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eternal-armin · 1 year

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'CAUSE HE THINKS he's made of candy.

i think this is the longest thing i've ever written here, around 6.7k words and i had to revise it a lot because it took up too much space ;;; the title is a reference to candy by robbie williams because that song slaps hard

pairing : five hargreeves x male/transmasc reader. [he/him pronouns]

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where : after surviving the apocalypse together and saving the world, things finally return to normal, in good ways and in bad ways.

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warnings : mentions of trauma, some light mentions of gore, reader has a congenital insensitivity to pain and find getting injured amusing, so... a lot of that kind of trouble. i totally wanna do another part or so because klaus and diego being father figures gives me life

you walked through the half-dark house, making your way to five's room like you had many times, skateboard in one hand and phone in the other. making sure you hadn't waken anybody up, you opened the door, greeted by the expected sight of a dark bedroom and the sound of gentle snoring. "five, wake up~," you whispered, half singing, shaking his arm, steadily waking him up. he looked annoyed, his brow already furrowed and a frown already tugging at his lips, but he wasn't angry. he was rather used to it by now, in all honesty. "your favorite person ever in the entire world is here!" you hummed. five could basically smell the grin you wore.

"and i wish he would go away," he grumbled in response, trying to turn back over and go back to sleep, only for you to flick on the light and blind him. "jesus christ, a fucking―a warning next time, please?"

"shove your warnings up your ass, five, you can miss out on your middle schooler sleep schedule for a night."

"many nights, actually," he hissed distastefully, giving a mourning glance to the cozy pillow before he sat up, now disappointingly awake. "what do you want this time?" the grogginess was now leaving his voice, but not really his eyes. five almost looked nice when sleepy, even if he looked pissed as hell at being woken up. at least your face was a little more pleasant to look at now that you were back to your teenage self.

"let's go shopping."

five looked at you like you were utterly insane, then slowly looked over at his clock. he cocked his head at you. "it's almost midnight."

"mm, did i stutter?"

"i wish you did. i'm not going shopping with you at midnight. no place is even open." five tried to put his foot down. he was a steel wall to anyone else. but to you―perhaps for you, he was simply a clay plot, one easy to crack the more water you filled it with. it was nice to spend time with you without the entire world desolate and destroyed around you, at least.

"who said the place had to be open?" you shot back with a cheeky grin. five wished that he could be surprised with your blatant delinquency. at some points it had done you both well and your affinity for breaking rules, laws, and regulations gave you a peculiar resourcefulness, but now that you were both safe and home, well... you'd become a mischievous troublemaker. just how you used to be.

"... how the hell did we ever become friends." his voice was utterly flat and his expression exhausted and peeved and yet he still stood up, shrugging the blankets off of himself, heading to his closet because he would be damned if you were going to get hurt and he wouldn't be there to laugh at you.

well, you didn't really get hurt, did you?

"i dunno, but i'm sure you regret your decision." five didn't respond to that. "i will satiate your worries, though, old man, it's an abandoned mall this time."

"wow. character development. didn't expect that from you." with the newfound information he searched for something decent to wear. something that allowed him to move and remain covered by shadows should any unsavory things come to pass.

"hey, hey, i went from crying when i stepped on an ant to killing people, and even if that's negative character development, it's still character development, okay? stop underselling me." you leaned against the wall next to his door, skateboard lounging beside you, picking at your nails. he finally took a full glance at you now that sleep was totally gone from his mind and his body, narrowing his eyes. you were wearing jean shorts, an old nirvana t-shirt, and a hawaiian button-down completely unbuttoned. at least you were wearing knee-pads this time around, but that was all the praise he could give you. five still found himself stunned that you so brazenly didn't care about how visible your scars were; scars from broken bones, scrapes, cuts, gashes, burns, stabs, bullets, shrapnel. you paraded them about like they were boy scout badges which was almost hilarious because you never learned anything from the incidents which now lined your body. even though five would never do it himself, and in fact found it incredibly weird, he kind of respected it. admired it, even. but just that one thing, nothing else. never.

"what, see something you like, old man?" you mused, going from fidgeting with your fingers to looking him in the eye, your own glinting with a bit of cheekiness. not the worst thing to be woken up to in the middle of the night.

five scoffed. "never in my life." you rolled your eyes at that sarcastic response and your grin did not fade. "you're―you're seriously wearing that?"

"hey, i dress my age, mr. retired-man-with-dementia-who-only-remembers-how-to-play-bingo, alright? leave me be." neither of you were bothered by bickering whilst five changed from pajamas to day clothes. he wasn't getting totally naked, so neither of you really gave a shit.

"'dress your age'..." he muttered. "you dress like a blind tween."

"thanks, hot stuff."

"that wasn't a compliment."

"i literally could not care less," you shot back, then winked at him, adding, "lovingly."

five faked a chuckle in some sort of hum sound, shooting you a falsified grin before returning to what he was doing. "i don't want your love. i'm good."

you frowned a bit yourself, which was totally and utterly unnerving and made five, somehow, regret what he said a little bit. "ouch, dude, tell me how you really feel."

"you couldn't comprehend even the most elementary of my emotions, so i'll spare you the headache." he glanced at you a few times, more so at that lingering twinge of unhappiness that so brazenly took over your expression. those words were typically the closest you would ever get to verbal reassurance or comfort from five, not just because he was completely incapable of voicing his own emotions properly, but because physicality did more for you than talking ever did; so, with a comfortable, neutral flannel now hiding his previously exposed torso, he placed a hand on your shoulder. he was always gentle with you, which completely didn't make sense because if anyone in the world needed to be treated gently it would certainly not be you.

a little smile found its way back on your lips. now reassured that not everything was wrong with the world, five pulled on a dark sweater and paperboy cap. you looked him over. "you really look like a retiree now," you mused, but it wasn't an insult. he looked nice like this, out of that hellish uniform, and never could you imagine him in anything else. "do you wanna hit the golf course too, gramps? i'm sure they got some mocktails for you since you wanna keep the drinking to a minimum tonight."

"shut it before i make you." he spoke through gritted teeth, jabbing a finger at you, only succeeding in making you grin.

"is that a threat or a promise?" you clicked your tongue, picking up your skateboard and heading for the door before he could say anything else. "the old tree is, like, a twenty-five-minute walk."

"i'll just blink us, i'm not spending another thirty minutes with you on a skateboard on rough sidewalks, i don't even wanna think about what would happen this time."

"it was so cool, though! i never thought a compound fracture could look like that!"

"[y/n], you only think it's cool because you couldn't feel the pain."

"uh, yeah," you said back, raising a brow at him while he shut off the light to his room and closed the door behind you two. "but it was still cool." you had your bubbly little grin again and five rolled his eyes. despite all that trouble, all that excessive worry he would never admit to feeling, five still looked back somewhat fondly on those times. back when you were ten, still learning how to skateboard, and your parents didn't even give you a helmet or joint pads, when you broke your ankle and didn't even know something had happened until five pointed it out.

after taking one hell of a tumble, hearing the board crack a bit beneath you, you let out a breathless huff, allowing yourself a moment to absorb the sudden shift in, well, everything. five perked up at the sound, surprised you weren't crying or something after falling like that. you stood up and brushed yourself off like nothing was wrong, peering strangely down at the board, which had no damage. you pushed it back and forth once or twice with one foot and it seemed undamaged. that was weird. you'd heard it break, right? five came up to your side, glancing you over once or twice, before his eyes settled down at your feet. "you've got a little something on, uh―" five cut himself off, eyes wide, and you knew that shit was bad when he looked at you like that. he looked about as shocked as one could be, and that unnerved you to no end.

"what? what, did i..." you looked down at your shirt to make sure you hadn't torn it up or anything or were totally exposed, somehow completely not noticing the broken ankle on which you were unsteadily standing, chalking it up to you still half-standing on your skateboard. "what, i don't see what's wrong this picture. stop being cryptic with me, man, you know i'm dumb as shit."

"well―i mean, you aren't wrong about that 'dumb as shit' thing, but i think you just fully busted your ankle." his curtness was plain and simple, and you had already known back then that it would be a constant in his attitude. you looked down, then back up, your eyes wide and mouth twisted as you poorly suppressed a grin and a very annoying giggle. "don't look at me like that! how―how are you not feeling it? that would hurt like hell!" he kept gesturing down at your ankle, at the protrusion of bone and reddening, swelling skin.

"i dunno, i just can't feel it," you mumbled. he pursed his lips, simultaneously in disbelief at what you were saying and knowing that you were too shit at lying to pull this kind of thing off. all of a sudden, his mind was screeching like a fork in a garbage disposal. not being able to feel pain was kind of a bad thing.

he had actually been right, to no one's surprise, when you were diagnosed with congenital analgesia. that incident had marked the day where five silently vowed to be there to protect you, because you were alone except for him. and, to a certain extent, he was alone except for you.

"god really was fucked up when he made you, wasn't he," he muttered.

you both headed downstairs and the clock, by now, was probably around twelve. klaus waited at the bottom of the staircase with the cheekiest of smirks on his face, hands clasped together and his cheek leaning against them. you let out an exhausted groan, thinking you'd missed this tonight.

"something tells me he's super weird-dad tonight."

"why are you surprised, he's klaus, and he's basically your dad."

klaus let out some weird giggle. "i mean, i prefer the thought of being the really cool uncle who teaches you how to smuggle alcohol and how to juke rehab therapists, but i don't mind being a dad." he stepped in front of you two, hands now extended, and that dopey uber-proud dad smile back. "oh, just look at you two!"

"i thought you were sober," five said flatly.

"come on, you two are perfect together! your over-the-top chaos," he gestured to you, "and your sterile literalism!" and he gestured to five. "i'm just waiting for you two to make it official, i mean, two guys don't just survive fifty years in the apocalypse together only from a platonic bond." you and five shared a wide-eyed glance. "don't worry, if my cupid abilities don't get you two together, hormones will. i can't imagine going through puberty twice, let alone the sexual tension between two guys who can't admit their love for one another―"

you put your face in your hands, utterly embarrassed, whilst five was utterly unsurprised. a similar conversation had gone down before, and he just hated reliving it. "okay! that's enough. okay, okay, uh, we're gonna go! if you contact me within the next seven days, i will call child protection services and the police." of course, the threat was empty, but hyperbole was the best way to get your point across. klaus raised his hands in surrender and stepped out of your way. he did enjoy the picture of you two, though; the two extremes on opposite sides of the social attitudes spectrum, one extroverted to the point of it being a flaw and the other antisocial to hell; the opposite sides of the fashion spectrum, one being well-put together mature vintage, and the other being power-clashing at its finest. the multicolored shoelaces were also an appreciated detail.

"i love you too, my little schneke."

"... stop calling me a snail, i'm―i'm not slow."

