhaps forever isn’t for everyone, afterall.

When the eighth earthquake happened, she gave it a good twenty minutes before finally coming out of the kitchen table. The television was broken, plates and mugs smashed on the floor, and her carpet is now stained with wine that she was supposed to enjoy. The house was a real mess but given the harrowing nightmare, coming out without a single scratch is something she could feel triumphant of.

She lets out a sigh. The phone lines were down, no internet through her cells. It was practically impossible for her to get any information about her friends and family, about Diego if she wanted to drop a text and ask if he’s alright, unless she got out of the house and drove herself down to the gym. That is, if he still lives in the gym. But with everything that’s happened, how they haven’t talked ever since the split, and the chaos the road must’ve been in right now, she figures to just wait and perhaps send him a voice message in the morning.

Her train of thoughts were abruptly broken when someone rang her bell. They were pressing without a pause, making an everlasting ring that only amplifies the headache in her head.

“I said, I’m coming!” She yells as she opens the door, clearly disturbed by the uninvited guest but all anger evaporates once she recognises the man on the other side of the door “Diego?”

Diego blinked. He too was appalled the moment his eyes met hers. Looking surprised to find her there as if he didn’t drive himself in a disastrous traffic for hours down to her house, “I— Are you— I was just—”

Neither of the two have the words to express their emotions right now. Relieved, yet baffled. Supposed, given the calamity, it would make sense for them to try and see each other. But how was he supposed to explain that the world was ending? And what was she supposed to say when she was just thinking about him?

“Are you alright?” Diego asked.

“Yeah,” She nods, taking a step closer to him “Are you?”

Diego flashes a smile, “I— I meant to come earlier, but the traffic—And there were so many car crash— And the trees—”

“You drove here? Why?”

“I wanted to see you,” He confessed, a long sigh escaping his chest “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Without a thought, she pulled him for a tight embrace. She clung onto his neck, burying her nose to the crook of his neck as she stood on her tippy toes. He smelled different. Perhaps he’s changed his cologne, no longer wearing the one she gifted him a couple of years back, but she wasn’t in any place to complain right now. Having him by her side, having the warmth of his body pressed to hers once again, was more than she could ever ask for.

Diego was frozen when she first hugged him. It took a couple of seconds for his brain to register that it was real, that it wasn’t just some cruel mindgame his brain was tricking him into. He rests his hands on her waist, slightly lifting her so she wouldn’t be so sore from the tippy toes cause he wasn’t about to let go anytime soon.

“I’ve missed you,” She whispers.

“I’m sorry.”

She pulls away a little, standing on her feet as she tries to study his face. There were a few new scars that she’s unfamiliar with. The moustache was something new and the way he styled his hair was different. It feels as if she’s staring into a different Diego than the one she knew before.

“What a year, huh?” She says, tracing one of the new scars that was on his left cheek “Still couldn’t keep yourself out of trouble, I assume?”

Diego flashes a small smile, looking slightly embarrassed from the commentary.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m just really tired,” He answers truthfully, feeling the ache in his bones slowly settling in “Do you think I can lay down for a minute?”

She nods, the concern in her eyes magnified, “Of course.”

And so she led him into her bedroom. The one place where they once called ours. Diego lays gently on the bed as she busies herself with cleaning up the mess that was scattered around. The quake wasn’t giving her any kindness, especially now that she’s got a guest to crash.

“I’ll go and make you some tea.”

“No,” Diego says fast, taking her hand before she could leave the room “Could you just lay down with me? Please?”

“I don’t think that would be a great idea, Diego.”

“Please? I promise you won’t regret it.”

She hesitated, knowing granting his wish might mean a different thing for the both of them, but seeing how desperate he looks, the way his eyes were filled with plea and the fragility of his voice, she couldn’t help but to nod and give in.

Diego scooted to make room for her on his right side. He places his arm under her head, pulling her close as he tries to be a comfortable makeshift pillow. Her right hand instinctively found itself resting on his chest. There was a sense of contentment filling his heart. Like the missing puzzle piece he wasn’t aware he’s lost was finally found. He plays with the strands of her hair, listening to the steady sound of her breathing.

“If the world was ending, you’d come over, right?”

Her brows furrow, looking up to face Diego that looks as if he’s got a million questions running in his head, “What are you talking about?”

“If you knew that the world was ending, you’d come over and stay the night, wouldn’t you?”

“Don’t say such things, we just had eight earthquakes, Diego.” She answers, trying to dismiss his questions “The world isn’t ending.”

“But if it was, would you?” He persists “Would you love me for the hell of it?”

She propped herself on her elbow now, looking closer into him. Diego still looks conflicted. He looks as if he’s holding a secret, something so terrible that he couldn’t even let it escape his lips even if he wanted to. His eyes were radiating despair, lips tucked into a droopy smile. She’s never seen him looking this strained, but she knew that he was trying to save her once again, from whatever it is she might never know, but she was surely glad he’s here to be her knight.

Answering his question, she places a soft kiss on his lips, “The sky could fall upon us and I’d be holding you tight, Diego.”

All hell broke loose the moment those words escaped her lips. Diego was quick to turn her on her back, now pinning her down as he kissed her desperately. He sneaks a hand under her shirt. The warmth of his palm was startling, making her gasp between the kisses. His hand rests just below the clasp of her bra. A tease for the poor unexpecting woman.

But she wasn’t one to be a passive rival for such a game. Her legs found themselves encircling his waist, in her own way trapping the man in her grasp. Her fingers tugged on the strands of his hair. Satisfied moans escaping his lips. The taste of ecstasy was brewing in their stomach.

“Wait, Diego—,” She called, panting as she tried to pull away “We need to talk.”

Diego stopped his doings, looking into her with confusion and alarm, “Okay.”

“I just— I need to know that it will be different this time. I need to know that you want what I want. I need to know that you’re ready to settle with me. Forever, not just for a month or two,” She explains “Otherwise, we’ll only repeat the same mistake.”

It stings to hear her call their past a mistake, but Diego understands where she’s coming from. He’s ready for her. All the fights and running, trying to save the world from one timeline to another, made him realise that he’ll never be more ready to be with her than now, but to promise her forever? When he wasn’t even sure if there would even be a tomorrow? Would the remaining hours of April 1, 2019 be enough to be called forever?

Gently, Diego removes the hand that was under her shirt and cups her face instead. He smiles softly, staring into her with the most loving eyes she’s ever seen, “After everything I’ve been through, settling in with you feels like a pass to heaven.”

Her grin grows once more. This time pushing Diego down to the bed, flipping their position until she’s sitting on his waist. She kisses him once again, only parting their lips as she pulls his black jumper off of him. Her fingers wander around his chest. Multiple new bumps and scars were raising her brows that she had to sit up and take a proper look at his body.

“Are those.. Bullet wounds?” She asks as she spots the scar on his arm “What happened to you?”

“Long story. Tell you another time,” He says in a hurry, sitting up and kissing her neck “There’s so much talking in this, my balls are getting blue down there.”

She lets out a chuckle, “Always so impatient.”

“Only for you, babe,” Diego answers fast “Only for you.”

It took no time for Diego’s lips to travel back to her's from her neck. His kisses were getting more vigorous, more desperate as the pants he’s wearing feel much tighter. The movement of her hips on top of him wasn’t doing him much good. He was slowly turning blue, indeed.

With no difficulties, Diego slides her shirt over her head. He kisses the exposed skin of her shoulder, leaving a wet trail of love as he explores the skin he’s been deprived of. The smell of her skin was intoxicating. It gives him a great swell of pride as her sultry moans echo in his ear. He still knows his ways with her sweet spots, afterall.

Still with his lips busy on her skin, Diego’s hand swiftly unclasped her bra. The sudden exposure of her breasts were making her timid, instinctively trying to cover herself with her hands, but Diego knew her a little too well, proving her attempt to be futile as he led her hands to rest around his neck instead as his lips moved south. Loud gasp escaped her lips as Diego’s mouth found itself sucking on her throbbing bud. Her hands pulled his head closer in reflex, making Diego to mentally bite a smirk.

