Title: Everybody Knows
Summary: It takes a while, but sooner or later everybody knows.
Disclaimer: I don't own TUA
Everybody knows.
They know from the way he looks at her and she looks at him like the rest of the world doesn't exist.
They know from the way he touches her and she touches him when no one else is allowed to even come close to either of them.
They know from the way he says her name and she says his like it is a prayer in the dark.
They know from the way he and her gravitate toward each other with an unstoppable force.
They know from the way he and her are soft and yet bold with only each other.
Everybody knows.
Number One
Groaning Luther rolled on his bed only to finally notice what was causing his sleep disturbance.
Someone was talking.
He got out of the bed and slowly walked toward the source of the sound passing most of his siblings now again occupied rooms.
'No, no, that would be useless, it wouldn't get me the correct result at all,' he heard and recognized the voice instantly.
As he went through the doorway into one of the opened rooms he paused, 'Five, why are you still up?'
His oldest/youngest brother was currently standing on the top of the headboard of his bed and furiously writing over the new walls. They painted them only two days ago covering the previous writings.
'Jesus, we just fixed that,' groaned Luther annoyed before he walked closer to him, 'What are you doing anyway?'
Five straight out ignored his question mumbling, 'No, that won't do either. It needs to be more precise, more accurate. This is useless to me.'
This caused Luther to frown before he stepped closer and tried to take Five's hand which was holding the pen only to be violently shoved to the side by Five's other hand into his stomach. It was only a moment too late that Luther realized that if Five was holding something he would have stabbed him with the way he shoved his hand against him.
Nice, and here he was thinking it was one psycho with knives per family.
He sighed, 'Five.'
The boy, or old man, whichever way you looked at it, continued to ignore him mumbling to himself like a madman.
Luther was losing his patience, 'Damn it, Five. Knock it off.'
He considered using a more direct approach. Five looked bad. He was clearly exhausted and not himself, he needed help, so even if he didn't like the thought of being violent with him, he needed to help him. For his own good. He needed to stop him and get him to rest even if Five would not approve and consider it a intrusion from Luther.
Just as he was about full-on grab him he heard someone spoke surprising him since he didn't catch anyone walking over.
'What are you doing?' asked the voice worried and suspicious.
He turned around and spotted Vanya in the doorway looking just as tired as him and Five did. Could it be she heard him as well? She was sleeping with Allison in her room now so it was possible if he heard it she did too.
'He's in that mood again. I'm trying to get him to stop and get some rest,' he explained trying to sound as light as possible. Ever since the incident (him choking her to sleep and locking her up against her will), things weren't the same between them. Not that they ever were great, but after that, it was clear there was some damage done which went beyond what happened when they were kids.
It wasn't only after her upset frown that he realized she was asking what he was doing not Five.
She walked into the room and around him close to Five, who was still writing on his wall mumbling about how something wasn't right and how something needed to be flawless. He really looked like a lunatic.
Without a word, Vanya reached for his hand, but instead of the one holding the pen, she took a hold of the one which was free, the one Five shoved him with before.
Luther watched how lightly she was holding his hand, not doing anything for a moment before all of the sudden Five stopped writing and looked down at her blinking looking a bit surprised like he was just waking up from a deep sleep. Confused, tired and a bit lighter as people usually were before their minds remembered the stress of the previous day or upcoming day.
'I think that's enough for tonight, don't you?' asked Vanya her voice soft and caring as it always was when she was concerned about one of them.
Five watched her in silence before he looked back at his writing and then back at her, 'Am I waking you?'
'Yes,' said Luther when Vanya stayed silent for a while and Five shot him an angry glare, 'I wasn't talking to you.'
Another sibling who didn't take lightly the incident (him locking Vanya up and Five coming home to let her out) and what happened afterward.
Luther saw Vanya pull Five's hand to get him to focus his attention on her again, 'A little bit. Come on, it's late.'
He watched in silence now as Five's face softened a bit before he nodded and hopped down from the headboard. Now he remembered, he almost forgot about it, but now he remembered Five sometimes looked at her like that, all soft and with care. It was a very distant memory, with Five looking young again he wasn't sure if perhaps it wasn't just a creation of imagination after all.
He went to bed leaving the two behind with a quiet goodnight. If they went to bed afterward he didn't know, but he didn't hear Five's mumbling anymore.
That was the first time Luther realized it. From the way, Vanya was the only one who could get Five to rest. Everyone else would get their head bitten off for trying, but not her. If she came and asked him to take his time and sleep, he listened. That was how Luther knew.
Number Two
Diego never really paid much attention to the relationships between his siblings. When he was a teen with too much anger for his father and his life with little way to let it out, he always assumed Luther was heart eyes for Allison and she backed him up in everything like an obedient girlfriend. Klaus was constantly causing trouble and Ben was constantly trying to get him out of it. And Five and Vanya were like Siam twins doing God knew what behind closed doors of one of their rooms. As far as Diego could tell those two lame kids were probably studying or reading books. Seriously lame.