"maybe not physically," five said quietly to you, and in response you jabbed him in the side with a quiet 'fuck you.' on that cheerful note, you two went about your way. the front door clicked closed behind you, and in a flash of blue-tinted light, you were gone, and the house was mostly silent. klaus was soon joined by allison, quietly making her way downstairs, the only remaining light sleeper of the family.

"you really are just laying on that matchmaker thing, aren't you." she sounded drowsy and awake at the same time. klaus greeted her with a simple smile and a single nod.

"i mean, aren't they just the perfect couple?"

"they certainly were standing next to each other," allison mumbled.

seeing five frustrated was worrying. staring down at his clenched fists, blue light barely rippling out like ice spreading over a metal surface. and so when you passed him, even when he did not notice you, you touched his shoulder, finding yourself in another time. "h-hey, uh, five―" you managed, feeling nauseated as yet again he travelled to some time else.

"get off of me, [y/n], you shouldn't be here!" he looked at you with anger, more like fury, but it was a weird cocktail because it was mixed with a very weird concern. suddenly the world around you two zipped away and was replaced with one of fire, ruined buildings, complete and utter desolation of what was once a world, once compiled with many lives and now every single one was snuffed out because a different roaring fire took everything with it. both of you stood in shock for a few seconds but your cool nature was the first to crack.

"five?! five, where are we?" your voice cracked and your chest tightened, whipping your head around because you thought if you turned fast enough you would be back home.

"like hell if i know, [y/n]! why didn't you let go of me?!"

"i wouldn't have been home anyway, five! i would be just as stranded, i―we―someone needs to be alive, right? someone?" both of you seemed to have the same idea click into your minds, stumbling into weak runs to find the umbrella academy. the building had once stood grand and tall and foreboding and now it was down to the foundations. your friends, his siblings, were gone. he fell to his knees and you turned around, horrified at the world but at least free from the stinging pain of heat and dust whipping into your skin. you felt as cold as ice in a world of fire and heat because, buried amongst the broken homes, were the only family you both had. just older, and... dead. in very painful, excruciating ways.

for all those years, you thought it had been you that stranded you in the apocalypse together; you had distracted him, you had ruined it all, and you never forgave yourself. you hid it well. but five never came out with the same thought process because he didn't believe it in the slightest. he'd already been struggling to transport himself to the time he wanted. maybe you'd exasperated things just a little, but it wasn't entirely your fault. never.

you both allowed yourselves time for the mental breakdown you so dearly deserved, but the time was coming to man up and start trying to find ways to survive. joined at the hip didn't really cover how close you were over those decades, how you couldn't sleep unless you were besides each other, how you protected five because you wouldn't feel the pain and how he always patched you up while cursing you out and still kissing the wound better because it always properly calmed you down, at least more than any words could. you took the brunt of the pain, weaponizing your congenital analgesia and using it as a defensive plan. it worked. even when the handler came around, especially when the handler came around, no defense quite matched yours.

"i should've left you back near the academy building," five muttered, wrapping makeshift bandages around your... well, your practically crushed arm. his voice was gruff now, and not just from the unpleasant living situation, but you were both nearing your thirtieth birthdays. you'd both filled out. you kept gazing at him whenever he patched you up, and even though his words were sour, his touch was sweet.

"what're you looking at, dipshit."

"nothing much."

"fuck you."

"you first."

five grinned a bit. some things never changed.

"wow. this place really didn't age well." the old liberty tree spanned out in front of you with basically no windows left intact, and beyond them a black void without any electricity in the circuits. the outdoor walls were crawling with ivy, the grounds fuzzy from overgrown plants on unkempt laws, and the concrete of the structure looked about ready to crumble. you'd come here a few times in your pre-apocalyptic childhood. it had been coming down for a long time after a few bigger malls came into the picture, carrying more stores, more variety, more fast food restaurants in the food court. now its charms drew only you in as 'how sick would it be to die crushed under the ceiling of an abandoned mall?'

"it's super cool, right?" you giggled, giddy as all hell. your attitude toward liminal spaces had stayed remarkably the same over the years. always, when passing by some tired old house, you nagged five to just take a peek.

"i don't think so, no."

"well, you're friends with me, so i don't think you really have good taste, so i'm gonna ignore that comment and think you said yes." try as he might, and he desperately did, five couldn't bring himself to hate that glint in your eyes when you looked at him. pure, raw curiosity with an undertone of excitement and glee that you were exploring some boring, abandoned place with him of all people. you set down your board and took your place standing on top of it and before five could scold you for skating on very uneven ground, you took off, ducking and pulling a small ollie to get through the shattered pane of the glass main door. five sighed through his nose and followed you in, eventually greeted by the sound of your bluetooth speaker blasting something he couldn't make out by its echo.

"how could you possibly find this fun?" he almost had to shout to be heard. you were approaching again after going around the empty lobby for a few turns, just going faster and faster, losing more caution every time.

"because it's mindless and mostly not illegal!" you responded brightly. suddenly you got the fantastic idea to jump off your board and let it go flying and you followed the instinct, landing wrong on your foot and immediately heading straight for the ground. you would've landed hard, getting at least a deep bruise, if five hadn't caught you by your waist before you could break yet another bone, scoffing at your terrible decisions.

"there are millions of words in the english but none of them could ever describe just how incredible it is that you aren't dead yet," he said curtly, helping you stand back up. you were giggling.

the music was still playing and so you wrapped your arms around his neck, starting to sway and hum along to the eerily-echoing tune. he looked at you with confused horror, eyes narrowed slightly, not moving with you.

"don't give me that, shortstack!"

"i'm taller than you."

"i'm going to ignore that!" you chirped. "we're alive and out of hell, and we have been for, like, weeks now, it wouldn't kill you to dance a little bit!" your hair, bouncy from its messiness, danced almost more than you did as you moved it back and forth, singing whole-heartedly along to saint motel, keeping it a bit dialed back so that five wouldn't have his ears fully blown out by the volume. "who do you think'll see your shitty dance moves other than me? and we both know that i would be a total hypocrite if i insulted you for them."

"i don't dance."

"yeah, and i don't care. your hip won't give out if you use it for fun, fivey."

"don't... don't say that, actually." the cracks were staring to show, just as they always did with his clay pot attitude. you sputtered at the accidental innuendo.

"aw, c'mon, please? just this once?" it was no wonder that klaus was dead-set on his precious, unofficially-adopted son being in love with five, and also no wonder that diego was dead-set on keeping that same unofficially-adopted son as far away from five as possible. your puppy dog eyes were totally nauseating and deeply troubling and so he gave in, solely for the sake of his own sanity. he shut his eyes for a second, mumbling something along the lines of 'i should've killed you decades ago.' but he hugged your waist a little more purposefully and begrudgingly swayed a bit to the tune. the look of utter happiness on your face was, admittedly, kind of worth the wake-up call and following exhaustion.

"i cannot believe that you guilt-tripped me into dancing."

the happy music saw you getting a bit more creative, making up the moves as you went, whatever felt right. five let go of a little control to do the same, and found himself mildly enjoying it. would he do it again? not on his own accord. would you probably make him do it again? without a doubt. it was, however, nice to watch you enjoy yourself. he kind of wanted to dip you, but he didn't.

"you're a natural, though." clasping his hands and intertwining your fingers, you leaned back, and he found himself doing the same, both of you held upright by your grasps on the others' hands, and you started to move in a circle. for the sake of both your safety, five went about it too. walking turned into sideways jogging and you started giggling. the world around you both blurred. for five, it was just you now, just you, like it had always been. it had been a while since you'd held hands for so long but eventually it ended, much to five's dismay, and you went stumbling backward a few steps, falling hard on your ass whilst he quickly remained his balance. you were breathless for a moment after falling so suddenly, but eventually you just started laughing. five wiped his hands on his shirt, peering at you strangely.

"you didn't hear anything crack or whatever? nothing feels weird?" he spoke with no emotion in his voice and yet the words and underlying tone were careful and concerned. nobody else could hear it, but after so long, you could read his every move.

"no, nothing." you shook your head a bit, finding yourself dizzy. "nice to see you're still concerned."

he offered his hand out to you and you took it, and in a strong move, he pulled you up. "i wouldn't call it concern."

"well, then, what would you call it?"

good question.

you were sniffling and crying while trying not to sound it at all. of course, it wasn't from the pain, but from the total stress. sometimes it all just collapsed on you again and you were a hyperventilating, shaking kid again, too scared to turn off the light because the shadows freaked you out. five sat down beside you, leaning against the least-crumbling wall of the small shack you'd both been calling home.

"you're not really a crier," he began. "did something happen?"

"i-i almost got crushed and i saw my life fucking―flash before my eyes and i hated all of it. every single second. i wish i'd killed my parents, i wish i'd killed that landlord, i wish i'd killed my uncle―"

"wish all you want but that's not gonna happen, [y/n]." his voice softened. five was essentially the same as he had been when he was thirteen, just sprouted into someone who would've been one hell of a college freshman. "i wish i killed a lot of people too, but we're here, and we're here together, and―for what it's worth―i'm glad that you're alive." he settled a bit closer to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulder, pulling you, still sniveling, against him. "hating your childhood is pretty common where i'm from," he joked, successfully getting a wheezy chuckle from you, "and it's still possible to lead a decently okay life. i'm trapped in a terrible apocalypse, and it's not just external, but... it's a little better because i have someone else who's more insane to remind me that i'm right."

you chuckled yet again, snuggling against him. his warmth was better than the world's. "i think i only moved because i heard you call."

"seriously?"

"i-i mean, yeah." it was kind of hard to forget the feeling of stumbling away from a ton of hard reinforced concrete that would've left you as a reddish smear on an orange world. five's curt and somewhat annoyed call was the only thing that grounded you, and you both knew just how quick that faded.

"you really would be dead without me." his voice was quiet and deeply peeved but he didn't shy away from you, his hand remaining idly just against your hair.

"no shit, dumbass―trust me, i am well aware." you snorted to yourself and five sprouted a small amused smile on his own. eventually your smile dimmed a bit, and were reminded of the world in which you lived in, and the world from which you had come from. "why did you stick around?" your disheartened soul was reflected in those words, lined with a pure confusion. five furrowed his brow. apparently it was completely out of the realm of possibility to you for him to just care.

"... there was a lot of―"

"answer the question. please. j-just this once." five quieted a bit when he heard that. usually he was quite skilled at deflecting questions but you melted his resolve so easily. you asking a genuine question in a hauntingly low voice left five silent with no idea how to respond, even after all these years of dealing with your rollercoaster mannerisms.

"wrong place at the wrong time, i suppose." right place at the right time was better to describe it, maybe. "after you broke your ankle when we were ten, i guess i took it upon myself to make sure you didn't do any dumb shit that would end up in a gnarly death. whether you can feel it or not." so he'd appointed himself to be your protector?

"why? it wouldn't do you any good. well... it hasn't done you any good."