“I’ve missed you,” He says, looking up to see her in between her tits “All of you.”

She pulls his face closer, kissing him. Diego took this chance to switch their position, laying her gently on the bed without breaking their contact. Their bare chests were pressed against each other. Only separated by the thin layer of sweat that was forming on their skin.

Diego tugged harshly on the seam of her shorts. There’s just too many barriers, too much fabric that came between them. He grunted in annoyance when his fingers failed to undo her button without breaking the kiss. Diego pulled away curtly, frowning as he looked down to her shorts and unbuttoning it in a disapproving manner.

“Don’t ever wear those shorts again,” He grumbles, chucking the piece of garment carelessly.

“I like those shorts.”

“Well, I don’t,” He retorts “We’re throwing them out first thing in the morning.”

She chuckles at his frivolous whine, watching as he shimmied her underwear down, “You’re pathetic.”

“Pathetic, huh?” 

Diego’s calloused thumb runs through her fold without a warning, making her squeeze her thighs from the sudden jolt of arousal. A cheeky grin spreads on his face, satisfied with the shriek she lets out. His other hand now rests on her thigh, giving the most gentle form of encouragement for her to widen his opening.

Her eyes were locked on his as her leg follows his lead. The smile on Diego’s face returns, looking a little too satisfied with her obedience, “Good girl.”

She burrowed the back of her head into the pillows once his fingers found its way back to her heated mound. Her hands desperately gripped on the sheets, trying to suppress her moans as his movement turned rudely.

Diego watches with pride the way her back arched with each circular motion he does to her sensitive area. His mouth went back to her tit, sucking on the other breast that he’s yet to taste. His other arm slides under her back, pressing her chest to his mouth as if there were still space for them to eliminate.

Feeling his fingers to get slicker, Diego gave her clit a crude squeeze before aligning his fingers to her folds. The sudden intrusion left her gasping, her fingers unintendedly scratching on his arm from the tension.

“Shh, it’s just me,” He whispers, now kissing his way up from her chest, to her jaws, and ultimately her lips “Do you want me to stop?”

“No,” She breathes, pulling him close by his shoulder blades “Just kiss me while you do it.”

Not having to be told twice, Diego wasted no time and kissed her. He repositioned himself, having his passive forearm as support as his other hand busied itself with her. Her moans were uncontainable as his fingers reached the deeper, warmer depth of her. He increased the pace of his thrusts, curling his fingers as he felt her walls tightening. The knot in her stomach was threatening to burst. It was clear to see with the way her head fell back in bliss with each strike, but Diego was in no mood to stop. He wanted her to reach that extent of pleasure.

Her fingers clawed on his back as she reached her peak, leaving moon shaped marks on his skin. Diego groans from the slight sting but pays not much mind to it. He loves a little scratch from a good sex, a little bruise to look at in the morning that he wears like a badge of honour.

There wasn’t even a split second for her to breath before Diego’s lips travelled back down. He moves further south, locking eyes with her as his lips slowly find themselves in front of her folds. His hot breath was making her shy once again, almost closing her legs in reflex before he could pin them with his arms.

Diego clicks his tongue in disapproval, “Let’s not play any more games, shall we?”

Not waiting for an answer, Diego lifted her legs and rested them on his shoulders. With no warning, he runs his hot tongue across her fold, making her moan in undeniable pleasure. His moustache was giving a burning feeling in her inner thigh but before it could settle, Diego would erase it with his wet tongue.

The hot and wet sensation was driving her to cloud nine. With each swirl of tongue and cruel sucking that Diego does, she could feel herself losing the last strands of sanity. Her grip on the sheets have now moved to his head, tugging a little mean to the roots of his hair. Involuntarily pressing him a little closer every time he hits that one sweet spot.

Those throaty moans have slowly turned into needy, piteous whimpers. Clearly overstimulated from all the torture Diego was putting her through. His hands were pinning her hip in place. Not letting her buck away from his brutal assault. With a sinful moan, she finally came for the second time.

She tries to sit up, gathering the few will power she has left in her body to reach Diego’s waistband, “My turn.”

“No,” He says, pushing her hands away gently as he kisses her in apology “I’m literally two seconds away from bursting. You can pleasure me another time.”

“Are you sure?”

“No,” Diego frowns “But I’m not taking risks. I want you.”

“Well, let me at least help you get out of these pants.”

Diego watches as her dainty fingers unbuckle his belt, slowly undoing his pants and pushing it down his legs. He swallows a low groan as her hand palms his shaft. He pulls her for another kiss, passionately devouring her lips and tasting every corner of her mouth. He leads her back to lay on the bed, positioning himself on top of her as he leans on his forearms for support. He guides himself to her entrance, fingers dancing around the area to help redistribute enough slick before he slowly inserts himself.

Her claws find themselves back to his back, creating new scratches the moment she feels his length enters in a slow and controlled ease. Diego was grunting from the blissful restrain. A low sinful prayer escaped his lips. The warmth of her walls were drowning him, feeling as if they were swallowing him whole.

“You okay?” He asked, ever the gentleman.

She nods, eyes closed and mouth quivering in bliss.

Diego started his movement at a steady pace, letting her body adjust to the size of him that has been absent for a little too long. He kept the speed for a good few minutes before hastening his movement in a steadfast thrust.

“Fuck, Diego,” She breathes, biting on his shoulder from the overwhelming sensation.

There were no words that Diego could utter. Too busy trying to find the best angle where he could reach the desired depth. His thrusts were getting more vigorous with each retreat and return of his length within her, finding her moans to be the very fuel to boost his movements.

Deep, hearty grunts were all he could make now. Diego places his hands under her head, using his fingers as cushion so that the crown of her head won’t hit the headboard with each ferocious thrust. He nips on her neck, kissing and licking the spot before the pain could sink. Neither of them cared which of the sounds were louder— their moans or the creak of the bed.

“Diego—”

“I know,” He cuts, feeling the walls around him contracting “I’m right behind you.”

She pulls him for a kiss. Her hand guides one of his to rest on her neck, encircling his fingers around. Diego pulls himself away, watching as she closes her eyes when he squeezes her neck a little.

“Always so beautiful for me,” He praises between his pants, diving right back to kiss her “Mine. All mine.”

With one last thrust, Diego struck her core with all the pressure it needed to implode. He followed right after, just as he promised. The kisses he gives her slowly turn into soft and gentle ones as they begin to wane from their highs. His body tenderly loitered on top of hers, careful not to put too much weight that might suffocate her.

She runs her hand through his hair. Gently combing through it with her fingers. She kisses his forehead softly, brushing her thumb over the scar on his right side before planting a kiss there too. Diego always looked most charming laying on top of her like this.

“Did I do good? Was that enough to repent for my past sins?”

A crips chuckle escaped her lips, “For now, yes.”

“Great,” He says as he repositions himself, now laying on his side to face her “Now we can forget the past and focus on the future.”

She smiles, gazing into the beautiful man in front of her before giving him a sweet kiss. Something has changed in him. Something that made him look a lot more reliable. Like the past year they’ve spent without each other has finally knocked some sense into his head. Perhaps he really did go through something that changed him for the better. Perhaps the bullet wounds on his arm hold a bigger story than just another vigilante act he pulled. Perhaps the world really needed to end for him to finally understand how some people in our lives matter more than most, even if we felt like we needed to prove something to everyone.

Diego pulls her close to his chest, letting her hear the beating of his heart that has now gone to a steady pace. The clock by the bedside table haunts him. A couple more hours until the day ends and he’s still unsure if the Apocalypse was still happening. But even if the world was to end in their sleep, even if she was to be stripped away from his arms, at least he’s tried to show her just how much he loves her.

Even if it was done in borrowed time.