With everything changing and all of them under one roof again trying to put their shit together, Diego couldn't help, but try to think about the past and see it all in a new perspective. As he was reconsidering his choices, he couldn't help, but admitted that he was bitter. Bitter because there were seven of them and it always felt like they were paired up. Luther and Allison, Klaus and Ben, and Five and Vanya. All pairs of twos while he was on his own. Maybe that was why he sought out Mom so much. He was missing the second person to his pair.
Either way finally accepting his own flaws made him rethink the flaw he found in his siblings and how he held them against them. It wasn't easy. He was a tempered person, and he was hurt by his past just as the others were.
It was proving to be especially difficult with Vanya. While the part about trying to create a healthy and positive environment was all of their goals, and he was all for it just like the rest of them. But dealing with her as a sister as someone he could become friends and close to? That was a whole different story.
He tried to avoid her to be completely honest. He felt as if it would be the only way they might avoid an incident (him being his 'charming' self and her losing control over her powers).
He thought it worked just fine until he didn't walk into the basement kitchen where she was sitting drinking coffee with Five who looked pleased for once. The circles under his eyes also weren't as bad today as they were yesterday so he must have gotten better sleep the previous night.
Vanya looked up and offered him a bit crooked smile. He didn't return it instead looked back as if thinking he should leave actually turning away when she stood up and called, 'I promised Klaus to help with...something.'
There was a pause before he literally heard footsteps and the back door to open and closed. He turned around and sure enough she was gone.
He nodded to himself a bit relieved as he went to the fridge and pulled out some juice before the fridge door was suddenly abruptly slammed shut with his hand barely out of the way.
Diego shot Five a frown, 'What's your problem?'
'More like what's your problem?' asked the shorter brother frowning pushing his hand away from the fridge, 'You're being a dick to her again.'
'I'm not doing anything,' he defended himself, but Five clearly wouldn't have it, 'Exactly and you're being an asshole to her with how you act.'
'I'm not doing anything,' he said again and went to pour himself juicy feeling Five's glare burning the side of his face.
'You're avoiding her and forcing her to avoid you. You know how she is, she just wants to please people. If she thinks she will do you a favor she will cut herself short just like now,' he said pointing out that she left the room through the back door so he could stay in the room.
He rolled his eyes, 'Yeah she's a real sweetheart who just so happened to cause the apocalypse and wrote a book making us all look like a bunch of pitiful assholes.'
Five chuckled, 'Your point?'
Diego shot him a sharp a look, 'She exposed-'
'What the family secrets? So what? Would it be better if the world still believed Hargreeves was a saint who took in seven orphans and raise them to be rightist heroes?' asked Five and crossed his arms.
'She only wrote the truth you know.'
'It wasn't her story to tell!' snapped Diego.
Five watched him for a moment. Diego could see his annoyance turning into anger. There were two types of angers when it came to Five. Full-on tantrums they all remembered from the time they were young. And silent anger they witnessed only very few times since Five returned.
He uncrossed his arms and put his hands behind his back. The snark look was gone replaced with a clenched jaw and wrath in his eyes.
'Why?' asked Five but didn't give him time to answer, 'Is it because she wasn't a part of the Academy? Because she was isolated by Hargreeves and pushed away by all of us as if she didn't belong? Because she's ordinary and therefore worthless in your eyes? Tell me did detective Patch look worthless in your eyes too?' he asked and Diego could feel every word which was accusing him like a slap to the face.
'Low blow,' gritted Diego over his teeth. He had to remind himself not to start a physical fight.
Five watched him for a moment before he looked to the side, 'Did you even read the book?'
'Yeah.'
Five smirked all of a sudden before he looked back at him, 'Then obviously you weren't paying much attention to it. You said it wasn't her story to tell, her secrets to spill, but if you really read the book you would have seen that it was. She never acted as if she was in your place, or knew what was going on in your head. She only wrote her side of the story, from the sidelines, but she never claimed otherwise.'
Diego was fell silent after that surprised both by Five's words and his sudden change of behavior. He read her book, well for the first few chapters anyway. Then he pulled away from the cover and threw it to the trash where it belonged before pinning the cover on his punching bag. He definitely shouldn't mention that little detail to Five ever.
With him being silent Five apparently decided the conversation or argument came to its end and went to leave.
However, he paused in the doorway, 'Besides it was all in the title. It was her book, not the Umbrella Academy's or Hargreeves' family. Just hers.'
Diego watched his brother leave for a moment. He still felt upset about Five using Eudora like that. It was especially a low blow given that Five knew how much Diego cared for her.
He took a sip of the juice thinking about it for a moment. He tried to cool himself down.
To be completely honest, he was being an asshole to Vanya, and he did offend her in front of Five. Wasn't it a low blow on his part as well?
It was then that Diego realized it really was. Five used Eudora against him and he used Vanya against Five.