"do you really think i only do things if they'll give me an advantage?" five paused, not looking down to see the squinted eyes you stared at him with. "don't answer that question, actually. don't answer. it hasn't done me any good but i don't regret anything i did. not terribly, anyway."

your grin would make the cheshire cat blush.

five immediately regretted saying that. "don't let that go to your head, [y/n]."

"already there, bud."

his brow furrowed again, the corners of his lips twitching down in another frown. "alright. maybe it's partially concern. but fracturing your pelvis would be a very stupid way to die, and not worth laughing at, so i didn't want to miss out on a show." maybe there was some form of truth in that desire for a fun death, but you had that desire too, so small potatoes. it was silence between you two for a few seconds as you patted concrete dust off of your clothes and the backs of your thighs. "let me help," he said, and it was a demand and not an ill-cadenced suggestion. he stepped behind you and swiped away the strips you couldn't reach with a heavy hand. while he did so he carefully looked you over, even going to far as lifting your arms to check for any injuries. you were quite used to it by now.

"thanks," you mumbled. "still waiting for that broken leg."

"well, your plan wouldn't work anyway, because i can see your legs."

"yeah... i like my legs. i don't want one to go janky from a broken bone."

"it would be unfortunate."

"mmhm, so you agree."

five narrowed his eyes slightly, not getting what you meant for a second or two, before scoffing. "i don't think that your legs are nice."

"really?" you turned to look at him, and the teasing grin on your face was reassuring in how amused it was. you were just playing with him, but that was always the way you got him to inadvertently expel whatever he was thinking. you tilted your head, crossing your arms.

"don't give me that, [y/n], or i'll blink away and leave you here."

"there's ceiling access."

he pursed his lips. "alright, then leaving you alone here is completely out of the question, but i will find some way to make this miserable for you."

"what, why? why d'you wanna misery me?"

"you're dreadfully annoying, for one. i hate how you're always smiling, it gives you really bad wrinkles. you have the heart of a child because you're so immature and i don't know why the universe thought it would be funny to shove us two together, because god knows it would never happen normally, but here we are, much to my chagrin." five paused. you were accustomed to his rants by now. "your weird uncle-dad keeps trying to rush something which shouldn't be rushed, and i don't even know what level of weird that is but i hate being a part of it."

"rush something which shouldn't be rushed―what does that mean?" it was like you had selective hearing for the smallest freudian slips known to man. "what, do you need sixty more years to admit you've had some sort of big emotion or something?" it was mostly a jab, something meant to be funny, which was met with a stolid seriousness. you let out a near-silent 'oh' as the moment continued.

"yeah. turns out the crazy alcoholic was onto something, for the first time in his life." you snorted at the quip, nodding in agreement. both of you knew, dearly knew, that words wouldn't be the vessel of the confession, but both of you knew, dearly knew, that it was coming pretty fast. you'd just never think it would come this fast. klaus was really good at sniffing out a love arc, apparently. five felt like steel when he took your hands back into his, not because his biting sharp edges hurt you, no, and they never would, but he'd never done something in a manner such as this. with a few unspoken words the entire atmosphere of your relationship had been turned upside down and that was the scary part; he had no clue where to go from here.

"the worst part will be telling klaus he was right," you joked, swinging your arms in and out on socially-awkward instinct.

"you're telling me. he's gonna tout it around for the rest of time."

"we'll never live it down."

"i doubt you'll need to worry about that, i'll be surprised if you make it to your 16th birthday."

"you give me three years? seriously? you really think that my 58-year-old-13-year-old self can only survive three more years?"

"absolutely correct." you found yourself laughing and he found himself grinning, just slightly. the sound was pleasant, admittedly. he was more open with that now. well, barely, but it still counted. the silence that did follow this time around was almost pleasant. you were too nervous to maintain eye contact very long, so you glanced away from him and your gaze lingered on the random spot which it landed. plants had somehow found their way into the internal cracks of the floor, green shards glinting out in the pale light from the grimy sunroof.

"i never thought i'd see the day where you couldn't look me in the eyes. it's weird and i don't like it. look at me." your cheeks felt warm but you did as you were told. he smiled a little bit, and it didn't even hint at a snarky grin or smug smirk. you leaned forward and rested your forehead against his.

"i'm totally not telling klaus about this."

"neither am i, are you kidding?"

"never in my life," you giggled to yourself, graduating from holding his hands to wrapping your arms back about his neck, where it felt like they belonged. suddenly it was like he was new to embraces because his arms felt stiff when he hugged back, but he hugged back, tight. never before had you encountered something so gentle and so suffocating at the same time; gentle because he might break you, suffocating because he might lose you. neither of those would happen on his watch, of course. somehow, even with your wild self, your flaws and lack of capability to abide by laws and rules, you'd managed to charm the most level-headed, logic-addicted, cynical douchebag the world had ever seen. maybe there was some truth behind that old 'opposites attract' thing.

"do you wanna stick around this dingy place for a while longer like the psychopath you are or get food before you go to sleep so you don"t whine about being hungry?"

"am i really that predi—"

"yes."

"wow, you muttered, furrowing your brow. "i really am predictable."

"yes."

with just the will to prove him wrong you stood straighter and gave him a quick, albeit strong, kiss, and then you were right back on your feet. you caught him off-guard, that's for sure, because he looked like an android in the middle of uploading information; eyes slightly wide, brows slightly raised, pure subtlety. "how about that?"

it still took him a few seconds to respond after that, trying to regain his smug and blunt composure while also trying not to dampen the mood in any way. "you're terrible at convincing. give it another shot."

#five hargreeves x reader #five hargreeves #five hargreaves fluff #five hargreaves x you #five hargreaves x reader #number five #the umbrella academy #the umbrella academy x reader #five x male reader #five x y/n #five x you #klaus hargreeves #klaus tua #tua netflix #tua x male reader #tua x y/n #tua x you #tua x reader

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blossomsl0ve · 2 years

Text

How you became the Hargreeves Siblings' first friend

I hope you guys enjoy this. I'm not quite sure how I did but it was good :)

∆

So your wondering how you and the Hargreeves became friends? Well that a good question and I shall answer.

First of all, I think it was Viktor who first became friends with you

Now how you met.

You walked by the academy everyday to and from school (Well not everyday but the days you would go to school on)

One day, Viktor decides to take a break from practicing and look outside the window

As he looks outside, he sees you walking home from with some of your friends (if you don't have friends for a moment pretend that you for a moment pls 💀)

For a moment, he wishes he could experience that, friendship

Besides that, he doesn't give you much thought so forgets about you

Until a a few days later he sees you again, walking home from school with your friends

Viktor begins to think about befriending you

After giving it some thought, he decides to befriend you.

Although it would take hime some time to actually befriend you. Maybe after at what time you past by to know when to approach you and enough courage to ask you.

I imagine him waiting outside the academy waiting for you to past by.

When you arrive, he stands up and shyly approaches you

He introduces himself and you do the same. He explains that he notice that how you walk by his home everyday and wanted to befriend you and you, of course, accept which makes him happy.

You gave him your number and said your goodbyes

For the next few weeks, you guys have gotten close.

You guys have had sleepovers, hangout etc.

During all of this, he keep it a secret.

Viktor didn't want his father or his siblings to ruin his first friendship with someone.

For the first time in years, he's not alone.

But eventually, they found out.

One of them notice how strange he started acting and decided to tell the other.

Then they started to notice how strange Viktor started acting.

One day, when you and Viktor decided to have a sleepover, Allison walked by Viktor's room.

As she approaches his room, she hears laughing and she slows down.

She leans towards to hear better.

The other voice is not anyone of her siblings which conclude Viktor has a stranger over

Then all of a sudden, it all makes sense. Why Viktor has been strange.

Allison then informs her siblings on what she found out.

So one night, they come to his room wanting to know who the mysterious person.

Viktor tries to act like doesn't know what they're talking about

In the end, they got him to confess.

He explains how he became friends with you and for the past few weeks he has been sneaking out and sneaking you in to hang with you.

He makes them promise not to tell Reginald

They do promise as long as they get be friends with you

Viktor agrees but he tells them he must tell you before they met you.

Once they get an okay sign, they immediately want to meet you.

All of them have never had a friend.

So all of you plan a sleepover.

When you arrive, they crowd and someone has to remind the other not to surround you.

After sometime, you guys got close.

I also have a feeling that they all would try keep you and your visits a secret from Reginald, Grace and Pogo but they already know because they're not good at hiding.

I think for once Reginald let's it slide as long as they don't get distracted and forget about their training and homework

∆

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ohmyitsfaith · 2 years

Text

The sunshine and the grump

Pairing: Sparrow!Ben Hargreeves x Fem!Reader

Summary: “Hi!! I hope you're having a great day or night!,can I request a Ben hargreeves x Fem reader who's very loving and sensitive ,like she's silent and introverted with strangers but very extroverted with her loved ones and always supportive and very caring?,bonus points if she has chonky cat who's lazy and loves Ben! That's all!💓💓” -Requested by @weepingprincepeace

Warnings: Sparrow!Ben being sparrow Ben? oh, also swearing

Word count: 2k

A/n: Thank you for the request, sorry it took so long!

The first time you met Ben Hargreeves was at a store robbery. You were an unfortunate customer at the cash register when the two masked robbers came in and not only demanded to get cash from the register, but forced you and the cashier to the floor. One was holding you and the cashier back, threatening you with his gun while the other got all the cash out of the register and from your purse.

Thankfully Ben walked in right as they went to hit the two of you in the head and two tentacles got the job done, without him breaking a sweat.

“Are you okay?” Ben helped you and the cashier up, the two tentacles still holding the now unconscious robbers.

“I’m gonna call the cops” the cashier walked away on shaky legs.

You on the other hand were too scared to say anything and too shaky to walk. So instead you just nodded. Ben’s hands stayed on your waist to keep you upright, for which you were simultaneously grateful and made you blush like a schoolgirl.

“Are you hurt?” Ben asked again, wanting to make sure that you were alright.

“No” you whispered, your anxiety keeping your voice under wraps.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m… I”m Y/n” you managed to get out.

“Alright, Y/n. We’re gonna wait for the cops and then I’ll take you home, alright?”

“No” you panicked. “No, don’t.”

“Y/n, you can barely walk from the shock, I’m not gonna let you walk home.”

Ben wasn’t sure why he insisted. Or why he actually cared. He didn’t know you, he had no actual emotional attachment to you. So why? What made him care? What was so special about you?

He didn’t know. And he wouldn’t know until the next time you accidentally met.

He was at a bar with Chris and a couple of girls, just drinking and having fun. After taking you home approximately two weeks ago, he did not expect to see you again. Yet you were constantly on his mind. He didn’t know why. Maybe it was the way you would tuck your hair behind your ears. Or maybe just that you were shy and sweet. He didn’t know you that well yet, but he could tell.

So when he noticed you coming into the bar, he was shocked but happy to see you. Not like he would ever admit that… to anyone but especially you.