—-

Diego’s eyes flutter open. The brightness of the sun was hurting his eyes but he’d rather go blind than to move a muscle. The blinds of her bedroom were broken, making the light from outside reflect harshly on his face.

He looks down to see her still fast asleep on his chest. The events of last night play blissfully in his mind, recollecting their joyous reunion with a satisfied smile. He plants a soft kiss on the crown of her head, silently confessing his vow that he’d never leave her again, Apocalypse or not.

And that’s when he realises it. The day has come. It is officially April 2, 2019. The Apocalypse should’ve happened yesterday, yet it didn’t. There were only earthquakes that indeed have caused quite the damage but far too weak to be called the Apocalypse.

Eight earthquakes, she said. Perhaps the quakes were the signs of him and his siblings finding their own timelines. He only felt six quakes, maybe because he was the second to land on his timeline. If that was the case, then they’ve not only successfully stopped the Apocalypse from happening, but have also gotten the chance to rebuild their life, wherever they might be now.

She stirs a little as her slumber finally comes to an end. She looks up to see Diego with a smile, stealing a peck from him like a drunken woman, “Good morning.”

“Buenos días, mi amor.”

“Are you feeling better?”

“Much,” He answers, kissing her lips once again “All thanks to you.”

She smiles, basking in the love that he’s showering her with.

“Everything is going to change from now on,” He whispers to her softly, pulling her closer “It’s only gonna get better, I promise.”

[samdeancass]

Diego Hargreeves Masterlist

Make It Count

[profoundwebhead]

here’s a nice little bit of angst for umbrella academy fans:

what if, in the seven years they were together… Lila gave Five a pet name as a term of endearment. Maybe she wasn’t in love with him but she felt something… and felt wrong for using Five to refer to him? like that was his ‘assassin name’

that’s the name he had when he killed her parents… but she doesn’t see him as that person anymore?

so she gives him a pet name and uses it throughout those seven years. something soft and sweet like “my love”. ofc, she still calls him five from time to time, like when she’s worried or scared (after five finds the journal and she calls out for him) but she wants him to forget that part of him too.

that’s not who he is anymore… that’s who she doesn’t want him to see himself as anymore.

and then the department store scene.

“i wanna fucking kill him!”

and he WANTS to kill his brother. The world is ending and they are all gonna die but he wants to be the one who ends Diego’s life.

but then.

“It’s over, FIVE!”

and he has to kind of double take because it’s been basically seven years since she’s called him that.

the name burns through his mind and he sees Reggie, The Handler… He sees the things he did. The people he killed.

fivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefiveshecalledmefivewhydidshecallmefive

and he blinks away.

he’s a killer. he killed her parents. no they’re alive. this version of them are. i still did those things. SHE made me do those things. i still did them. i liked them.

…Five.

and his thoughts only get worse when he finds that fucking deli and there he is. He’s confronted with the worst thing in existence and it’s not the cleanse, or another apocalypse or the Handler or his dad… it’s himself.

and Lila was right.

It’s over… Five.

[hihomeghere]

Meet The Family: Part of the Tesoro Series

Five Hargreeves / F!Reader

Word Count : 3k Summary : Five finds a way to return to 2019, you both break your contract with the commission and you meet your in-laws for the first time. Aged up!Five, reader has the ability to shapeshift. Fluff with a lil bit of angst if you squint. ( I do not own the umbrella academy or any of it's characters ) Warnings : Cursing, drinking, allusions to sex, talking about death

“Do you trust me?” Five asked, both of you standing on the grassy knoll. You nodded, staring into his eyes.

“Of course I do.” He wet his lips nervously, looking around. 

“Okay,” he said, wiping his hands off on his pants. You grabbed his hand squeezing it.

“Hey,” he turned to look at you, “whatever happens we face it together, okay?” You squeezed his hand again, giving him a small smile. He nodded, returning the smile. Although his didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Hold onto me, okay?” He said holding your eye contact. You nodded, grabbing his bicep, gripping his gray coat sleeve. It definitely was a struggle, but slowly the blue portal opened. The wind whipped your hair in front of your face, Five’s yells grew louder. Suddenly his hands passed through the blue, with you following behind him. You felt your body warp as you pushed through. It was similar to changing, but your body wasn’t changing outwards, it felt like it was being turned in on yourself.

And then you were falling, fortunately for you, and unfortunately for Five, he broke your fall. You both groaned as you rolled off of him onto the wet pavement. You took in deep gasps of air, your hand coming to your chest as you closed your eyes. Tiny pebbles rubbed against your hands, getting stuck under your fingernails. You heard Five shuffle next to you, his feet scraping on the pavement as he stood up.

“Shit,” you snapped your eyes open, why did he sound so different? You gasped as your eyes fell on your husband. He was young, younger than when you had first met him. Early 20s, maybe? 

“Does anyone else see Number Five and some girl or is that just me?” A man’s voice said. You looked up staring at a group of people you quickly deciphered as Five’s siblings. You looked down at yourself, your hands were still scarred, but they looked fresh. Like they had looked when you first escaped the lab, you shook your head. If Five was younger, then that meant you must be too. You felt your face, the wrinkles around your eyes were gone. You were young again. 

“What’s the date? The exact date?” Five said walking around the kitchen. You felt yourself shrink under his siblings' gaze. Mainly Klaus who seemed enamored by you. You had already caught his gaze once and he had given you a strange little wave while criss crossed on the table. If he moved his knee the wrong way you were sure you would get to see a bit more than you wanted to of your new in-laws. 

“The 24th.” Vanya said, still in disbelief.

“Of what?” Five asked exasperated.

“Of March?” She said her eyes never leaving Five.

“Good.” He continued making his peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich. 

“So are we gonna talk about what just happened?” Luther spoke up, eyeing you warily, “And who the hell is this?” He whispered, leaning closer to Five. Five continued making his sandwich, refusing to meet Luther’s eyes.

“This is Y/n, my wife.” He said as though it was an obvious observation.

“Your wife?” Alison said, her head snapping to look at you.

“How’d you land her? Did you kidnap her?” Klaus snorted looking between you and Five. You smiled, looking down at your lap.

“We have bigger problems than Five’s girlfriend at the moment. It’s been 17 years!” Luther said standing up, Five scoffed turning to face him.

“It’s been a lot longer than that.” He said before he blinked behind him. “And she’s my wife, you’ll treat her as such, got it?” He said over his shoulder. 

“I haven’t missed that.” Luther sighed, staring forward where Five once was. You looked at all the siblings. Vanya was the closest to you, she seemed timid. Alison was next, standing up with her arms crossed. Then Klaus, and Diego, who was staring daggers at you at the moment before he turned his gaze to Five.

“Where’d you go?” Diego asked, his eyes returning to you. You gulped, returning your gaze to your hands. 

“The future. It’s shit by the way.” Five said grabbing marshmallows and blinking back to the table.

“Called it!” Klaus said, raising a finger.

“I should have listened to the old man.” Five sighed moving around the kitchen like he hadn’t been gone for more than a day. “You know jumping around space is one thing.” He opened the fridge door looking inside, “jumping through time is a toss of the dice.” He stood at the head of the table. “Nice dress.” He said, looking Klaus over.

“Oh, well danke!” Klaus smiled before Vanya cut him off.

“Wait, how did you get back?” She asked, putting her hands up, unable to comprehend Five’s nonchalant attitude.

“In the end I had to project my consciousness forward into a quantum state version of myself that exists across every possible instance of time.”

“That makes no sense.” Diego mumbled looking at the tile floor, “how did she get through.” His eyes flicked up toward you. You felt your face heat up, and you turned to look at Five.

“I opened the portal allowing her to follow, and it would make sense if you were smarter.” Diego jumped up, only being held back by Luther.

“How long were you there?” Luther asked.