He looked back at the doorway where Five had disappeared. He realized Five was just being protective about Vanya as always. He was always speaking on her behave whether it was about her powers or the apocalypse or the book. He was always her defender arguing with whoever dared to say something bad about her like a lion. Always. He was protective of her the same way Diego was even now of Eudora, and that was how Diego knew. He just knew.
Number Three
'She's so big,' said Vanya as she was looking down at one of many pictures of Claire in Allison's phone as the two of them were sitting in the lounge on the couch.
Allison smiled and nodded before she pulled out her notepad and wrote.
She's sure it is. She used to be so tiny just sleeping all day. Now she's running everywhere, talking. She's so full of opinions already.
Vanya patiently read all of it before she looked back at the picture swiping to the next, 'She looks more like you than Patrick.'
Allison sighed and nodded before she wrote.
People always said that. It sometimes annoyed him. He would joke I had to make her look like me because I needed to make everything about me.
'What a prick,' commented Vanya and Allison smiled at her and nodded again pleased that they had this moment together.
Adjusting to her new situation was hard. Apart from not being able to use her powers, there was the fact that she couldn't talk to her baby girl. She could live without her powers, or without talking to anyone else, but it pained her every time Luther or Vanya had to talk with the little girl as Allison sat by and listened to her voice all small and confused asking over and over again why mommy couldn't talk and if she would be okay.
She cried a lot at first but she was getting better at it. Given the new situation, Patrick was starting to act like a bigger person and allowed Claire to come to visit her. Of course, he came too and Claire and he stayed in the hotel, but in the two days they were in the city, Allison spent as much time as possible with them. It was hard since Patrick had to read from her notes to their daughter, but he was being just a bit of a dick about it. At times Allison resented him for it feeling anger over him acting like this toward her, but then she would always remind herself that she brought this upon herself. She had to learn to live with her mistakes as everyone else in her family.
She used her powers and got everything she wanted, just like she always did. Sadly all those things she wanted turned out not to be the things she needed.
As Allison watched Vanya's calm face and soft smiles as she looked over new pictures of Claire she couldn't help, but hoped it would be better from now on. No more free passes, and lies to get what she wanted, just being like everyone else.
Strange. All her life Allison craved attention. As the poster child for the Umbrella Academy, then a movie star, it was all about the attention of everyone around her. She hated when people look through her the way they did to Vanya. She always demanded them to look at her, to see her, to love her, and crave her, and care for her and everything they could give to give her. She wanted all of it.
Now she couldn't help, but wonder it wouldn't be so bad to be ordinary. Maybe it wouldn't be bad at all.
When the well-known flash of blue brought Five in front of the couch, Allison couldn't help but noted that he looked like his true age when he was upset. He had that typical elderly look of disapproval, old people tend to have when they felt as if someone was disrespectful toward them.
'What's taking so long? You said you would come to practice with me at two?' he asked a bit harshly for Allison's taste while staring at Vanya.
The other woman kept her eyes on the screen still smiling, 'I still have twenty minutes, Five.'
He crossed his arms, 'Oh, will you say that to the Handler when she comes with the Commission? Perhaps ask her to wait until you do your hair?'
Vanya moved to show Allison one of the pictures.
'Is that Izzie? The stuffed giraffe?' she asked completely ignoring Five and his harsh words.
Allison nodded enthusiastically while writing on the notepad.
She brings that giraffe everywhere. One time we had to get off the plane because she forgot it in the lobby. We never dare to leave it anywhere since.
'Do you know when the two of you will be done? We have work to do.'
When she looked up she realized Five was still standing in front of them his arms crossed and his face showing just how upset he was. It was strange since it wasn't like Vanya was late, she still had time left, and Allison felt a tiny bit offended Five wasn't even interested in looking at the pictures of her adorable baby girl.
With his uniform and voice still not through the puberty mutation, it was easy to think of Five as a thirteen-year-old child. It was only when he was upset or when she caught him sipping his fourth coffee in the day that she realized he actually wasn't a child anymore. However, she couldn't help, but chuckle even if no sound came out, that at that moment he very much acted like a child. He was like a little boy sulking because Vanya was not paying him her attention. Allison understood attention better than anyone. She craved it all her life and even when she had it she wanted more and for no one else to have it but her. She couldn't help, but find amusing that it was composed always above all Five of all the people, who was now demanding it so desperately from Vanya. He was like a little puppy hoping to get his master to look at him, play with him, love-
She blinked.
Oh
It was at that very moment as she watched the desperation in Five's eyes for Vanya to look up and at least spare him a look, that she realized it. But unlike her other siblings the moment she realized it, it occurred to her she knew all along. She knew it from a very old memory of trying to get Five to dance with her in the hallway to the music blasting from Luther's records. Their father was out so they wanted to make the most of it, and she noticed Five passing the hallway. She grabbed his hands and tried to get him to dance with her in a moment of careless joy.