But he couldn’t help going over to the bar and greeting you.

“Hey” he said simply, making you turn around.

“Hey” you looked down at your hands, instantly feeling self-conscious.

“Good to see you’re okay.”

You just nodded, feeling too anxious to keep up a conversation. Truth is, it wasn’t only Ben, who was thinking about you a lot. You did as well. For some reason, the notoriously always grumpy Ben Hargreeves was nothing but kind to you and you felt compelled to understand why. Even if that was made harder by your anxiety.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” he asked, swearing to himself that this was the last time he would try to talk to you if he couldn’t get an answer out of you.

“I…” you started, mustering up all your courage, “just a coke, thanks.”

“A coke? You came to drink soda at a bar?” he asked, but ordered it for you anyway.

“Well…” you exhaled. “I usually… um… come here to just… to just be somewhere. I don’t like to drink.”

“You do you” he shrugged and handed you your coke. “Well, see you around.”

“Wait” you grabbed his wrist in a sudden burst of confidence. “You… uh… you could stay” you told him. “If you want.”

Ben’s heart fluttered in a weird way he didn’t understand. He looked at where Chris was, but quickly made a decision and sat down next to you.

That night he got to know you a little bit and even convinced you to give him your number. So it was a total success for him. And it was a total success for you too because in a long time he was the first person you could really talk to without being a stuttering, blushing mess.

Your friendship blossomed in a matter of months. Ben started being less bitchy around you and started smiling when he was with you. He learned that you were actually a chatterbox if someone really got to know you. Whenever he had a bad day, you made sure he felt better in no time. You were always excited to hear about his day or week depending on the times he managed to call. You even loved hearing about his siblings even if the thought of meeting them made you incredibly anxious. You also always supported him whenever he needed it. You never said to him to fix it himself or anything.

So was it a surprise that he fell for you? Not really. At first, it was to him, but then he thought it through and he had to admit that it really wasn’t a shock. So, after a while, he gathered all the courage he had and asked you out. And oh boy, was he happy when you accepted!

That’s when he started hanging out at your apartment. He loved being there, especially after getting to know your lazy cat C/n (cat name). He loved the cat and he loved when he would greet him with small licks. After a while, it was obvious to him that the cat loved him just as much as he loved him.

Around the second month of your relationship, Ben took you to meet his family. Of course, you were scared about meeting them, but with Ben by your side, you felt at least a little bit at ease.

“Don’t worry, they’re gonna love you” he promised, looking you in the eye as you stood before the gates.

“Okay” you breathed out, trying to calm your heart. “It’s just-”

“I know” his hand cupped your cheek. “But you have nothing to be scared of. I’m here and I’ll be here through this.”

“Thank you” you held his hand on your cheek.

Ben smiled at you and pressed a gentle and loving kiss to your lips.

“Are you ready?”

You nodded and Ben opened the front door to let you into the Sparrow Academy.

The house was huge, you saw that from only the entrance. You knew that despite everything, Ben and his family lived in great conditions. And if the entrance amazed you, then you didn’t have words for the living area. It was honestly bigger than your apartment.

Ben’s arm was around your waist as you marveled at your surroundings. And it tightened the moment he noticed his siblings looking down at the pair of you from the balcony.

“Nice of you to show up” Fei said sarcastically, which made you look up and practically shrink back into Ben at the sudden attention.

“I was busy” Ben replied.

“I can imagine” Fei was unamused.

“Who’s the pretty lady?” Jayme chimed in.

“She's my girlfriend, dipshit.”

“Jayme, play nice. She’s clearly frightened” Marcus tried to calm his siblings. “Hello. We’re Ben’s siblings. I’m Marcus, the leader. These are Fei, Jayme, Alphonso, and Chris. Sloane hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Hi” you waved shyly. ”I’m Y/n.”

“Nice to meet you” Marcus nodded.

“Yeah, you as well.”

That’s when Grace decided to come in.

“Oh, I wasn’t expecting company. I’ll make cookies!” she turned around immediately, a bright smile on her face.

“That’s Grace. She’s a robot. She cleans and cooks” Ben provided and you nodded.

That afternoon, you got to know Ben’s siblings. At first, you were shy and quiet, but as you grew more comfortable, you started talking more carefree. It was especially nice when along with the cookies, arrived Sloane, who was the nicest person ever.

“Oh, you must be Ben’s girlfriend! I’m Sloane” she greeted you with an enthusiastic hug.

“I’m Y/n” you said after she let you go.

“Sloane” Ben warned.

“Oh, don’t worry! Y/n and I will be great friends” she smiled so big, you were surprised how it didn’t hurt her.

And true to her words, you and Sloane became not only great friends but best friends. She was a bowl of sunshine and it really helped you to ease into this new situation quicker. She was always so supportive and kind, it was really refreshing.

It was a surprise to no one when on your first anniversary, Ben took you out for a nice dinner. You suspected what was gonna happen, but you let it all play out, not wanting to interfere with his plans. You didn’t take Ben as an anxious person and generally speaking, he really wasn’t. But this was a big step for you both.

“Take my hand” Ben requested.

“Why?” you asked, but lifted your hand to place it in his.

“I’m trying to ask you to marry me, so take my damn hand!” he blurted out, his nerves getting the better of him.

“Alright” you chuckled and squeezed his hand.

“Y/n, I know that I’m not the type of person to actively show my love. I’m not normal either. My life and family is a fuck up, a real challenge. But I love you. I love you from the bottom of my heart and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Because you make me a better person. So Y/n L/n, will you marry me?”

Your heart was beating in your ear and you really fucking hoped that this was not a dream. That Ben Hargreeves was really on one knee in front of you, asking you to marry him.

“Yes” you whispered, not trusting your voice.

“Yes? You really will?”

“Of course” you nodded, feeling tears running down your cheek.

Ben jumped up and pulled you in for a hug. A hug so tight it made your heart hurt with realization. This meant so much to Ben. It finally convinced him that there is someone who really loves him and cares about him.

“Thank you” you felt weird thanking him, but honestly, you were thankful.

“What for?” he pulled away slightly.

“For loving me and sticking by my side, even though it was hard at first.”

“I should thank you then. I was an asshole.”

“No” you shook your head. “From day one, you have been so kind to me. I love you.”

“I love you too” he pressed a kiss to your lips, which you reciprocated easily.

And that was something the two of you incorporated into your vows a few months later. With Fei and Sloane as your bridesmaids (Jayme refused to wear a dress, but said that she was honored) and Chris as Ben’s best man (you learned to understand him even though it was challenging at times), you got married to Ben Hargreeves.

And that meant that you and C/n moved into the Sparrow Academy. Your life changed for the better and you had Ben to thank for that. His family became yours and you knew that they’d always be there for you, just as you’d always be there for them.

Honestly, life was great. You had everything you could ever wish for. You had an amazing husband, his family, and your cat. It was usually calm at the mansion and even when it wasn’t, it didn’t cause you any problems. So everything was great. Nothing could bring your mood down, right?

The alarm blasted through the space, summoning the sparrows. They were all dressed in their uniforms, standing on the balcony as you stood beside Ben.

“Dad, who are these assholes?”

Well, maybe your life won’t be so calm now.

[Masterlist]

#ben hargreeves x reader #ben hargreeves x you #ben hargreeves x y/n #ben hargreeves #the umbrella academy x reader #the umbrella academy x you #the umbrella academy x y/n #tua x reader #tua x you #tua x y/n #the umbrella academy ben #tua ben #sparrow!ben x reader #sparrow!ben x you #sparrow!ben x y/n #sparrow!ben

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behrads-world · 1 year

Text

The Umbrella Academy x Reader

Agreeing to filming this reality TV show was one of the most ridiculous ideas you’ve ever been on board with.

“A bonding experience” Sloane had said when she brought it up. Backing it up with the notion that you were all family, despite what timeline you were from.

Viktor, bless his heart, was the first to fold. Always the sucker for keeping peace in the family. And after hours of persistent persuasion, got the tougher family members to go along with it.

You and Five both argued that nobody needs to be in your business anymore than they already are. You mostly because you were camera shy, rather than Five's reasoning.

In the end, ultimately everyone agrees, Allowing a camera crew into your shared home with a fair amount of enthusiasm.

Now, you all stand around a coffee machine, or what remains of the coffee machine. Various pieces of the item scattered along the counter top and the floor.

You could hear five grumbling behind you about finally getting a coffee machine only for it to be destroyed. You felt for the poor boy really. Coffee was more important to Five than, well Five was to Five.

Marcus, the sparrows number one, had called you all together, trying to solve the mystery as to who broke it and if you were being entirely honest, you were already over this self proclaimed “family meeting”.

“So who broke it, I’m not mad. I just want to know” True to his word, he didn’t seem angry, although he was more relaxed than a normal person would be if they discovered their coffee machine broken. If you paid money for something you’d be angry that it’s been destroyed.

Nobody answered, even Five had stopped his angry ranting to god knows who. Between the 14 of you, this was the quietest it’s ever been. Nobody wanted to step up, and you couldn’t blame them.

It’s three in the morning and a handful of people had already turned in for the night before being rudely interrupted, and even though some of the family were still awake you all stood in your pajamas.

You mentally snorted as your eyes flickered to Luther, who was wearing the owl onesie you gifted him for his birthday, a cheap present considering it was also yours and the other five siblings' birthday .It warmed your heart that he had kept it.

The ruckus also woke the camera crew, who you had so kindly let stay with y’all, prepped with cameras and lights, ready to capture the drama.

So, in order to save you all from this misery, you broke the silence. “I did, I broke it”, and you hoped the lie was convincing enough to let Marcus let go of it.

“No, No you didn’t, Jayme?” Well that didn’t work, you guess that Marcus caught onto the fact that you never drink coffee, or go nowhere near that machine. Either way, he looks to Jayme, questioning the droopy eyed girl.

“Don’t look at me, look at Alphonso”, She drew the attention away from her, giving her other brother a weak point of her index finger.

“What?I didn’t break it” He held his hands up in defense. Alphonso, unlike the others, looked more awake, probably from being accused.

Jayme, raised a suspicious eyebrow “Huh, that’s weird, how did you know that it was broken?” You facepalmed at the ridiculously obvious question.

“Because it’s right there in front of us and it’s broken” Viktor points out, confused as to why she would ask such a thing while you made a note to yourself to tease him about his bed head when this is all over.

“Very suspicious, if you ask me” Jayme says, to which Ben groans.

“This…” He gestures to everyone in the room, still including the camera crew. “Is ridiculous, can’t we just finish this in the morning?”

“No” You jump as Five exclaims from behind you. Out of everyone here you had thought Five would be the least interested.

Through your furious heartbeat, you looked at the boy in question, opening your mouth to speak to him.

“Why the hell do you care?” Allison spoke first, and your voice died in your throat. You closed your mouth, seeing no reason to continue looking like a fool.