“Forty five years. Give or take. Including my time spent at our old job.” The commission. You felt your blood run cold, how could you have forgotten? Did they already have a team out looking for you? Working long enough for the Handler you knew the workings of her mind. She could never get over the fact that you and Five were together. Call it jealousy, or call it the inability to completely control someone. You weren’t stupid, you saw how she looked at Five, it made your blood boil. She wouldn’t kill him, he was too valuable to her, you on the other hand were good as dead. 

“So what are you saying? You’re 58?” Luther asked, all his siblings having the same confused expression on their face.

“No, my consciousness is 58.” He said before putting a slice of bread over his sandwich monstrosity. “Apparently my body is now 20 again.”

“Wait, how does that even work?” Vanya asked, shaking her head. Five took a bite of his sandwich before turning back to you. He picked up the newspaper sitting on top of the table.

“Guess we missed the funeral.” He said, no discernible tone in his voice.

“How’d you know about that?” Luther asked his eyes never leaving Five.

“What part of the future do you not understand?” Five said furrowing his brows. You looked up, Alison was looking at you this time. She offered you a small smile which you returned. Although it felt more like a grimace.

“Heart failure, huh?”

“Yeah.” Diego said before being cut off by Luther.

“No.” Five clicked his tongue walking over to you.

“Nice to see nothings changed.” He said before turning to you. His cold fingers brushed against your arm, his brows furrowed seemingly deep in thought. He grabbed your hand leading you out of the kitchen.

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” Alison asked, throwing her hands up in the air. As Five pulled you after him.

“What else is there to say? The circle of life.” He said looking over his shoulder.

-

“Five come to bed.” You said leaning on the spare bedroom door. You pulled your robe tighter around your body crossing your arms. Five stood in front of his whiteboard, equation after equation covering the board. He hadn’t even changed out of his work clothes yet. His tie hung loosely around his neck, you could just imagine how he had been pulling at it. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and his top two buttons were unbuttoned.

“In a minute, dearest.” He waved at you, his face never leaving the board. You sighed walking up behind him, wrapping your arms around him. You laid your head against his back, moving with him every time he leaned forward to change something. The only sound in the room was his heart against your ear and the squeak of the pen. 

“Five,” you whined. He sighed, setting his pen down. He held your hands against his stomach.

“Yes tesoro?” He turned, moving you so you were standing in front of him. 

“I’m tired.”

“Then go to bed.” He said as though talking to a small child. You rolled your eyes, giving him a look. He smiled before kissing your head. His mustache bristled against your forehead.

“Not without you.” If he wanted to treat you like a child, fine. You stared up at him through your eyelashes, your lower lip jutting out. 

“Now that’s not fair.” He scolded, a smile on his face. You laughed breaking your pout, you took his hands leading him out of the room.

“Come on Mr. Hargreeves,” you cooed a smirk on your lips. He tried to glare at you, but slowly a smile crept on his face. 

“What will you give me, Mrs. Hargreeves?” He teased his hands finding the tie to your robe.

“Guess you’ll have to find out.” You leaned forward whispering against the shell of his ear. He chuckled lowly, letting you pull him into your shared bedroom

-

He blinked you both up into his old bedroom. You sat on his bed staring at your hands. He opened up his closet, muttering under his breath.

“Well, the first meeting with the in-laws wasn’t too bad.” You said watching his back.

“Mm.” He grumbled, rifling through the closet.

“Are you okay?” You asked, sliding off his bed to your feet.

“No!” He snapped, turning to look at you, “We’re stuck in these bodies! The world is about to end and I have no idea what to do!” He yelled, running a hand through his hair.

“Hey, it’s okay, we’ll figure it out, we always do.” You soothed approaching him like a cornered animal.

“Yeah, how'd that work the last time?” He scoffed a sarcastic smile on his face. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You asked, crossing your arms.

“It was the decimal! If I had had time to look over my equations I would have seen it.” He seethed, you recoiled.

“Are you saying this is my fault?” You furrowed your brows.

“Yes!” He threw his hands up, “If you wouldn’t have bothered me, we wouldn’t be in this situation!” He snarled his finger in your face. You grit your teeth, trying to keep your cool. 

“Obviously you need some time by yourself.” You said coolly, walking away from him.

“Fucking finally.” He scoffed, shaking his head as you slammed the door behind you.

-

You flew down the stairs, all but running into Vanya.

“Oh,” you said as you bumped into her, almost losing your balance, “sorry.” 

“It’s ok.” She says, “Are you ok?” She asks. You bite your lip, looking behind you.

“No.” You answer honestly, crossing your arms, “Your stupid brother is the biggest asshole I know.” You huffed.

“Yeah,” She smiled, chuckling slightly, “he can be a real pain the the ass.” You smiled looking back at her. You fell into an uncomfortable silence, before she said. “But he seems to really love you.” She gives you a smile.

“Well he’s got a funny way of showing it.” You shake your head.

“Five has never been the most emotionally mature person,” she chuckles, crossing her arms, “but none of us are, you saw that earlier.” You admired her honesty. 

“I appreciate it, Vanya.” You smiled, touching her arm.

“Listen, if you want to take the edge off, dads liquor cabinet is that way.” She points towards a room off the atrium.

“Thank you, I might take you up on that offer.” You nod heading that way, “see you around.” 

She smiles and nods as you walk into the living room. 

You groan, immediately face to face with a large oil painting of your husband.

“Yeah I feel that way about my siblings more often than not.” Klaus says stretching on the couch. You jump, your hand coming to your heart. “Oh woah!” He sits up looking at you. “Your hair! How did you do that!” He smirks pointing to his own head.

You smile softly, changing your hair back to your normal color.

“I was genetically altered as a kid.” You say looking back at the smug smile of your husband.

“Dang, heavy stuff.” He says leaning back on the plush couch. “Want to get drunk?” He asks with a grin spreading across his face.

“Hell yes.” You laugh, turning to look at him. He jumps up clapping his hands together.

“Great! I was looking for an excuse to get into the old man’s alcohol.” He moves to the bar, every movement he makes is extremely fluid. Like he’s floating everywhere. You walk up to the bar, sitting on one of the stools. “Now hang on, missy,” he says, holding out a finger towards you, “are you old enough to drink? Let me see your ID.” You laugh, shaking your head.

“Technically I’m 45,” you say a grin working its way onto your face, “and I don’t have an ID.”

“No way.” Klaus says leaning forward on the bar, his hands clasped together. “You, 45? What’s your secret?”

You giggle, shaking your head, “A time traveling husband helps.” You shrug.

“Hmm, guess I need to find me one of those,” he muses as he hands you a glass. You study the glass in your hands, watching the golden liquid swirl inside.

“So how long have you been with Five?” He asks, swirling the alcohol in his glass before downing it.

“Um,” you hum looking up, “about 25 years, we’ve been married for 21.” You sip the alcohol, it’s good, maybe a brandy?

“Jeez, you stuck with that old geezer for 21 years? More than any of us.” He says, chuckling to himself. You nod, your lips forming a tight line.

“Yep.” You tense your jaw, downing whatever is left in your glass. Grimacing as the alcohol burns your throat.

“Enough about Five.” Klaus says, “Tell me about you, Mrs. Hargreeves, I mean I would be an awful brother-in-law if I didn’t know anything about my new sister.” He grins walking around the bar to sit next to you on a stool.

“I’m really not that special,” you chuckle, setting your glass down on the bar top.

“Mrs. I change my hair color when I’m surprised, isn't special?” He asks tilting his head, “What, did Five tell you that?” His brows furrowed as he recoiled.

“No, no he would never say that.” You wave him off. 

“Well what else can you do missy?” He asked, leaning forward, a smirk pulling at his lips.

“Well, I can change my appearance to look like anyone I want. As long as I know what they look like.” You shrugged.

“Ooh! Do me! Do me!” He says, patting your arm excitedly. You smile before turning to face him.

He tried to stay still but his leg continues to bounce. You look him over once before you feel your body stretch. Your hair changes to a short curly brown, tattoos adorn your skin. Klaus’s grin grows by the minute.