He spun her around once for good measures before he walked away. She tried to stop him, but he refused and said he was going to talk to Vanya who was sitting on her bed in her room looking over her music sheets. Allison was furious that Five passed up the opportunity to dance with her to sit in Vanya's room as she studied. She was tempted to storm into her room and rumor him to come dance with her, but the moment she saw the look in Five's eyes the same as now begging Vanya to look up at him from her sheets, she realized he was already punished enough by not getting he wanted from her sister.
A simple look. An acknowledgment that she knew he was there.
And that was the first moment, that Allison really knew.
Vanya returned the phone back to her, and she finally assessed Five with a look, 'Can you please give me a few more minutes? Please, Five.'
He watched her for a moment, the desperation from his face gone and the confidence returning before he nodded, 'I will be waiting.'
Vanya stood up and smiled at Allison in goodbye before she walked away probably to get change. Five disappeared right after in a flash of the same light he came.
Allison had no a single doubt that Five would be waiting forever for Vanya if she asked him to.
She couldn't help but looked down at the picture of Claire wondering if their kids would look more like Five or Vanya. Then again, it didn't matter, at least Claire would have a cousin or two.
Number Four
Klaus woke up around noon to having to pee. He went to bed around four A.M (ha good one) trying to modify his new wardrobe. He stole a few pieces of clothing from each of his siblings to create the wildest fashion choices, and he felt pretty confident that he managed to do so.
He went to take a long bath enjoying himself and a moment of ghost-free time with Ben being able to walk around on his own now around the house, and other ghosts out of his way for once. It was the first time since he got sober that his own voice was the only one he heard.
Sweet Lord it was heavenly.
After the bath, he went to put on the clothes. Diego's sinfully tight black leather jeans and Vanya's ridiculously small white tank top which he colored pinkish since he added Allison's pink tong to the laundry the other day. Satisfied with his looks he went to get some breakfast/lunch from mom getting the information that the only ones in the house at the moment were Five and Vanya who bunked in one of the guest rooms on the other side of the house.
Without anything else to do, he went to see what the two were up to. With the adding days of his sobriety, Klaus learned that the best way to stay clean was to fill his time with whatever activity imaginable. Every distraction was a positive distraction whether it was Vanya accidentally breaking all the windows on the second floor, or Diego bleeding on the carpet shouting I had it handled, or Allison helping him dye his hair blond (fabulous but not his thing). Distractions were great.
Without knocking he entered the room only for Five to raise up from the bed glaring at him, 'What do you want?'
Vanya sighed and pressed a key at the laptop which was on the bed with them, 'Five, don't be rude.'
'He barged in,' argued their brother and Vanya gave him one of her almost motherly or sisterly looks so he let out an annoyed sigh and turned back to him, 'Well? Don't just stand there. Usually, you have so much to say.'
Klaus chuckled, 'My, my, what on earth did I interrupt that got you so cracky champ?'
'Don't call me that!' snapped Five with venom, but Klaus just waved his head and walked to the bed hopping on it causing it to jerk a bit.
He crawled as close to Five and Vanya as possible squeezing the two together as he stared at the laptop screen.
'You're watching something?' he asked surprised. He really was because if he recalled correctly he tried and tried and tried to get Five to sit through at least one episode of shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine or Killing Eve or Breaking Bad but the little shit wouldn't, and claimed he didn't have time for that. The little fucker was thirteen and he didn't have school, what the hell was he busy with?
Anyway, apparently, he wasn't busy to watch whatever Vanya was into.
'It's called Good Omens, and it's really cool. This angel and demon are trying to find the antichrist which they lost and stop the Armageddon,' explained Vanya with a hint of excitement. She was very much into the show.
Klaus smiled. He admitted he didn't really hang around much with Vanya when he was a kid, and he barely knew anything about her as an adult. Since everyone was trying to work out things it wouldn't be the worst idea to hang around with her not that she and Five weren't locked downstairs in endless training seasons. Klaus was pretty sure Five was just as bored as him so he focused all his attention on Vanya and her powers to get away from the boredom.
'I'm intrigued. Can I join you?'
'Sure.'
'No.'
Vanya and Klaus blinked at each other before Vanya looked over at Five who kept his eyes narrowed at the frozen image on the laptop.
'Five.'
Their brother looked over at her with an almost whiny look which made Klaus chuckle out loud. The boy quickly turned to him with a look as sharp as one of Diego's knife before he nodded, 'Fine. But no interruptions.'
'I will seal it and throw away the key,' he said already knowing he wouldn't keep that promise, but Five just nodded and started the episode from where they paused.
It took Klaus about four or five minutes (once again a good one) before he chuckled, 'Oh, these two are the shows main lovers?'
Vanya nodded, 'They're ineffable husbands.'
Klaus gasped, 'Oh, I love that. Ineffable husbands. Perfect-'
'Do you mind?' asked Five a bit irritated and Klaus couldn't help but pinched his cheek causing him to jerk a bit closer to Vanya.