The cube, Christopher, shook, its color changing indicates that he’s speaking. The only ones that can understand him are the sparrows so you're used to just ignoring him.

Fei agrees with what Christoper says, prompting Diego to lean toward you. “What the hell did he say?” Your only response being a shrug of your shoulders. He knows none of the umbrellas can understand the talking, floating cube but that doesn’t stop him from asking EVERY. SINGLE.TIME.

“If it matters, probably not, but Sloane was the last one to use it.” Fei says, no longer sporting her signature glasses, and the scars on her face are more apparent under the moonlight and lights from the cameras.

“Lair, I don’t even drink that crap.” You and her both, Maybe you both could advocate for a “coffee kills” fundraiser.

“Oh really? Then what were you doing by the coffee machine earlier?” Fei retaliated, crossing her arms.

“I use the wooden stirrers to push back my cuticles. Everyone knows that fei.”

“Goodie, another beauty guru, do you think you could help me? Cause my cuticles are jacked up” Klaus spoke up, his voice soft and filled with sleep.

Diego clamps a hand on Klaus’s shoulder, and you can’t tell if the action was meant to shut him up or comfort him. But it seemingly worked in doing both.

“Okay, let’s not fight please. I broke it. Let me pay for it Marcus” You try again, and you hear a chorus of “yeahs” and “let us sleep” from all around you.

Marcus wasn’t buying it. “No! Who broke it” He was so pressed about the situation while everybody else couldn’t care less.

“Marcus, Luther has been awfully quiet “ Fei accuses.

“ReAlLy”

—————————

“I broke it, I burned my hand so I punched it.” Marcus was being interviewed separately by the camera crew, sitting confidently cross legged on the couch. Proud of himself.

In the background he could faintly hear the rest of the siblings arguing, adding to his joy “I predict 10 minutes from now they'll be at each other's throats with warpaint on their faces and a pig head on a stick”

Marcus smiled. “Good, It was getting a little chummy around here.”

This was based on an incorrect quote I saw so I hope you enjoyed.

#five hargreeves #five hargreeves x reader #ben hargreeves x reader #ben hargreeves #fei hargreeves #sloane hargreeves #sparrow academy #the umbrella academy #viktor x reader #klaus hargreeves #fanfictions #x reader #umbrella acedmy #tua season 3 #tua x you #tua x y/n #tua x reader

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p0m3gr4netel0v3 · 2 years

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𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲

꒰♡꒱...The umbrella academy x reader

꒰♡꒱...the umbrella academy when you have a nightmare

꒰♡꒱...warning(s) : talk about nightmares, like one cussword.

Five hargreeves✧˖*°࿐

Has absolutely no idea what to do.

Just hugs you akwardly ands lets you cry and talk about it if you want to.

Lots and lots of reassurance that none of it was real and it was just a dream.

" its okay, love it was just dream i promise "

klaus hargreeves✧˖*°࿐

Used to get nightmares as a kid because of ghosts so he completely understands.

He'll hold you to him tightly and whisper sweet nothings into your ear while playing with your hair

He's absolutely all ears if you wanna talk to him about it

kisses galore!! Will kiss your forhead, your nose, your cheek, literary every were.

Viktor hargreeves✧˖*°࿐

literary such a sweetheart:(

He'd be so understanding, and gentle

Would get you anything that you need, hell he'd even go to the store to get you some snacks if thats what you wanted

Holds you extra tightly, just to make sure you know he's there

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weirdmorefics · 2 years

Note

Hiya! Could I request Five Hargreeves + male reader who steals his stuff as like a joke/ affection? Platonic if that's ok. Hope u have a great day!

You Both Annoy Me Greatly

x Platonic Reader

A/N- Sorry it’s short I just did a blurb but if you want headcanons or something different you can send another request :)

Warnings- Mention of Drugs because you know Klaus

Pronouns- He/Him

Word Count- 256

Summary- Klaus is annoyed Five lets you steal his stuff but not him.

Klaus is dancing and drinking, making it a little hard to read the book I had stolen from Five’s room.

“Come on Y/N dance with meeeee.” He says happily.

“Sorry, Klaus maybe later.” I smile back.

Five comes storming down the stairs clearly very mad. “Klaus are you bothering him again!”

Klaus holds his hands up and gasps in offense “I’ve done nothing of the such! Right Y/N?”

“He is fine right now thanks Five,” I smile.

“He is never fine,” Five groans. “Anyway, Klaus where is my book on Astrophysics? You better not have sold it for drugs like last time.” Five says seriously.

“Why do you blame me for everything? Do you not see Y/N right there reading it!” He says gesturing to me on the couch.

“Oh sorry Y/N. Just return it where you got it from when you’re done.” Five responds and goes to leave when Klaus screams.

“Are you serious where is my apology? You yell at me for taking your stuff without asking all the time and he doesn’t even get a slap on the wrist!”

Five straightens his tie “ That's because he returns everything and does it as friendly banter.” He points to Klaus “ You on the other hand steal and then sell all my stuff. There is a difference.”

Klaus pouts and I immediately get up and hug him “Aw did the big meanie hurt your feelings? I will borrow stuff for you don’t worry.”

Five glares at you two “ You both annoy me greatly.”

Support Me Here

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l1nghuarchive · 1 year

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— THE DRIFTER. (POSTPONED)

𝐬𝐲𝐩𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬. In which a girl with void like powers awakes from her domain and finds herself helping an old grumpy friend in stopping doomsday from an apocalypse... In her 16 year old body!?!

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. Five Hargreeves x fem!reader

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬. ongoing, in the process

𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞. Slow burn, action, action, comedy

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 .ᐟ.ᐟ.ᐟ.ᐟ

i. We only see each other at weddings and funerals. (part 1) (part 2)

ii. Run Boy Run

iii. Extra Ordinary

iv. Man on the Moon

v. Number Five

vi. The Day That Wasn't

vii. The Day That Was

viii. I Heard A Rumor

ix. Changes

x. The White Violin

𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝. 23rd March 2023

𝐀/𝐧. Hiyooo~☆!!! Welcome to my 2nd series fanfic which I hope i won't abandon :') updates will be slow but i rlly hope people will enjoy this fic ദ്ദി˶ｰ̀֊ｰ́ )

THIS SERIES HAS BEEN TRANSFERED TO @winterrn1ght

#ᓚᘏᗢ The Drifter #number five #five hargreeves x you #five hargreaves x reader #tua five #five hargreeves #the umbrella academy #the umbrella academy x reader #Tua #tua x reader #tua x you #tua x y/n #honkai impact x reader #honkai x reader #hi3 x reader #tua s1 #tua s2 #tua s3

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ourgoddessathena · 2 years

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Y/N : "We're not heroes."

Y/N : "Well, I'm not." *points to the rest of brellys* "They are."

Y/N : "But they're insane, as you may have noticed."

#Source: Castlevania #the umbrella academy #tua #tua s3 #the umbrella academy x you #the umbrella academy x y/n #the umbrella academy x reader #tua x you #tua x y/n #tua x reader #incorrect tua #the umbrella academy meme #tua incorrect quotes #the umbrella academy incorrect quotes #incorrect tua quotes

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plutotcles · 2 years

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THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY, plutotcles.

→ back to. . . my library.

Please be mindful of the trigger warnings given upfront.

⋮ DIEGO HARGREEVES.

A BROTHER'S DUTY — sister!reader

After growing up in an abusive household, all Hargreeves siblings, one by one, left the Umbrella Academy and went their seperate ways but no matter how many times Diego claims that he doesn't care about them, he still can't deny the skip his heart does when he gets the call that his sister has been admitted to the hospital.

#the umbrella academy #masterlist #diego hargreeves #luther hargreeves #viktor hargreeves #tua x y/n #tua x reader #tua x you #klaus hargreeves #ben hargreeves #allison hargreeves #five hargreeves #diego hargreeves x reader #klaus hargreeves x reader #sister reader #x reader

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fiveloml · 2 years

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sparrow!ben hargreeves x reader. “ is that a yes? “ [ gender neutral reader. ]

─ ✧ season 3 spoilers ! ben is drunk and you ask him out to dance during sloane and luther's wedding.

─ ✧ gosh i love this man ,, way too much actually.

the day of luther and sloanes wedding was quite an interesting one, as their love began, the very world it started in was ending.

you giggled at your friend who was on the dance floor with his wife, happy for him but you still wanted to make a few teasing jabs at the fact he couldn't dance. you weren't related to the hargreeves, but were dragged into their mess after being stuck with them since their original timeline.

“even after all these years, he still moves like he's got two left feet.“ five sighs, sitting next to you as you playfully punched his arm.

“cut him some slack, its not like he's had people to dance with since we were kids“ you chuckled as five shrugged, taking a sip of his drink.

“speaking of dancing.. you planning to ask ben? i mean you've always liked him. especially since that one time when we were younger you purposefully made yourself trip so he'd-“ you quickly put a hand to cover five's mouth and shushed him. “that was your ben. not this one, so shut your mouth you talkative portal boy!“ you hissed, but as you uncovered his mouth he had an annoying smile.

“oh yeah sure.. yet you still treat that ben the very same way you treated ours. why is that?“ five questioned, already knowing the answer. you looked at him with an a pissed off expression before letting out a scoff. “ugh! fine, you win.“ you stood up, but five yelled before you walked off. “dont forget, if you chicken out i'll make fun of you till the world ends!“

you rolled your eyes at his comment before approaching bens table, awkwardly sitting next to him as he looked over to you. “hey.. ben.“ you say. “hi.“ he replies, ben somewhat trusted you, you were kind and tried to reason with the sparrows the first time you landed into their home.

there were no other words exchanged and it was rather awkward, but you didn't want to deal with five ranting into your ear of how much a coward you were if you somehow survived the world ending.

“do you.. want to dance?“ you asked, looking to the side as you felt your face go hot. “just that? your face seems to suggest you want much more.“ ben teased, but you only rolled your eyes at him.

“yes ben, just a that.. also are you drunk?“ you noticed the a scent of alcohol that came as he spoke, ben shrugged his shoulders and had what was his 12th shot of the night. “a little.. though just sober enough to dance.“

“is that a yes?“ and before you could say anything else, ben grabbed you by the wrist and brought you to the dance floor. his hands on your waist and your arms resting on his shoulders.

you didn't expect him to actually accept, so you tried to not melt as you maintained eye contact. mostly trying to make it seem that you're annoyed.

“for someone who asked me in the first place.. you really do seem quite annoyed that you're with me right now.“ ben points out, but you decided to instead look down at your feet and not answer him. mostly focusing on trying not to flatten his foot as you danced with the song.