“Holy smokes!” He exclaims looking at you, “Am I really that good looking?” You burst out laughing, maybe it was the brandy, maybe you were just having fun for the first time in a long time. 

You change back into yourself, wincing as your head throbs slightly. 

“Can I ask you a personal question?” He leans forward lowering his voice slightly.

“Klaus, I think every question you’ve asked me so far has been personal.”

“Have you ever,” he wiggles his eyebrows, “you know, changed in the bedroom?” You pull a grin on your face.

“Klaus!” You blush, feeling your cheeks heat up.

“Well? Have you?” He pushes his voice higher than before.

“No! Never!” You say waving him off.

“Oh come on! You don’t have to lie to me!” He pleads his hand resting on your arm.

“And I’m telling you Klaus, I’ve never changed during sex!” You whisper covering his hand with your own.

“Fine! Fine.” He says pulling away, “but if I find out you’re lying there will be hell to pay young lady!” He scolds half heartedly, you shake your head, a smile on your face.

“Yes sir.” 

“Y/n?” Five stands in the doorway, his hands stuffed in his pockets. Klaus groans, throwing his head back.

“What do you want?” He asks glaring at him.

FIve ignores his brother, he adjusts his jacket looking up at you.

“Can we talk?” He pleads, walking toward you. You let out a sigh and nod. 

“Yeah I’m going, I’m going.” Klaus says waving to the air, as if someone only he could see was pestering him. Once he’s past Five he turns flipping him off. You snicker, looking down at your feet. Five sits next to you at the bar, he reaches for you, taking your hand. You don’t pull away which he takes as a good sign.

You wait for him to talk, feeling his warm hand in yours. If you were anything, you were patient. Especially when Five came crawling to you on his knees.

“I’m an asshole.” 

“Yep.” You say nonchalantly.

“I shouldn't have snapped at you, I just-“ he sighed, shaking his head, “I just screwed this whole thing up. I missed the decimal and changed our bodies forever.” He looked at your glass, avoiding your gaze.

“Hey,” you said, reaching out and turning his head to look at you, “I’m not mad at you for what happened. This-,” you motioned to yourself “I took this risk, and I’d do it all over again.” You reached up holding his face in your hands.. He leaned into your touch, his own hand coming up to caress yours.

“What did I do to deserve you?” He asked, shaking his head. 

“Beats me.” You laughed, he rolled his eyes lightly shoving you. You smirked, pulling him closer, kissing him. He hummed smiling into the kiss, his hand wrapped around your waist. You cupped his cheek, rubbing your thumb over his jaw. You weren’t lying when you said it didn’t matter what happened, as long as you had Five next to you, you would be just fine.

[imembarressedsohere]

The Umbrella Academy Edit.

also on instagram

[itstheghostofmypast]

Simp For You

Five x (f)Reader

Genre: Angst + Fluff

Requested by: @imherefortea (birthday request)

Summary: Perhaps she had read one too many novels and classics, while romance was not part of the agenda, a hero was, one that would bring her a bouquet every morning, sing to her every night and love her for eternity. Emotions and love were mere signs of weakness, or at least qualities upheld by fools- Five Hargeeves was no fool, both logic and rationality were his tools, yet, for her, neither functioned properly. Yet, neither were willing to let up their beliefs nor were the two willing to let up on one another.

Word Count: 6k+

The thing with feelings and emotional representation were not attributes Five was against, but he felt the need not to express them to or for anyone. Especially since he had decided to travel back in time to proceed with saving the world- the only addition to his plan was Y/N, someone he had met back at the commission.

Although their first encounter was not when he had noticed her, in fact, he pretty much ignored her- not intentionally, but because she was part of the insignificant, someone who was just supposed to correct the timeline and hand him the files- do all his paperwork.

On the other hand, Y/N was unable to 'ignore' him, for the encounter that he considered as their first meeting was not their first meeting for her actually. In fact, before him being introduced to Y/N by the Handler, the girl had been saved by him a few days back, as such;

Today had been a shitty day at the commission, more paperwork, more mistakes to correct, more bad coffee- ew just ew, her entire day was ew. Not the best choice of adjectives but it was true, to top it all off, as she was walking to her residence -a cozy little apartment a few miles away from the Commission building- it began to rain. No, mother nature had perhaps tipped a bucket load of ice-cold water on her. Maybe it was the screams of the falling droplets or her blurred vision, but she was unable to hear the blaring horns of the bus driving right at her as she crossed the street. Much like every animal, she remembers freezing and staring at the bright white lights waiting for the angel of death to pull out her soul before the immense pain could hit her system. Fortunately for her, a second before she made contact with the metallic giant a flash of blue blinded her, after which she felt like she was being spun at unimaginable speed. 

"You okay?" Her eyes snapped open at the stranger's -good-looking stranger's- voice. She could sense an undertone of concern in his question, though his expressions showed more anger than concern of any kind. Perhaps because she was still in his arms and had shown no signs of moving.

"I- Uh-"

"I don't have time for this." he sighed before setting her down, patting his coat and looking around, "Try to look both ways while crossing the road, and oh- the pavement is used by pedestrians, not the damn road." with that and a flash of blue he was gone, leaving an everlasting impression on her. This was technically how they had met, not that he remembered, she believed he just needed her to remind him, he was a clever man after all. 

Unfortunately, even after THREE YEARS of working with the dunce he had not even batted an eyelash at her, let alone have a whole ass conversation. No hint, no comment, no compliment, nothing had made him even glance up at her from the paperwork she handed him before every mission. By the end of the third year, she had practically given up, he was no knight in shining armor sent to pull her away from her mundane life, he was not her Zorro or Hercules- three years of simping after a man who probably doesn't know her name gone down the drain, what a waste.

Perhaps that was what fate was waiting for all along, for her to stop trying. 31st December, New Year's Eve, a night where everyone gathers around, parties hard, does questionable things in the name of celebration, and often wakes up hungover the next day- starting the new year right. Y/N however, was never made for such loud parties or rowdy crowds because they were annoying and just stupid and she had no one to share her new year's kiss with- there it's been said, and honestly as pathetic as it may sound, it was the truth, the haunting thought that would linger at the back of her mind, but on occasions like these, it would come prancing forward to knock on her door every few hours. 

Metaphorically speaking, or so she thought because when there was an actual knock on the door, she glanced at the clock, 10.59 PM- she wondered if she had attracted a murderer to her apartment. Placing the bowl of raw cookie dough on the coffee table and pausing a rerun of her favorite sitcom she pulled on her cardigan, shivering at the cold air that her blanket had been protecting her from for the past few hours.

Opening the door she came face to face with what an author could describe as the most 'annoyed' face in the world. Five Hargreeves in the flesh, standing there in all his suit-cladded glory, frowning at her, eyes boring a form of annoyance that could scare off just about anyone, but she wasn't just anyone. She was his filer, his desk worker, his partner- which was exactly why when he found a mistake in the file she had left at her desk for him, he decided to go ask the slacker if she would prefer to quit herself or have him report her to the Handler.

"Mind explaining this?" he slams the file in her chest, as she caught with an uff, "Thought you were better than the rest of the slackers," huffing he stuffed his hands in his pockets, before looking around at the apartment's door frame then the corridor then peaking over her head as she read the file, into her apartment- simpleton. He thought to himself before glancing back at her, watching her mumble to herself as she read each line, her eyebrows knitted together as she licked her bottom lip, a habit of hers, something she'd do when she was concentrating. The first time he had noticed it, he had thought she was flirting with him, much like the many other desk freaks did, which led him to turn even colder to her, only to realize after a while that this was a habit, rather than an antic to get into his pants. Nonetheless, he was still irritated by her carelessness-

"Umm...Mr.Hargreeves."

"What?" 

"Where did you get this file from?" She asked, totally confused.

"From your desk. You left it for me there-"

"No...I didn't, you had no missions for today and...I took an off today, did you not...notice?" she trailed off at the end with a defeated sigh, handing the file back to him, and giving him a tight-lipped smile.