'Oh come on, I'm just expressing what I enjoy about the show,' said Klaus playing innocent as he noticed Vanya's hand stroke Five's back, 'Come on, you two let's watch the show, alright?'
Five once again sighed and nodded leaning his back against the headboard of the bed.
Klaus commented on a few other things in the show. He was totally in love with Aziraphale and his cluelessness and intrigued by everything about Crowley. Apart from the on-screen couple in denial, he couldn't help but watch another couple right next to him.
It started pretty simple with Five moving his head against Vanya's shoulder. At first, he pulled it immediately back and Klaus was half tempted to let him know he saw it and tease him, but on the rare moments his mind was faster than his mouth, he got a better idea and decided to observe. With time passing by the episodes were almost an hour long, Klaus noticed how Five put his head on her shoulder again this time not pulling away as he must have forgotten Klaus was in the room with them. Then again, it was probably the first time he stayed this composed and quiet with his siblings.
He watched as Vanya's hand moved to Five's hair very slowly curling it between her fingers. With her brown eyes on the screen, it was almost like she didn't even realize she was doing so. Halfway to episode three, Klaus realized Five's eyes were closed. His breathing was slow, but Klaus wasn't completely sure he was asleep until Vanya didn't shift. She put one of her hands under his head as she slowly lowered him to her lap while Klaus helped her pull his legs into a more comfortable position.
He looked down at Five's face. The little fucker really did fall asleep. He looked adorable like that it made Klaus smile.
When he looked up he realized Vanya was smiling as well.
'He didn't sleep much last night?' he asked as the episode ended and he paused right before the intro to the next one.
'I think he slept fine. He's just not much of a tv show guy,' she said in an apologizing way and shrugged her shoulders. Funny, how she always tried to apologize on Five's behave like it was her job too.
'Why did he then stay?' asked Klaus before he could stop himself.
Vanya shrugged her shoulders, her fingers brushing Five's hair as he softly snored, 'I promised him the other day we would spend some time together. He remembered I wanted to watch the show so we did.'
Klaus couldn't help a smirk. He never managed to get Five to watch a single episode of anything with him, and yet he offered it when it came to Vanya. Different rules for different folk indeed.
As he looked around the room he couldn't help, but notice a pair of PJs on the nearby chair.
'This is your room?' asked Klaus, and Vanya looked up from Five's face, her lips pulled into a soft smile.
'Well, yes. My room is kind of your room now,' she said referring to the fact he took down her wall when he was expanding his own. He offered her a grimace before he tried to change to the topic.
'I thought you bunked with Allison,' said Klaus confused as he remembered clearly she was with Allison's in her room since they all decided to stay in the mansion.
'Yes,' she looked down at Five, 'But Five kept on being up all night trying to work on his equations how to properly end the Commission. It was getting to his head, and he was in his room so we came here.'
Klaus lightened up, the show forgotten in the moment, 'Oh, we, dear sister of mine?'
Vanya rolled her eyes playfully, 'It's not like that. He sleeps better if someone is with him.'
Klaus hummed, 'Obviously.'
Vanya looked away shaking her head, but Klaus's keen eyes easily spotted the beginning of a blush on her fair skin cheeks, 'He didn't ask me or Luther or Diego for help.'
'You know how he is,' said Vanya quickly, 'Please don't think anything of it. He's just not open to a lot of people.'
Always quick to apologize for the little shit's behave. Lucky him. He missed Dave a bit more as he watched the two.
'He's open to two people. You and Dolores. The rest of us are his siblings, his family, but you're his Vanya,' said Klaus easily and looked down at Five again.
'Don't say it like that, please,' begged his sister, and he smiled at her, 'Come on. I'm just teasing.'
But the truth was he wasn't. Because at that moment Klaus knew just like Luther, Diego, and Allison before him. He knew there was a reason why Five would suffer through something he had no interested in. He knew there was a reason why Five could only sleep if he was with Vanya in the room, and why blushed about it all so adorably.
He sighed to himself and started the next episode. Maybe tomorrow he would tease the little bastard about it, but today he would let him have it. Klaus wasn't lying about what he said before. Five was desperate for a good lay. The kind which involved much less clothing than he and Vanya had now and maybe a bit more privacy than they had with Klaus being in the room.
Number Five
Five had been on constant high alert since he realized Vanya had been the cause of the apocalypse. He couldn't help but recognize the irony of the situation. The first person he told about the upcoming treat and the first person he pushed away ended up being the key to everything. Then again he learned a long time ago fate was a tricky bitch who loved to screw with him.
He was sitting by the table in the basement kitchen staring at Vanya as she had her back to him making him coffee.
He couldn't help but stay in awe how it all worked out in the end. She was learning control doing a great job at it and coming out of her shell living through the full spectrum of emotions. He wouldn't lie. It was scary when she first got angry and the china in the house started to break, but at the same time he felt thrilled about the power which was radiating from her not the one caused by her abilities, but the one caused by a sudden confidence Five never saw on her before. It suited her well.