“you know, you have to look at your partner when you dance.“ ben smirked, using his hand to lift you up by the chin and make you look at him. “you were so confident earlier, so why is it your eyes don't meet mine?“

“behave yourself, ben!“ you scolded him, face warm as he chuckled. “can't when you're so cute.“ and that was your last straw, you wanted to pull away however ben held you tight. “can't back out now sweeheart, you're stuck with me.“

though you pouted, you couldn't hide your smile. it wasn't so bad being with him.

#tua x reader #tua x you #tua x y/n #sparrow ben x reader #sparrow!ben x reader #ben hargreeves x reader #ben x reader #sparrow ben hargreeves x reader

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itsbuckytm · 2 years

Text

Promises | Ben Hargreeves

Summary : In which to Ben’s regret, admits to have broken a promise to the reader. A promise unknown, but possible to be healed.

Enjoy!! 🤍

Ben missed you. How laughable he wanted to admit it. He made it sure that his feelings were kept silence wether his siblings liked it or not. Throughout his spare time when he could, sat down near his desk to draw. No one truly knew why it became a routine of his, but one thing for sure is that whenever the clock hit 2pm, if anyone passed Ben’s room could found him sitting mindfully drawing as the time passed. And if you were able to get a glimpse, sneak even the face of yours has been drawn multiple of times without no explanation as to why. And if some normal strangers would to see that, were to describe this habit of a strange one.

But it wasn’t. For Ben of course. How he with delicacy and with skilled drew the lines that shaped your face. Out of habit he wanted to stroke the page that welcomed the beautiful face he once knew. Not that he had the urge but something inside of him kept him from doing so. He knew that when the Umbrellas were to found out about the Ben they once knew. He knew that getting the Y/N he once loved could become a challenge. An awful one.

Luther and Sloane’s wedding happened and to everyone’s surprised got invited. Including yourself who despite with a passion social gatherings. As the wedding venue went on, you barely touch your drink knowing that sparing the same room as Ben has gotten you so on edge that it would require someone to intervene.

“You know, Diego told me about you two’s history but I did not believe it could be that cringe.” Lila’s teasings weren’t helping a god damn bit. You looked at her with a sarcastic look pretending to smile in return only for the both of you to laugh in union. In some other perspective you wanted to learn how Lila was able to get such personal information out of Diego, and yet you decided to not as you regained your energy on Ben.

Ben watched over your table. Hearing the laugh of yours that sounded like pure melody through his ears, almost made him sick to the stomach. He may have a few couple of drinks in his system to forget about you already and yet the sound of your voice kept him oddly awake. He noticed you kept the necklace of him, and with care your fingers intertwined with the habit of yours he knew a little too well. A smile crept beneath his features just before Klaus notices and join him by his side.

“Glad you haven’t forgotten about her.” He nudges slightly only for an irritated Ben to silently ignore the facts by taking a sip from his drink. “Well she haven’t that for sure.” Only if he had the guts to go and talk to you. But the pressure into telling himself that all the pain and solitude you had endured while being seperated killed him more than he thought. “What if, what if, I make another promise just to make her feel more pain?”

Klaus wasn’t the best at comforting nor truly give the best advice. However, he was the listener everyone needed. If one had to confess, rant or speak without being judge Klaus was the picker. And yet, seeing his Ben so vulnerable and knowing his feelings for you he had to intervene the best and subtle way possible. “Dad might do a speech in a few seconds, go to her when you can. I bet Lila is dying to be on Diego’s arms.”

It was true. So stupid and so smart at the same time, that even Ben when he glanced one more time to your direction, saw Lila getting off her own seat with disbeliefed. Whispering god knows what she said to you and for you to react in such way. Pink cheeks and with an awful mannerism trying to hide it.

While Reginald approached to give his speech on the matter of Luther’s wedding and the current events. Ben took the matter in his own hands and with a drink in hand walked to your direction, not so long before you notice his presence. “Stay calm, Y/N. It’s just him.” Murmuring slightly in hope him not to hear, you offered him a seat. Just as he was about to sat down, leaned closer to whisper a “You look ravishing.” knowing how it would make you to react he smiles confidently. How he loved seeing you all shy and innocent right before his eyes.

As you thanked him in returned, the speech bored the family to death and once over Five offered himself as the musician for the rest of the night. You and Ben sat afar from the scene until he held out his hand in offer for a dance. Hesitating to do so, you glance to your right with Lila nodding. Knowing it was only the first and probably the last time before anything else could ever happen. You were not going to loose him ever again. And so, you accepted, with a soft smile and let him lead the way.

The night went on swingley well. You and the others took a break from dancing. Reuniting with Luther and Sloane had everyone else remain a little bit of peace for one night. Ben however, had left the place to join Klaus on a little spree. Enjoying the night you decided not to cause any trouble and waited for him to come back, which he did.

So drunk and yet so adorable as you watched him walked toward the group. “I am sorry Y/N. I forgot how bad Ben’s tolerance is with alcohol. I am leaving him to you and that’s my cue to leave.” Klaus’s so unpredictable way of saying he’ll left got you to think he knew more about Ben and you than anyone else in the room. Heck, Five was more confused than you for a little.

While everyone left, you were left with a drunk Ben. By lifting him poorly you tried to keep a balance in order to properly lift his body. With failure you both soon enough fall by the crumbled plastic bottles poorly thrown in the floor. Ben conscious went back to reality soon as he notices his body weight on top of yours. Gulping nervously you tried to loosen yourself from his grip. “I-I think.. I am stuck.”

“You think?” The gridy Ben came back but this time with a little bit of ease in the tone of his voice. Almost as if he was holding his chuckles back when he saw your cheeks turning into a light shade of pink. You on the other resist the best you could’ve especially in front of Ben who was gladly enjoying the time of his life. Until you resist his tactic. “Come on, speak. Before I kick your stomach.”

Somehow, Ben loved watching you desperately and with an awful confidence of yours to defend yourself. He knew you weren’t the greatest at it and that was one thing he loved about you. Having to protect you, let you curl up in his arm as he wraps your body in his warmth. “Someone cut up your tongue?” It was the alcohol talking. And oh how much you regretted saying such things.

“Well, with that beauty of yours who wouldn’t?” That damn bastard. He knew how to play with words. He proudly smirks. Suddenly the tone in his voice soften, almost becoming a little too serious. “All jokes aside, you know how much I’ve been holding back.”

You knew what he meant. The drawings, the memories, the necklace. Everything. It was so simple that even a five years old could solve the puzzle of your souvenirs. Such souvenirs and promises so painful they were hard to forget. “You lied to me…” And it was true, Ben couldn’t deny these facts. A look of regret and trauma that kept him for years so imprisoned that he even almost lost all hope knowing he wouldn’t find you anymore.

“I know.. And it pains me everyday when I couldn’t reach to you. How much I deserve all the hate you gave me these past days. You can even hate-”

“How can I hate you? The person I loved, cared even. I know I have endured the consequences myself and I should’ve known. Allison told me, warned me and I was so oblivious by it. However, seeing you here, alive and well… is what mattered to me most.”

Ben left no words to speak in return. Your words were enough to prove him how much stronger your bond were for one another. How deeply your feelings and his were for one another. His fingers caressing your cheek, eyes never leaving you out of his sight as he leaned to feel his lips being brushed against yours for a kiss to never let go.

#imagines #ben x reader #ben hargreeves x reader #ben hargreeves #tua ben #tua diego #tua luther #tua x y/n #tua allison #tua viktor #tua lila #tua imagine #tua x you #tua x reader #luther x sloane #reginald hargreeves

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eternal-armin · 1 year

Text

SO, HOW SHOULD i begin this?

this is the first time i'm going to do a multi-part fic that goes beyond like 2 or 3 parts (rip to the chandelier fic.) bear with me ;;;; but i'm obsessed with everything everywhere and i wanted to do something with the abilities evelyn and joy specifically have. and, of course, the angst that can come from it. looked over this as much as i could but im exhausted so my apologies for any errors ;;;

pairing : five hargreeves x male/transmasc reader [he/him pronouns]

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where : five is instantly intrigued by the eighth sparrow, a kid just like himself, which makes him try to seek him out specifically; nothing better than a second opinion about time from another person who knew its intricacies, right? well, he... may have gotten more than he bargained for.

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warnings : future mentions of trauma, fighting and injury (specific mentions of choking), existentialism, reader is just exhausted of life and shit in general, future cheesiness and such because i said so, depression, a whole lot of 'if i can bend reality to my will then how much does it really matter' kind of questioning (later on for the most part.)

the disheartening sight of seven other people—ahem, sorry, and one very confusing cube—was made endlessly puzzling by the appearance of a kid behind them. someone who looked five's age. physically, anyway. they both seemed equally entranced by the other; the kid's eyes were wide, his lips slightly parted, as if seeing someone he had been missing for decades. he furrowed his brow a bit, cocking his head, and klaus found himself peering where five glared.

"well, would you look at that? they've got a little brother, too!"

"zip it, klaus," he hissed, though with a certain degree of gentleness in his voice, even excluding the volume he had to use. looking back at the balcony, he was wearing more casual clothes with a sort of... varsity jacket of the sparrow academy's traditional colors and emblems. he was a sparrow, meaning he was born in 1989, meaning he was around thirty years old. so why did he look thirteen? it clicked then, suddenly; his power could have something to do with time. five felt instantly that he needed to speak with him. and if it needed to be done by force, then...

hands crossed neatly over his lap, barely restraining that very obvious agitation, ben chimed in with, "dad, who the hell are these assholes?"

a chorus of "shit" rang out amongst the umbrellas. five stared at him with the same amount of emotion as usual, mostly overrun by confusion, however his sentimentalities ended there. that balcony, barely a few yards from where five stood, held something—someone, rather—that could be an answer to his predicament. or at least help figure out if he could retire or not. if this world was safe enough to stay in. there was a whole host of colorful characters. if he was the sparrows' number eight, what exactly inspired reginald to adopt him as well? or was it just sort of a convenience thing?

luther stepped forward along with klaus. "is that really you?"

no amusement struck ben. if anything, he somehow managed to look more annoyed.

"and who are the weirdos on the balcony!"

"they are the sparrows. my children." reginald's controlled, vaguely irritated voice was such a contrast to diego's harsh tone.

much to five's chagrin this moment was a bit more important than staring at a boy. he turned on his heel, narrowing his eyes at the old man. "i'm sorry, what do you mean your children? that's not possible, old man."

"of course it is! i think i'd know, wouldn't i?"

well. something was very wrong, wasn't it?

the sound of footsteps and shuffling caught his attention and yet again he looked back forward; all of the sparrows once situated haphazardly on the balcony now stood across the tile threshold. the kid was shorter than he expected, in all honesty, and he seemed to be the least serious out of all his siblings—not to say that he looked like he was having fun or that he was laughing, but that he didn't want to fight. he looked like he would avoid it at every cost.

"everyone else can see ben, right?"

"cute hat, sundance."