"Why would I notice that- who put it on your desk then?"

"Probably the person who wrote it." sighing, arms crossed she leaned against the doorframe.

"What-"

"Not that you noticed the change in writing style either, this was written by Beatrice." She motioned towards the file, "It's in a faded beige file and it's typed in black ink. I type in blue ink and use black files or envelopes unless we're sending it to you through the pipes. My guess is she had a date with her field agent, considering he does know she exists and thought of putting it on my desk, knowing you'd probably pick it up and the train engineer is supposed to have a heart attack before the express mail train slams into the other upcoming one, he doesn't fall asleep. If I'm correct you or well Brian- Beatrice's field agent was supposed to induce a heart attack, enabling the tragedy of Ogden, Utah to occur." 

"Oh." was all he could manage to say.

"Indeed, Oh." with that she straightened up and nodded at him, "Happy New Year, Mr.Hargreeves." before closing the door, only to be stopped by his hand as he pushed it open. 

"Wait, but what about- you need to come to the Commission and file this correctly."

"What? No, are you kidding me?"

"Clearly, I am not, the timeline is important-"

"Not really, time is irrelevant here." She shrugged, "And anyway, it's her file, her fault, just slap it back on her desk and-"

"I'm not asking, I'm telling ya!" He snapped at her, causing her to flinch, biting her lip to hold back the rush of emotions, she had never imagined him using such a tone with her, let alone yelling at her. She took a small step back, shaking her head slightly, staring at the floor, the angelic, god-like image of him shattering in her mind. Not only did he not recognize her work, but also thought she'd make such a mistake, and he had the nerve to come up to her apartment and yell at her.

"What is the matter with you?" he groaned, checking his wrist watch, "We don't have much time-"

"What's my name?" she muttered, catching him off guard.

"What?"

"I said, do you know my name?" she asked, tears threatening to fall at any given moment as she glared at him through glassy eyes.

"What is the point of that question, of course, I know your name, it's -" he paused, thinking to himself before shaking his head at something and blinking away with a flash. 

Sighing in defeat she finally closed the door and went back to her couch, wrapping herself in the warm, heavy blanket. Three years of working together, of writing his reports for and after the mission, adding a small 'tips' section and sometimes maps of areas he could rest or eat at just because she thought that's what a good partner would do- three years of time wasted on a partner who didn't even bother learning her name.

Jolting awake at the sound of something falling followed by a hiss she fought off the blanket that had somehow put her in a chokehold. Finally managing to push it off she gasped for air, only to lock eyes with forest green hues, emitting a, "WHAT THE F***"

"Happy New Year to you too."

"WHY ARE YOU HERE- DID YOU EAT ALL THE COOKIE DOUGH?"

"Well, I came to tell you I had to file the report myself, no thanks to your stubborn ass and complained about Barbra or whatever."

"What-"

"Also, Y/N, what kind of fool do you take me for?" He asked, sitting crossed as he side-eyed her while watching TV.

Frowning at his question she scooted further into the corner of the couch, "So ya read my name of the file-"

"No you desk worm. I've known your name since day one." He sighed, turning to look at her cocooned form, feeling somewhat guilty as trailed off, "Just didn't realize how useful those tips were."

Her ears perked up at that little compliment, instantly threw off the blankets, and stood on the cold floor, hands resting on her hips as she let out a smug huff, "Well then, guess we learned something today, didn't we?"

"That you're a lonely worm? I already knew that though." 

"You can be mean sometimes Mr.Hargreeves," she muttered looking at the screen and then at the clock, it was an hour past midnight, what a way to start the new year.

"Anyway." Getting up he patted the invisible dirt of his clothes, "I'll see you at work tomorrow, and I prefer if you call Five. Mr.Hargreeves makes you sound like a gold digger." Before she could react he blinked away, sowing the seed of a relationship that was soon going to blossom into a full-blown field.

The best thing to come out of that weird night was that much to everyone's amazement, Five had begun to warm up to his  'desk worm'. More importantly, he would sit at her desk after missions, as she wrote the report. Usually, he'd be drinking his coffee, watching her type, pitching in a few details from time to time, and earning a comment from her. Many, including the Handler, had tried to eavesdrop on their conversations, for getting Five Hargreeves to say or talk in any decent manner was next to impossible.

Herb had forgotten his wallet at work, so decided to head back to the Commission. Naturally, he had expected the place to be empty, minus the security guards, but was amazed to enter the workplace to find Y/N laughing at a Five who seemed to have been glaring at her, face flushed. So, like any nosy little office worker, he hid behind the wall to listen to them.

"I did not save you."

"Yes! You did! I can't believe you didn't remember me!"

"Why didn't you tell me then?"

"It's embarrassing."

"Well, they do say never meet your heroes."

"They're right, I thought I was miserable. No, Five Hargreeves has it worse."

"Welp, that's the last time I will converse with you."

Herb heard a chair screech followed by her laughter, causing him to panic.

"Wait! A gentleman is supposed to drop the fine lady home!" She said grabbing her purse and linking her arm with the taller man, looking up at him with those shiny expectant eyes, earning an eye roll from him, though he didn't pull away.

 The two walked out of the office, passing by SMALL GUY who was hiding behind a file cabinet, bickering about tomorrow's mission and other useless topics one could think of.

Y/N didn't care how long it was taking to peel off each layer or break down every wall he had built around him, she was just glad that he was letting her to do it. Five on the other hand was extremely conflicted, on one hand, he had his own plan and on the other his heart had begun to slowly blossom every time he was near her or thought of her. When he joined the Commission he had planned on going solo for the long run, no friends meant no liabilities and no lover meant no weakness- or so he thought.

If it wasn't her obnoxious laughter that would get his heart racing, it was the unasked-for, but somewhat welcomed, touches. From the way her fingers would brush against his while handing him a file to the night she held his hand to comfort him when he had 'accidentally' ended up telling her about how much he missed his family. That cursed night at her apartment had his brain ready to fight his heart-forcing him to spend the entire night awake in the guestroom. 

Regardless, he had always been a firm believer in "You may not be able to control your emotions, but you can control your actions." That is until she turned 29, well, technically it wasn't her age that had affected his policy but her simple invitation to a bar for some "birthday drinks", sure did a number on his rationality. All he remembered from the merry little event was the low-cut dress that she had chosen to adorn that night and that they may have had a drink too many, cause after she purred out his name, he blacked out. The next morning he woke up with a massive headache and her next to him. 

Not the way he had ever assumed he'd start a relationship this way, but then again he had never thought he'd be in one in the first place.

The first thing he had to learn while being with her was that they were very different. He was blunt, rude, and straight-up obnoxious (words of other people, not his), she was polite, considerate, and to some extent a bit too nice. Another thing about her that he had to embrace was the difference in love languages; he would consider small gestures, like making her coffee or arranging her files at her desk- barely anything physical. Y/N on the other hand loved physical affection, from cuddling to holding hands to just sitting next to him, close enough for their shoulders to touch. At first, it would bother him, the lack of human contact for all those years had him irritated by the thought of love. To some extent he had assumed that this was a tactic to assert dominance, a routine conducted by the Handler- but over time he had realized how her actions were genuine and filled with love. 

Love, she loved him, and to his surprise when the first time the words 'I love you', had been uttered to him, he had instantly responded with 'But I can't love you.' leaving them both standing there in the middle of her apartment, staring at each other.

"Oh-"

"Wait, I - Y/N it's not like that, I-"

"It's okay Five- I mean it's not okay okay but I- " she paused, vision turning blurry before sniffing to hold back her emotions. 

He reached out to touch her only for her to take a step back, "Y-you can go if you want, I'll clean up myself-"

"That's not what I meant." His voice held a certain edge to it as he watched her clean up the place where they had been watching a movie- the movie now forgotten. He was pissed, more at himself than her, it's not like he had asked her out, she did and he had other plans too and- all his thoughts came to a halt when he heard glad shatter followed by a yelp. 