Growing up Five liked to think he had Vanya read from the front to the back knowing her like the palm of his own hand. He knew all there was about her back then and vice versa she knew all there was about him. But with her emotions finally out for her to experience them and a forty-five-year-old parting, he discovered new things he didn't know about her yet. It was an interesting journey that occupied his mind on moments, he wasn't thinking about his equations and formulas and how to secure their family and the world from the Commission. They had yet to retaliate for them stopping the apocalypse, but Five was no fool. They were licking their wounds before they would strike, and Five would be ready when they do.
'Okay, you mind your face,' said Vanya as she set the mug down in front of him.
He blinked, 'What?'
She chuckled. He liked that. She has been smiling and laughing far more than she used to when he first came back, and he couldn't help but found great pleasure in it.
'Don't throw any of your grimaces or faces alright? Just tell me if it's bad,' she said and sat down opposite him.
Five looked at her and then back at the mug.
'Very well.'
He went to reach it, but Vanya quickly grabbed his hand to stop him.
'Not yet,' she said, 'it's still hot.'
He sighed, but he let her. With the passing moments, he realized she never let go of his hands and for some reason it made him feel a bit confused why.
He decided to look at the mug instead of watching the steam slowly raise from it.
Vanya's hands were warm as usual, but not in the unpleasant way which made him want to pull away. Her touches always were light almost not even there. She always touched him tenderly.
For a second as he watched the mug his eyes shifted to their hands, and Five had the oddest idea that he would lift her hand and pressing his lips against the skin on her palm.
Sometimes he had little butterfly thoughts like that about kissing her or touching her in a certain way, but usually, they came and went. By now they didn't even startle him, he just smirked upon their absurdity and let them pass.
As some time passed Five took the mug and brought it to his lips. It was sad to say, but until today no one ever made him a decent cup of coffee. Not even Vanya. If he didn't walk his way to the nearest coffee shop he would suffer unbelievably bad coffees. Even Grace who could make the delicious of feast seemed to have an error in her program when she was making coffee so he stopped asking her for one. If he didn't know better he would think Hargreeves programmed her to spoil coffee because he himself didn't drink any. Fucking prick.
Still, for some reason, Vanya kept on insisting she would try to make him a good cup of coffee. He found it funny, how determinate she was. He really didn't mind to go to town to get some, but it would be nice to be able to take one home. He always humored her by drinking it and saying it was good for her benefit even if it really wasn't, but somehow she could always look through him. She was could read him just as well as he could read her.
Their hands still stayed locked together and when Five took that first sip, he was sure Vanya could feel his pulse jumping up.
It was good.
He blinked and took another small sip.
It was really good.
He was tempted to drink it all at once but he moved the mug from his lips, 'It's great.'
He was confused, 'How did you manage that?'
Vanya watched his face carefully for a moment before she must have accepted he wasn't lying and rewarded him with a bright smile for that which made his heart speed up a bit. It was like the sun.
'I added cinnamon,' she said sounding almost proud, 'You always used to like it in your oatmeal so I figured, hey, maybe it would make it taste better. Do you really like it?' she asked but it was mostly pride because she knew he did.
He nodded, 'It's the best coffee I had since I got-no it's literally the best coffee ever.'
He looked down at the mug. Well, he will be damned. It was great.
Vanya let out a happy sound and when he looked up she was grinning all teeth and everything.
Five couldn't help but smile as well. Not smirk like he tended to, but actually, smile. She should always look this happy in his opinion.
He felt her thumb brush the back of his hand, and he realized they were still holding hands. He couldn't help but feel his head spinning as he took all of those things in.
She knew him well enough to create the perfect coffee for him. She took care of him letting him sleep next o her so he could get some rest. She played for him so he would be able to work, and humored him in training and his rambling. He was the one who wanted to help her, fix her, but the truth was there was nothing to fix in her. She was perfect the way she was. He was the one who needed the fixing, and she generously did just that every day, every moment.
He took another sip, the delicious liquid flowing through his mouth to his throat as he continued to watch her, their hands linked.
It was at that moment that Five finally knew what all those things meant and why his stomach was doing those rollercoaster flips inside his teen body. But then again, as he realized what he knew, he understood he always knew. He just didn't allow himself to accept it.
'From now on, no one is allowed to make coffee for me, but you,' he told her firmly his heart beating a bit faster than before.
Vanya smiled, 'Good because I wouldn't allow it.'
For a moment that caught Five off guard. He wondered what it meant when she said it like that. Could it be that she knew as well?
Once he was done with his coffee, he set the mug down and stood up their hands still linked before he brought her hand to his lips and pressed a soft lingering kiss to it.
'Thank you, Vanya.'
Number Six
Being able to walk among his siblings seen was both a blessing and a curse for Ben. On one hand he was happy that he could talk to them and occasionally touch them if Klaus was feeling strong enough. However, that also meant that he once again got pulled to all their little arguments and fights just as it was when they were younger.