"they call themselves the umbrella academy," reginald interrupted, "a group of scheming, perfidious malcontents who accosted me in the fall of '63 when i was away on business in dallas. be warned—they claim to be my spawn." all throughout reginald's little schpiel, five and the other kid maintained eye contact, five puzzled at his existence and him puzzled by five's puzzlement. he seemed to find it weird but, oddly enough, he didn't seem weirded out specifically. occasionally five would glance about the rest of the sparrows, gauge them if he could, and when that happened he would sometimes catch the barest glimpse of the kid looking at two of his sisters with confusion.

should i be worried? he was probably thinking to himself.

with five on his opposition? absolutely.

"claim? look, five, what the hell is going on?" allison sounded like she was moments away from boiling over.

"not sure yet, but it's concerning."

"is he telling the truth?" seeming to sense the steadily-rising tensions, the kid started, very slowly, to back away, retreating to the furthest reaches of the carpet before the battle had even begun.

"not the part about us being perfidious." vanya seemed to kind of placate that cowardice in him. maybe he even smiled at vanya.

"no! no, we're amateur-fidious, at best!"

"but we are his children, this is our house."

"yeah, we grew up here."

"yeah, yeah, we grew up here," alphonso mocked, getting a snicker from jayme, however the kid just shot them both a slightly judgmental look.

"i kind of think we would've noticed you," sloane said, to which luther stated his name and offered out his hand. sloane did not accept, really she didn't do a thing, and some whispers broke out amongst her and her little brother, whispers that five couldn't make out.

"okay. none of you belong here."

"oh! well, then. i guess we'll just pack our bags and move out."

christopher babbled and chittered, milking chuckles from his brothers and sisters. five had to say he looked way better smiling than frowning, though he figured it would probably be the same for anyone.

grace came in to the living room, heels click-click-clicking, holding a plate of cookies in her hand and apologizing that she couldn't do better. five couldn't catch the precise details. it was just kind of nice to see her again, even if she was certainly in need of a... few repairs.

"mom." diego's sentimental mumble caught some of the sparrows off-guard. the kid included.

"she's a robot, you perv."

"it's not a robot."

"don't call him that!"

"or what?" ben challenged.

"come closer and find out." bickering broke out between the two families, vanya and marcus actively trying to keep everyone's heads on straight, and five may have lost track of the conversation. until ben threw the first punch, anyway. he ducked back, watching as luther next was flung like a ragdoll across the room, landing on and breaking the poor couch. he saw the boy duck out and wanted to chase but first kept his loyalties, attacking ben and getting lost in a flurry of sharp punches and occasionally-failed dodges.

"you're alive. that's—great, or possibly horrible, i haven't decided yet."

"is that some weird kind of smack talk?"

"it's more of an existential problem, really, ben."

"awesome. well, here's your next problem." with his arms extending back and torso leaning forward, a grimy tentacle quickly burst from his chest, though not fast enough to stop five before he blinked away and onto the balcony.

"y'know, even though you're a total asshat now," five began, rudely cut off by another attack which he yet again evaded with ease. it was easier to land a punch and he watched as ben crashed into the ground. "it's nice to see you again. really." after seeing a particularly disturbing scene between diego and the cube, he stepped in to save allison from a few of the other sparrows, yet again finding himself on the second-floor balcony.

"thanks," allison managed through uneven breaths.

"no problem." both standing up, both dusting themselves off, they saw someone rounding the corner. it was him. still, that look of passive pacifism remained, now somewhat stoic in nature; he didn't want to fight, but he may need to. he was resigning himself to that fact and five could see it in his setting expression. and most importantly, there was also endless loyalty. oh, well.

five furrowed his brow, readjusting his jacket. "go help the others. i'll handle this one."

his new opponent almost seemed to space out, eyes narrowing just a bit as if being flooded by tons of new information. with grace and precision, and certainly speed, he set into a defensive stance. five blinked behind him to try for an attack and it was blocked. he continued to block, evade, block, evade, as fast as five tried to attack. the only sounds he made for a while were little grunts.

every failed punch and every successful block was adding to five's aggravation and his exasperation.

"y'know, five," he said, and hearing him speak for the first time startled five terribly, "delores wouldn't like you fighting like this! i'm not doing anything to you!" that shocked him so bad he misfired a punch but it landed for the first time because of how he went to dodge. he was weaker than five first surmised, falling onto the ground, and five continued to strike him back down until he was pinned and unable to move. he looked enraged, face twisted, eyes wide, teeth bared and gritted, glaring daggers at the kid, who looked to be in quite a bit of pain.

"how do you know my name?!" he barked. "how do you know her name?!" five got no answer and that was endlessly more irritating. the kid slammed his hand onto the ground and grabbed the first thing he could, a small piece of rubble, but five watched as, in those few fractions of seconds, that small piece of debris turned into a metal candlestick.

a metal candlestick.

the moment five saw that, he teleported, reappearing just a few feet away. he pushed off his total confusion; no time. the kid kept the candlestick in his hand when he fumbled to stand, not getting even a moment before five tackled him into a headlock. he didn't think twice about the look of pain on the kid's face because that wasn't exactly imperative and he didn't hesitate at the sounds he made.

the kid raised the candlestick again and five watched in subtle horror as it flitted between many different forms, each punctuated by a small sound and a bit of light. he only recognized a few of those hundred forms before he saw it land, like a wheel of fortune, on a knife and he plunged it down. five jerked out of the way of the blade. even though he had once been so hesitant to fight, so afraid of hurting other people, he seemed finally able to push that away and actually defend himself. he may not have been particularly strong, but he was swift and flexible while wrenching himself out of five's grip and adept at landing hits that would still make five flinch and pause. the kid blocked a punch and the moment that they came in contact with each other, the world around them... changed.

from the slightly destroyed upper floor of the academy house, it became an office building, papers flying about while people panicked about the violent fight between the aisles of cubicles. in that moment of confusion, he landed a hit on five, right in the gut. after a pained second, eyes squeezed tight, he grit his teeth and kept fighting.

the office building had become a high-rise skyscraper that they were fighting on the edge of.

another punch and they were on the deck of a cruise ship.

another block and they were in a spanning parking garage. the kid advanced and forced five to back up, closer to the edge of the space, and certainly to a painful fall. he continued to evade every attempted hit, no matter how five had calculated them, before pouncing on him and shoving him right out of the concrete monolith, plummeting down toward the ground along with him.

"how the hell are you doing this?!" five shouted, voice swallowed up by the shouting winds. he grabbed his shirt, bunching up his collar tight enough to cut off his breathing. the panic in his eyes welled up very quick.

and then they were back. instead of hitting the hard pavement ground, five lost all the air in his lungs when he thudded onto the carpeted academy floor, gasping for a second as the kid scrambled away from him, coughing and wheezing.

five hadn't even strangled him for that long, what the hell?

five forced himself to sit, to stand, shooting the glare to end all glares at the boy across from him—however he didn't attack yet. after all the disorientation he felt from those few... transitions, he wanted to keel over and vomit. he was in no condition to fight. luckily, however, neither was his opponent.

killing the kid would not get five his answers, no matter how badly he wanted to do it.

the kid was on the ground, propping himself up on one of his hands, his entire body seeming wracked by pained, nauseated tremors. he looked to be heaving, expression conflicted, exhausted beyond exhausted. he held his head the way one would when suffering from a bad headache.

his question went unanswered, which just served to annoy five further. "are you a time traveler or something? no. a multiversal traveler? do you work with the commission? that's the only possibility i can think of." knowing about delores, knowing about his name, certainly knowing his past, instantly transporting both of them to different places, it could all connect to multiversal travel.

but that spacing out part, before he could dodge like some highly trained professional, and that debris-to-candlestick-to-knife part? those still kind of puzzled him.

the kid wrinkled his nose. "that's the only possibility? you've got a narrow range." for someone who sounded so pained and exhausted, he could manage some mouthiness. somehow he sounded more genuine than sarcastic, though. strange. what about him wasn't?

five's eye twitched and his lips pressed hard into a scowl. "a narrow range? a narrow range? my 'range' isn't narrow! i've seen so many possibilities unfold! do you even know what i had to do to get here?" his words hissed with pure venom. that didn't faze his opponent, even whilst he jabbed an accusatory finger at him, as though somehow this was his fault.

"i do, actually," he managed, although still short of breath. "you got trapped in the apocalypse for a few decades, offered a deal from the commission, broke your contract with them and became a fugitive, got back to your family, and have been trying to evade apocalypses ever since. third time's the charm, right, five?" he recounted it all with the cadence and sensitivity of a history teacher summarizing an important, yet complicated, period of time.

"how could you possibly know—stop calling me that! how are you able to do any of this!"

"i'm not gonna stop calling you by your name." he laughed through his words. he laughed.

"is my exasperation funny to you?"

"i-i mean, kinda! do you know how many ways i've seen this conversation going?" five stilled like a statue. "this was the most common outcome. well, uhm, aside from you just killing me. it's just a little funny how you always react the same way." he shrugged a bit, as though this was simply some high school gossip, and not (one of) the most puzzling thing that five had ever been exposed to.

"look," five began, trying to steady himself. "if you don't tell me how you know about me—how you know about delores—this will become a timeline where i kill you. okay? capiche?"

he raised his hands in surrender. they shook. "capiche, five."

"stop. calling me that."

"to even the playing field, i'm [y/n]. there." he sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees, checking his hands. yet again he seemed to space out, just for a moment this time, before going through a grounding technique. he looked determined now, not as tired as before, though it did remain rather clearly in his eyes. [y/n] was just a kid again. he looked like a pathetic, sick kitten. "it's my power. i was born like this. you travel through space and time, i travel through reality. all of reality. alternate universes, as you know them. close by, far away, ones almost exactly the same and some with very distinctive evolutionary branches. the further away the world, the... stranger they get. i can see literally any possibility. so i—i fucking know you, five. i know you. i know your brothers and your sister and your in-laws and your niece and every other niece or nephew you could've had. there are so, so many worlds where i was an umbrella, or your friend, or stuck with you in the apocalypse, or... something like that. that's how i know you, and know delores. i was there."

sister, singular?

fuck, why was that his first take-away?

five narrowed his eyes slightly. "you can see every alternate universe," he said, slowly, as if clarifying something to [y/n] when he really needed the clarification for himself.

he nodded. "use them, too."

"use...?"

[y/n] broke into a little smile. his answer remained unknown because their restrained conversation was interrupted by one of [y/n]'s sisters. just one glance and his smile disappeared, staring at five with now-widened eyes, mouthing something along the lines of 'get the fuck out.'

five didn't need to be told twice. a flit of light and he had disappeared to who-the-hell-knows-where.

"who the hell was that creep," jayme mumbled, watching as [y/n] stumbled to his feet and dusted himself off. she grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket out of instinct to make sure he didn't fall over.