Blinking into the kitchen he saw her standing next to what appeared to be a broken glass, holding onto her other hand that was bleeding.

"Shit."

"It's fine, just go." 

Blinking in front of her, he gripped her wrist, staring at her. Glaring up at him she was about to retort but when their eyes meant. Now, as sappy as it could sound, she could literally see an internal argument swirling within his forest hues- she knew that look. The look he'd give when he would be trying to outdo his heart in a battle with his 'logic'.

"Five."

"Wait. I'm thinking."

"About."

"You know what."

"You don't have to force yourself to love me-"

"I'm forcing myself not to."

That was all it took for the two to realize how he had confessed back to her, admitting he had felt the same way about her. 

"Why?"

"No, you'll be in danger and become a liability and I have other plans and-"

"You'll be happy for once?"

He doesn't remember the last time he had ever let his heart win against his mind, but perhaps the reason for the argument siding with his heart made it easier for him to rule it out, allowing him to break free from the restraints that had held him down ever since he had time traveled. 

Although they were ready to move onto a stronger and more important change in their relationship, he had been ever so kind to set ground rules;

"Rule number one, you will do as I ask if we're in danger, your life matters more than anything."

"Rule number two, you will STAY PUT, and I mean it, none of that hero shit."

"And most importantly, if I ever disappear or am no longer here, you will move on."

Simple right? 

Not really.

For at that very moment, the Hargreevs were staring at their 13-year-old brother arguing with another teenager, who had fallen out of the portal behind him, in the kitchen.

"Umm...number Five-"

Not now Luther. I have bigger fish to deal with-"

"Why are you mad?!"

"WHY AM - OH MY - GOD YOU - "Everyone in the room could see the boy malfunction until he paused, taking a deep breath he exhaled and looked at his siblings, "What's the date?"

"Five I-"

"Not. A.Word," he growled, not even sparing her a glance.

"But-"

He shushed her by placing a finger on his lips then pointing with that same finger with his brows raised, seething out a "Silence from you."

That was the first time the siblings had seen their brother in a long time, and it horrified them how he had turned into a worse nutjob than they had imagined.

...

After the little kitchen fiasco, Y/N was instructed by Five to stay in his room.

"WHY ARE YOU LOCKING THE DOOR!"

"Clearly because you can't be trusted. Nor can the idiots outside, so make yourself comfortable or something." He yelled from over the door and stomped back down the stairs to get a cup of coffee.

"What're you looking for?@ Klaus asked, feet perched up on the table, "Scratch that, who's that wee lass locked up in your dungeon of a room?"

Clicking his tongue he threw another empty can away, "My wife- well, that's it, gonna get myself a cup of coffee"

"Excuse me? Your what?" Allison spat, arms crossed as she looked at him with raised brows, causing him to turn around and glare at her, "What part of that statement was unclear to you?"

"I mean I'm just amazed someone would even go out of their way to spend more than an hour with you, let alone marry you." She snorted, glancing at Diego who entered the room.

"Heard you got divorced by the way." Smirking at her scowl he blinked away. Initially, he was going to go get coffee but then the thought of locking her upstairs was bothering him even more, which is why he blinked into his room, only to find her tying up his bed sheets. 

"What are you doing?"

"Redecorating."

Cue him dragging her to the doughnut shop with him, grumbling his way there as she swung their hands back and forth, "You never listen, I mean I told you- we've been married for so long and-"

"Oh look we're here."

The argument did erupt until the two were actually sitting and waiting for their coffee. 

"Rule number three..." Five glanced up from the map the man had made for him on the napkin, noticing how his wife was just staring ahead as she began speaking (never a good sign), "What about it?" he muttered casually.

"Did you always plan on leaving me behind?" 

"I-" he paused, causing her to look up from her doughnut, was he really going to not answer her again, if she hadn't jumped into the portal behind him, he would've just left her, wouldn't he?

It amazed her how well he could still easily shut her out, even after being married for so long, sometimes she would feel as if she was completely bare in front of him, while he stood there, layer upon layer, gazing at her with an air of mockery. 

"Five I-" she was cut off by the sound of the bell, pausing when she felt him grab her hand and give it a little squeeze. She could hardly react before she was blinked out into the back of the shop. 

"Wait-" he grabbed her face and looked at her, trying to console the pain in her eyes, "I'll be back, don't move." before blinking away.

That was the first time she had experienced the adrenaline, the fear, and the anxiety that came with the job, being a desk worker had protected her from all these things, he had protected her from all these things, but now that she was here, she had begun to understand why he wanted to leave her behind. To some extent she had wanted to apologize to him, beg him to leave her behind so he could carry out his task, but on the other hand, she knew she couldn't survive without him, she needed him to be able to live on. 

"What do you mean to leave you?" he asked, as he stared at her, the two were making it back to the house. He was holding onto her hand, pulling her closer ever so often.

"I mean, I understand if you want to leave me behind, " her words stung him more than she could ever imagine, but she could see that as soon she glanced at his furrowed brows, eyes sharp as he stared ahead. 

"You say that so casually, yet, you're the one who made me believe in love," he whispers to himself, entering the quiet Hargreeves mansion, hopeful that everyone was asleep.

"I- no, Five, what I mean is, I now understand what you meant when you said I'd become a liability." she pulled on his hand, only for him to slip it out of her grasp and go to the mini bar, grabbing a bottle and glass. He was in no mood for this conversation,  no mood for her insecurities, no mood for her selfless nature. For once he was glad that she had decided to be selfish, to follow him here, sure, he wasn't happy about her being put in danger, but feeling her next to him, knowing she was with him, especially after the commission sent people for him, made him realize how even if he had left her behind, they would’ve gotten to her- doing God knows what to extract information out of her.

"Five, please talk to me." 

Klaus slowly peaked up from behind the couch, a lover's quarrel was more entertaining than listening to Ben yells at him.

"What do you want me to say Y/N?" he sighed, pouring himself a glass, "Please enlighten me, what happened for you to follow me here but then" He took a swig f his glass, gulping it down in one go before slamming it on the counter, smacking his lips as he glared at her.

She flinched at his tone, he had never used that tone with her, let alone yell at her. "I-" words caught in her throat she looked at the ground, gripping the ends of her coat's sleeves, "I just...thought...maybe- I mean I." her words dying out as the rush of emotions finally started taking over, one of the many things that made the two different.  While he was a being more composed than the statue of Buddha, she was a whirlwind of emotions, moments away from breaking loose. The only thing the two did have in common was their ability to bottle up their feelings. 

"Aw no, little girl, don't give up." Klaus whispered, earning  a "shush" from Ben who was standing next to Y/N then looking at Five, "Klaus, defuse this situation, say something so they stop arguing."

Shaking his head in response he leaned back down on the couch, he wanted to see the drama, not a part of it. 

Sighing in defeat she looked at her shoes, he was right, why did she follow him, why did she decide to put him in more danger than he was already in, why was she making it more difficult for the man who had saved her numerous times - at this point, she was sure it was the raging teenage hormones, because the moment he called out her name again, with that sweet, calming tone, she broke down, sinking to her knees.

Five watched her struggle with her words, he knew he was pushing it too far, not once in the time of being with her had he done this. Usually, because she was the more upfront one out of the two, saying what was on her mind, asking for what she needed, doing what she felt was right, like how she'd throw away the file he'd be reading after coming from work, "prepping for the next mission"

"Woman! I was reading that-"

"Come to bed, it’s a simple mission, we've gone through worse."

We, that's what was bothering him, since when did they go from "We" to "i", "me" or "you". Singular pronouns were barely part of her vocabulary, so what had happened for her to suddenly say this? Was he scared? Of course, he was afraid, he had been with her for so long, relying on her for so long that the thought of her leaving midway may have bud some form of separation anxiety. Yes, he had wanted to leave her behind, but perhaps those three seconds he spent staring at the portal, back in the 60s were him waiting to see if she would follow, or at least come looking for him. Hypocritical, it was, but he had never claimed to be some saint, he was a walking canister of red flags. It was her, she was the pure one, the proof of innocence and humility, if anyone out there deserved true, ultimate happiness, it was only her and if the world was not always at war with him, he would've spent time trying to give it all to her.