Ben, tell him I'm right.
Ben's with me on this.
Ben agrees with me.
Ben just wants you all to give him a break!
But of course, he was happy, and he would much rather suffer through his siblings' never-ending arguments than to never get to get engage in them again. Sometimes, however, he needed a break.
So when Luther and Diego were at it again in the lounge with everyone trying to clear their way, he just...left to find a nice place just for himself to get a break from his siblings.
As he decided to hide for a few minutes in his room, he heard the familiar sound of the violin.
Webber's The Phantom of opera
He heard it too many times not to recognize it. With Five's training, Vanya learned how to play the violin without wrecking down the house. A rush of memories come to Ben of how he used to listen to her play while he read a book. With practice and time, she became pretty talented as far as Ben's amateur ear could tell.
Slowly not wanting to startle her and cause her to make a mistake he looked into Five's old bedroom where the music was coming from.
Five was in the process of writing something in advance math no one in the house understood while standing on his bed. The walls were almost completely covered in equations and formulas again.
Vanya was standing not too far from the bed playing on her violin obviously only for him. Her eyes were closed as she let her body slightly move to her own sound. He never thought of it before, but it occurred to him.
Vanya was making music. She was creating something out of nothing. How many of them could say they could do that. None of them had any skills like that. Not really, not in the bridge of being a musician the way she was. She really was talented.
The song ended and just she opened her eyes she caught him, 'Hi Ben.'
He smiled and nodded at her stepping a bit into the room. He noticed Five didn't even look at him just continued to furiously write, 'You were great, Vanya.'
She smiled at him sweetly, 'Thank you.'
'Is he alright?' he nodded at Five and Vanya nodded, 'Music helps him focus his mind. Scientifically it's very helpful for math homework so.'
Ben nodded, 'Well, it sounds like you're more than great if you can get that ball of chaos to focus on something.'
Vanya nodded.
Ben felt the situation had reached his end, and he said, 'I will leave you two to it.'
'Yes, you should,' commented Five, 'so you would stop bothering us.'
Vanya turned around to look at him, 'That's rude, Five.'
'And I'm pretty sure Vanya isn't your personal musician,' commented Ben.
In the next second the pen stopped writing and Five turned his head to look over at Ben and then at Vanya, 'Do you wish to stop?'
Ben didn't miss the hesitation in Five's voice. He was worried she might say yes.
'If you want we can stop,' he said, but it was clear he needed and wanted to continue to work. A cursed mind of the genius.
Vanya watched him for a moment before she said, 'How about we give it ten more minutes and then we have a little break? I think you could use it as well.'
Five nodded obviously relieved before he turned back to his work, his pen writing again.
'You're welcome to stay,' said Vanya kindly, but Ben couldn't help, but notice how Five's shoulders tensed. Five needed a very specific environment to be able to work, and Ben was not part of it.
'Maybe some other time. I will go see what the others are doing,' he assured Vanya before he made himself a ghost again.
It took a moment since she looked around probably half expecting him to reappear.
She put her violin under her chin again, 'You didn't have to be so rude. It's just Ben.'
'He's was wasting my time,' replayed Five and Ben was surprised he answered in the first place. Ben always thought Five went into the zone when he was working. Apparently, not even the zone was enough to keep Vanya out of Five's mind.
'Please,' she said still holding the violin, but not playing.
Five was quiet for a moment before he said, 'I will apologize to him later.'
She chuckled softly, 'You don't know how to apologize.'
'I will buy one of those cards with text inside,' he said a bit snappy, but Ben could see the smirk on his face.
'Besides he knows I well...you know,' said Five and rolled his eyes.
Vanya turned around to look at him with her eyebrow raised, 'Care?'
'Vivaldi please,' said Five instead and Vanya grinned before she pushed the smile away a bit relaxing her jaw and started to play another song while Five continued to work.
That was when Ben knew. He knew it from the way how Five's pen moved against the wall to the sound of Vanya's music in the room. Vanya's music didn't keep Five just focused it made him sane, and Vanya herself made Five a better person.
He returned downstairs and made himself visible to the others.
'Ben, thank God-'
'I don't care who's right. Did anyone notice Five and Vanya-'
'Oh Ben, sweetheart,' sighed Klaus dramatically from the couch next to Allison, 'Everybody already knows.'
Allison wrote something on her notepad and tapped her pen against it for Ben to read out loud.
Not everybody
Number Seven
She couldn't breathe.
Vanya was holding onto her stomach which hurt as she was trying to gasp or to inhale, but she couldn't as her body was twisted on the couch.
Finally, after what felt like half a minute she let out a sound. It was an embarrassing sound, not fully a laugh not fully a cry, but it helped her be able to catch her breath.
'Oh my God,' she managed to get out before she exploded with laughter again this time a bit more contained. She could breathe now as she was laughing and shaking her head with Five's facing her grinning.
'It's not that funny.'
'You thought-,' she laughed with tears in her eyes, 'God.'