"uh... someone pretty interesting," [y/n] said, staring at where he'd once been, the flash of bright light still burned into his eyes. he wanted to find him. maybe needed to find him. probably because something in the world was very wrong, even if no other timeline had figured it out yet.

if any of the umbrellas knew where to hide out, it would probably be klaus, right? simple solution. kind of. as long as he could sneak out undetected by his siblings.

a good bit of time had passed when you finally had the chance to scope out the hotel obsidian. you had changed into something more casual and lowkey, sunglasses now balanced atop your nose and a nice light scarf about your neck. music played over your headphones and you wandered inside of the place, stricken with the sight of heavy art deco. it was rather nice, actually, when you took the time to appreciate it. then again, your mind was rather preoccupied with what was probably a very big deal. on the other side of the lobby, in the little bar and lounge area, you could spot a few of the hargreeves siblings. most notably five, now wearing a white bathrobe. soon his eyes glanced to you and you could feel his gaze sharpen. he looked back at his brothers and excused himself, stepping off the stool and teleporting to you before his feet hit the ground.

"what are you doing here," he hissed through gritted teeth.

"i mean, our conversation got cut off earlier. seemed right to continue it, y'know?"

five looked back at his brothers and then at you once more. klaus was staring after him but you didn't know if he recognized you; luther and diego were still totally enraptured in their chinese food.

the look on five's face told you a whole lot; it was critical to him to talk with you, figure things out, because he guessed—and guessed right—that you weren't just here to politely finish a conversation. something weird was going on, whether he wanted to know or not. "alright. okay. fine. just," he grasped your shoulder after a second and then you were both gone, reappearing instantaneously in a room you assumed to be five's. small cot in the corner, bunk bed opposite, and a couch.

god, you wanted to throw up. you clutched your stomach, squeezing your eyes shut for a minute.

he crossed his arms and looked at you. "so where exactly did we leave off?"

you paused to scrub your mind, trying to recall. a few blinks broke the few seconds of spacing out. usually you weren't this forgetful, but, uh, today was an interesting one. "i said i can use those universes and that confused you. and then jayme came around and i told you to leave."

"right," five muttered. "what exactly did you mean by that?"

"well, obviously i can use them for information." your voice was somewhat soft, actually, which was mighty strange to him.

"hmph. how could i forget." five's flat voice was thick with sarcasm.

you managed a smile. "but i can also use them for skills and stuff. the dodging, earlier; i can't really do that here. there's a world where i star in fighting movies and stuff, where i'm good at dodging and i'm fast and flexible, and i can... link my mind, i guess, and use those skills. and the... the candlestick. knife. thing. i can change things to whatever another me is holding. i can change my clothes. i can change reality."

"so, in essence, your mind is able to find every other instance of you across time and space and access them? and... communicate with them, i suppose, in some way or another."

you shrugged a bit. "about explains it. but the—... can i ask you something?" you suddenly sounded sheepish, hesitant, like you were constantly rethinking what you were about to say. five furrowed his brow, a little surprised to see that look on your face, and he really didn't like it.

"depends on what that something is," he responded, speaking cautiously.

you found yourself spacing out again, but this time not to access some alternate plane of existence. every other universe had its own noise, and every other universe was persistently audible; that loud buzz was starting to give you yet another headache. it was probably possible to overdose on tylenol, right? suddenly that constant look of exhaustion on your face was even more obvious to five. for a moment, he seemed almost sympathetic to that. he could certainly understand it, at the very least. "you've got about twenty-eight years of experience on me," you began, forcing your voice to be steady. "do you have any clue how to deal with the, uhm, existential part of it all?" lightheartedness seemed to be a skill of yours. five could respect it.

you doubted, sincerely doubted, that there could be anything in the world to help you from the persistent noise. or from the pain and exhaustion of swatting from world to world to world in the span of thirty seconds during a fight. it was a wonder you were still walking.

"why should i help you with that, exactly? your family tried to kill mine."

"i didn't try to kill anyone. i hid upstairs the entire time. well, uh, almost the entire time. i can be an ally to you guys. i'd... prefer to be allied with you guys." if anyone else in the world knew about the ins and outs of the umbrella academy, five had no doubt in his mind that it would be you and your presumably-torturous ability. it would probably be a smart idea on their side as well, to ally with you.

"before i agree to help you at all, how can i be sure your family isn't using you as some sort of... puppet? some sort of inside man?"

you shrugged a bit after a second. "i wouldn't be a very good choice."

"seriously? do you think i'm stupid or something?"

you crossed your arms, looking at him with narrowed eyes. "no. i know you aren't stupid. and i'm pretty sure that your first choice wouldn't be a 'weak thirteen-year-old kid with a power that cripples him with headaches and exhaustion whenever he uses it,' either. not to mention that said kid can't hear what's going on sometimes because of literally every other sound in the expansive multiverse." the words were sarcastic but the tone was very genuine, almost excruciatingly so.

"i have... so many more questions now."

you shrugged a bit. "i can answer some of them, i guess." considering that you knew almost all the ins and outs of his life, it seemed only fair to share some of yours. you were too tired to steer the conversation back to why you had came. perhaps you'd already forgotten it.

"why exactly are you thirteen? you were born in 1989, you had to be."

"... i chose to stay this age."

"how can you just choose to stay that age?" exasperation met with confusion in a very strange voice of five's. even after all he'd gone through and learned, you were just springing question marks all over the place. god damnit.

"i can manipulate almost every aspect of reality, five," you said, softly, in response. "it's not out of the realm of possibility to stay thirteen. not for me."

five nodded slightly after a second. that nod steadily turned into a shake of his head. "jesus—i should've grabbed some coffee." he pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. "just give me a second."

"oh. uh, no need." glancing about the room, there was a small corner table, atop it an ice bucket and some plastic cups for water. he watched, for some reason a bit puzzled, as you placed your hands on it. spaced out. and it flitted to a fresh coffee pot and a mug. they seemed like something from a diner.

well, that would make sense, wouldn't it?

you poured him a cup and handed it, still steaming, over to him.

five scowled a bit, staring down at the filled mug, before his sharp gaze landed on you again.

"it's just coffee, five. it's not poisoned or anything. here." you plucked it back out of his grasp and took a sip, waited a few seconds, and handed it back. "see? you're fine."

after a second, he nodded. "right." he didn't find himself bothered by drinking from the same mug you had. he'd done a lot worse things, hadn't he?

"so... what were those other questions?"

after taking a few healthy swigs, he cleared his throat. "your ability—it really taxes you? even after all these years?" five would never admit it, but the coffee was pretty goddamn good. whatever diner your alternate-self worked in was worth a visit, if it existed in this world. "is that why you were shaking and panting so much earlier?"

you felt a bit embarrassed. "yeah," you mumbled. "i trained with it a lot, but, i wasn't very strong to begin with." you sat down carefully on the sofa, pulling a bottle of painkillers from your coat pocket.

"when's the last time you had a dose?" five asked, mug to his lips, shooting you a side-eye.

"... maybe three hours ago. why?"

he clicked his tongue and shook his head, plucking the bottle out of your hands. "not now, then."

"dude! what the hell! i-i need those!"

"well, i can't keep asking questions to someone sick from taking too much tylenol. and you can wait three hours."

you groaned but didn't complain, just settling back against the comfortable cushions. "fine. i'll wait." and you mumbled 'you're just like sloane' under your breath.

"good," he mumbled, sitting down beside you after tossing the pills onto his bed. "you said you could hear every sound in the multiverse. something tells me that isn't a hyperbole."

you nodded a bit and slouched down, trying to figure out a decent analogy. "when you remove a door from its threshold, you can always hear what's on the other side, unless you actively tune it out. just, for me, there were never doors. it was always like this. every single feasible universe is out there, fighting for my attention, almost every waking moment." you recounted with a deep sort of mourning. five couldn't blame you, he supposed. you had been robbed of silence, of pure solitude, of privacy. his heart almost ached for you.

had you been born with the doors off their frames? he wanted to ask, he really wanted to ask, but it was probably going to be way too... private of a thing. personal. from what he could tell.

"and i thought wrangling that crowd of toddlers was bad. i can't imagine hearing everything they do, everywhere, constantly," he mused.

you cracked a smile. it had been a while since you were able to joke around with someone, even if that someone had interrogated you like a police investigator. "oh, it's the worst," you giggled, and he laughed along. "i mean, it's bad enough knowing what your brothers do into their socks, it's even worse to walk in on them over, like, over two thousand times."

"i've known you for a very short period of time, but something tells me that's the worst thing you've ever said."

for someone in a very persistent and terrible bout of pain, your laugh, and your smile, were incredibly bright. five couldn't really say that he was expecting this when first appearing in the umbre—ahem. in the sparrow academy building, but he wasn't exactly complaining. this could be nice. he really hoped it would be, anyway.

silence fell on you two for a while. the overbearing static was starting to edge back in now that you had nothing more to say. the pain was ebbing.

"... something's wrong." you sounded deadly serious, it was horrifying.

"s—sorry?" five felt like he had whiplash after such an extreme diversion from the topic.

you seemed to be fighting that urge to space out a whole lot more. this was important, you needed to stay on track, and yet your stress was doing exactly the opposite of tunnel vision. shit.

five noticed; and he kind of needed you to talk, as fast as possible, so reached out and pinched your neck, successfully getting you to tense and wake up, in some sense of the words. offense was replaced with gratitude in your eyes. "i don't know exactly what. no other universe has figured it out. but you aren't supposed to be here, this isn't your timeline, that's—a very big problem. it could potentially 'rip a hole in space and time.'" five muttered along with you, cussing and hanging his head.

"why didn't you say this first?" he hissed.

"i'm sorry!" you sounded very genuine and he felt rather bad. "i-i—the interrogation and then the pain and then the... getting along with you, i forgot." it was another world, some utterance of 'not normal yet' that brought the thought back to you.

your voice was cracking. you felt far worse than five could ever make you feel.

"... it's fine. it's fine."

"it very much isn't. you know that."

five knew it all too well. he groaned, pinched the bridge of his nose, and downed the rest of his coffee. "fantastic."

"i mean, it may be a problem we can solve." you shot him a smile, a tired and weak little thing, but it did comfort him a bit.

"the universe will really mind if seven dumbasses stick around?" his humor had soured, but it was still there. you felt very guilty, unable to look him in his eyes, shoulders slouched as if defeated in some great thing.

"she's a stickler for rules."

"hmph." he scowled a full-face scowl. "no retirement yet, i guess."

out of all the things you could ever have seen, heard, felt, and known, one thing seemed... important. emotionally, anyway. "if it's, uhm, any consolation... retirement did look good on you, by the way."

he couldn't help but smile a bit. somewhere out there was a world where you and five were friends well into his retirement, be that at his confusing age or his chronological age from 1989, where he was happily retired with no time-threatening anomalous issues to draw him out. even if he was bound to die in this timeline, there was some comfort in knowing many other timelines saw him content. "i'll take your word for it."

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