He looked at her, wanting to continue but froze when he saw her crumble before him, instantly blinking next to her as he held her close, whispering nonstop apologies. Kissing the top of her head,  heart squeezing when he felt her grip on his jacket, mumbling how much she loved him but was afraid. 

"I know you are. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, my love." 

That very night- when Klaus was knocked out Ben saw a different side of Five, one that he had not seen even when he was alive, the way Five was holding onto her, assuring her of how much he loved her but would also keep her safe, how sorry he was that he dragged her into this. Ben had never known Five to be one to give value to emotions, let alone use any words of comfort. 

It was safe to say, over the next couple of days, Ben had developed a certain bond with the girl, not that she knew he existed, but he felt like he owed it to Five- or rather he felt like Five deserved to have that ounce of security and happiness kept safe and alive. Sometimes Klaus couldn't find him, he'd call him but he wouldn't show up, he'd look for him, call him out had him thinking his powers were losing their effect. In actuality, Ben would be following her around, while she would make little trips to the library to find books for Five or sometimes the doughnut shop to get something. He knew she wouldn't know about him, perhaps he wanted to befriend her, someone who was not a Hargreeves, someone who was not a freak. So, he was content, watching over her like a guardian angel, even if she didn't know he existed

Or that's what he had thought.

"It's all right, I'm fine, I feel safe with you," she said buckling up in the truck, the one they had just stolen, and fixing her attire, the first thing she had done after coming to the sixties, got a pair of pants, after following Klaus catfish old rich women, and create a cult- technically that wasn't how hippie culture had come to being, her inner 'desk worker' kept on reminding her, but since their arrival had already messed up the time, might as well lets these people do whatever they want.

"Why thank you, that brings me great joy" Klaus chided, as he stepped on the gas, the beads on his weird beard jiggling.

"Not you, Ben." She said simply, flipping onto the page she had bookmarked in her book, the only activity that would remind her of her husband.

"I- who?" Klaus squeaked, Ben, who was sitting in between the two gasped, turning to face her, "Yo, did she just-"

"No, I can not see him, but I know he's here, I read about all of you, from the diary your father wrote- snagged it off Leonard, so, I figured out, the mysterious feeling of being watched came was not me losing my mind, but that your brother never crossed over." She mumbled, turning to another page, "Thank you, Ben, I'm sure Five would appreciate it."

"You sure are something, doll," Klaus muttered as he saw Ben smiling like a five-year-old child who got that very special toy he wanted.

It was after this confession that she wanted to see Ben and get to know him better, Five had told her about his siblings but had mentioned how Ben was one of the most innocent ones. That's why she wanted to meet him, something she told Five, a few minutes before they were going to go back to their usual timeline.

"You know, I saw you die." He whispered, sitting next to her on the stairs of the porch, looking at the bodies, "I almost broke my promise."

"Almost" she smiled, reaching for his hand, gently placing her head on his shoulder, playing with his fingers, "I knew you'd save me, oh, by the way, did I tell you, Ben has been my guardian angel all this time."

"I had a feeling," he whispered, bringing her hand to his lips, pressing them against the back of her hand, "Glad you figured it out, my clever little desk worm."

"When did you figure it out?" She asked, pulling him up to his feet as she stood up too, going to where everyone was not standing in a circle, "When you told me about the book floating above your head, you would've loved him if you met him."

WRONG

"Five!" she gasped, ducking when a tentacle almost hit her, missing her but almost hitting Five who had blinked away. 

"Nice to see you too Ben" he yelled, sitting on the top of the railing, "Mind not aiming at my wife, she's not like us."

For a split second, Ben stopped, glancing at her before nodding towards the exit, "Scram kid, and get a new boyfriend."

.

"So, that was Ben?" she asked, pressing a napkin against Five's bleeding forehead.

"An asshole, yes." Klaus groaned, staring up at the sky, "Is it me or were they better than us."

"Who were you kissing by the way," she asked, both lost in their own little world, "You" he responded simply, ignoring the headache and the way Allison was screaming at him to figure this out.

"Hey, love birds, what do we do now?" Diego asked as the lot walked out of the park, pausing to look up at the billboard of the Sparrow Academy. 

"Find a place to rest and think?" She said, tugging on Five's hand who was focused on something else, "Hmm? yeah, sure."

.

"What are you, a commie?" Diego groaned, as Five flopped on the bed, ignoring him before mumbling something and knocking out, knowing Y/N was in the same room as Vanya and Allison.

Y/N had left the sisters alone, they seemed to be having a moment, and she did not want to be part of it. She had decided to take a shower, changing into some sweats she had bought with a card she had swiped off someone on the streets, pickpocketing was one of the only few tricks Five had taught her- never how to hold a gun though, said she was too pure for it.

Making her way down to Five's room, she heard the boys shuffling and arguing inside,

"Fuck- KLAUS, I said chocolate!"

"It is chocolate my bro- only with a dash of-"

"Hey Five, where do you want the presents?"

"By the table you big ape."

"Klaus, please get a decent cake."

Cake? Opening the door, which as per expectations was unlocked, she met with 4 pairs of panicked eyes, a pair belonging to her husband in a bathing gown, squeaky clean. She could see some balloons on the ground around a table, on top of which was a reddish cake, poorly wrapped boxes on the other end.

"Surprise~" Klaus sang weakly as Five face palmed, Diego hiding the gift he was holding in his hand behind him, Luther just standing there frozen. "What are you - what is happening?" she asked, entering the room, before looking around.

"Its- I thought you were asleep." he muttered going over to her as he held her hands, "Happy birthday my love." he smiled, kissing her forehead, "I'm sorry I didn't remember earlier, I don't know how it slipped my mind." he muttered, "I didn't get you anything special but-" he paused when he felt her envelope him in a hug, almost crushing the air out of him as she let out a small sob.

"Aw, don't cry" Klaus clapped from behind them as Five pulled her away, wiping her face with his sleeve. "We're here." Victor declared as they entered the room, Allison behind him, "I brought the pastries, which weren't cheap by the way- are we late?" She asked, eying Y/N who was busy unwrapping a gift.

"No, Mrs.Five Hargeeves was early," Diego said as he took the box of treats from her, and placed them on the couch. 

She gasped at the mini journal, flipping through the empty pages, ready for her to fill. Caressing the blue leather, she didn't know what she'd fill it with, but she knew by the end of the year it'd be filled to the brim. Honestly, she was surprised about how he remembered this, their little tradition, admist this chaos, he'd get her a journal each year, for her birthday, telling her that even if he was not there anymore, their memories would be engraved in letters, ones she could go through whenever she missed him. She didn't know when she had begun crying, only realized it when she felt a hand on her shoulder, looking up to see Five, smile at her, not his usual cheeky confident self, but a smile of reassurance, one he gave her when he had rejected her confession, when the two had realized a child could never be part of their marriage when they had lost their little turtle.

"I'm sorry." he whispered, only for her to shake her head, "Please don't be, I'm just glad I'm with you."

"So am I."

None of them really knew what was going to happen to anyone, what was going to happen next, if there was ever a moment for them to find their own happy ending, but at the end of it, she knew that Five would find a way. She believed in that blindly, after all, he was her savior, he was her knight in shining armor sent to pull her away from her mundane life, he was her Zorro or Hercules- her idiot husband. Her one true love.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A/N: Thank you @imherefortea for requesting this and an EXTREMELY BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I am so sorry for how long this took- it's a shit load of, I lost motivation, and I thought since I missed the deadline I'd write something longer to my laptop stabbing me in the back like Brutus. EITHER WAY- I hope you like it and thank you so so so so very much for being this patient with me.

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