'It's not funny, Vanya!' he snapped, but there was a smirk on his face. He wasn't upset at all.
'I was a kid, and it was a very logical conclusion that Hargreeves would make more than one robot,' he tried to explain, but Vanya continued to shake her head laughing endless, 'You-you...'
Five rolled his eyes, 'There was static electricity from my PJs, alright? It was a very logical conclusion at the time.'
She lied down again her whole body in spaz from how hard she was laughing. She was sure she looked like she was having a seizure, but she couldn't stop.
While she and Five were on the couch she remembered the time Five cut himself and freaked out at the sight of blood saying something about fuel. He got all red, but as she wouldn't let it go knowing it was probably something good, he admitted that for a brief time growing up he thought he was also a robot which Hargreeves created just like Mom, and he was too afraid to say because he didn't want anyone to know he was an imposter.
All in all it wasn't even that funny, but Vanya was in a good mood since morning, and the moment he said it looking all embarrassed about it, she couldn't help but exploded with laughs as he processed to tell her how he tried to figure out if the others were too but got disappointed upon the poor results they all had in the pop quiz he had for them.
'Then again the level of IQ did not increase for some members of this family,' he muttered and Vanya almost fell off the couch if Five didn't grab her waists and pulled her closer under him.
'Careful,' he said smiling, and she finally started to calm down occasionally letting out small giggles here and there. It felt good to laugh like that. It felt too long that she did that. When they were younger Five often made her laugh. He could be very reserved and look too above for some things. But he could always make her laugh the hardest.
She looked up at him. She missed laughing like that.
'What?' he asked and she shook her head, 'I'm just glad you're back.'
He blinked, 'I'm back for months now.'
'I know,' she said and reached out to pull a piece of some glitter, Klaus probably left behind as he was making collage earlier today (he said all distractions were good distractions), out of Five's hair.
Five groaned and rolled his eyes.
'I told him to go do that in his room.'
He reached out and swiped the glitter from her finger tossing it to the ground.
'As if he would listen,' she said and popped on her elbows.
He still didn't move away, just watched the glitter on the ground apparently, caging her to the couch with his hands.
He looked so young. Even if he wasn't he looked like it. She couldn't help but picture him as an adult. She only briefly remembered his face from the flash of the blue portal he fell through. She was too startled back then to focus on anything.
Lightly she let her fingers touch his cheek all of the sudden.
He looked back at her curious about what she was about to do.
'I wonder how you look like as an adult,' she confessed feeling her face heating a bit it. It seemed silly now that she said it out loud.
Five watched her for a moment before he leaned away something close to a frown on his face now.
'I guess you will find out in a few decades,' he tried to say it nonchalantly but failed.
Vanya sat up as well looking at the side of his face the frown did not suit him at all.
She let her fingers stroke his forehead. She was far more touchy with him lately. Once she was completely off her meds she felt sensations she never did before. Everything was numbed by the pills then but now it was like she could touch things for the first time. Everything felt better and taste better. When she had ice cream a week after the stopped apocalypse, she almost cried from how good it was.
'I look forward to it,' she confessed. She was also a bit more open with him, with all of them really and herself.
Five blinked and turned around to look at her again.
Vanya smiled before she titled her head a bit, 'I think you will look very handsome.'
She could see the way he swallowed a bit and if it was possible his face heated up as well.
'It doesn't matter,' he said his voice a bit softer now.
She smiled humming, 'Well, of course, not but I just picture you like that. Hm...maybe you will look a bit like Jake Gyllenhaal you definitely have the bone structure.'
He rolled his eyes at that and smirked, 'What, your fangirling about him or something?'
She grinned, 'Of course, he's very easy on the eye.'
'Great,' said Five but he was still smirking as he looked in front of him.
She watched him for a moment before she leaned closer her lips almost directly against his ear as she whispered, 'But I don't care how you look as long as you're you.'
She felt him shiver a bit maybe because her breath touched his neck.
When she leaned away, she noticed his eyes were closed now. She wasn't sure if it because of the shiver, her words or something else, but in the next moment, his hand found hers.
'Just a few more years and we'll see,' he whispered.
Vanya smiled before he sudden he took her hand and brought it to his lips kissing it like he started to do so after she made the perfect coffee for him. He would sometimes take her hand or hands and kissed them after she played him or before bed or if they stood too long in the line for a hot dog.
She was never sure what to think of those kisses. What to allow herself to think of those kisses, but now she did.
Now she knew as he pressed his lips once again against her hand and settled it down against his thigh not letting it go.
'Just a few more years,' she agreed finally knowing what it all meant. She kind of couldn't wait for those few years to pass.
And just like that...everybody knew, and now everybody knows.
Koniec
A.N: Hey, I finally finished it. I started to write this like at the beginning of the month, but only ended up having Luther's part before yesterday inspiration finally kicked in, and I managed to get the rest. I hope you like it. Thank you for reading and if you are up for it leave a feedback.