A/N: Yet another Diego/Vanya. As you can see, I ship them pretty hard. This is a two-shot, I guess? There's two parts, the first one from Vanya's POV and the second from Diego's. Story, title, and summary are inspired by The Maine's Right Girl. They're twenty-two in this story, and it's set in an AU where the Umbrella Academy isn't a thing and they all know each other from school instead. Also, it's kinda Punk!Vanya. I wasn't sure whether to label it T or M, but just a warning, there's strong language and alcohol consumption in the story. Lemme know what you guys think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Netflix's Umbrella Academy or The Maine's Right Girl. This is just for fun and not for profit.

The Wrong Thing

"V-V-Vanya! Baby!" Diego exclaimed as he stumbled towards a girl with long dark hair sitting at the bar. He clumsily dropped his hand on her shoulder, which led to her spinning around and shoving him away from her. "Oh, c-come on, baby! W-what was that f-for?"

Vanya rolled her eyes as a smirk pulled at her lips. It was quite a show. Diego notoriously acted like a complete fool when he was drunk. She should know since she's served as his drinking buddy or designated driver on many an occasion for the past few years. His half-witted shenanigan that evening was probably the most amusing to date.

That is, the girl at the bar who Diego thought was Vanya was most definitely not Vanya.

The real Vanya was actually sitting a few seats away from the action, nursing a tonic water.

As she glanced past Diego's shoulder, she caught sight of a guy with fire in his eyes and anger etched into his face making a beeline straight for the commotion. She sighed as she slid from her stool and threw a couple bills next to her glass on the counter. Time for her to be the hero and save his drunken ass. She made her way over to her plastered friend and pulled him out of harm's way by his leather jacket-clad forearm.

"Hey! W-what're you doing there, m-m-missy?" Diego slurred. The momentum from their movement caused him to run into her when they stopped walking a few meters away. "I was j-just talking to my g-girl over there."

"Hate to break it to you, dipshit," Vanya chuckled, patting his chest, "but she's not your girl. I am."

His eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"You're not V-Vanya," he said. "Vanya has long p-p-pretty hair. Yours is short. And p-purple." Diego stared in awe at her pixie cut as he reached out to ruffle her brown and purple locks.

She scrunched up her nose as he messed up her hair. He was lucky he was drunk. She would've kicked his ass for doing that if he was of sound mind.

"Diego, you helped me cut my hair when we were eighteen," she replied, swatting his hand away from her head. "I haven't had long hair for four years, my guy."

His gaze focused on a point behind her. He was lost in thought, and Vanya was about to snap her fingers in front of his face to get his attention when his eyes widened in revelation. A grin spread across his face as he met her eyes again.

"Oh, yeah!" he yelled, throwing his arms around her shoulders and practically pushing all his weight onto her petite body. Vanya huffed as she tried to hold him up. His voice dropped to a stage whisper as he said, "I remem-member! It w-was a hackj-j-job, but you loved it!"

Diego laughed. His lips brushed against her ear, and his breath tickled her neck with every word. A shiver coursed down her spine, and a blush painted her cheeks as she giggled at his antics. They were in a rather awkward embrace, but their proximity still spawned butterflies in the pit of her stomach and clouded the thoughts in her mind.

Vanya had met Diego freshman year of high school, but didn't develop a crush on him until twelfth grade. Not like that mattered, though. They had been best friends for almost eight years, and informing the man in question of her feelings would complicate their relationship.

On the other hand, she was never certain if her love was unrequited. They've had their moments. The not-so-secret glances at each other, the lingering touch of their hands, the hugs that lasted just a little too long, all were sure signs that something more was there according to their mutual friend group.

Allison and Klaus told her time and again to make her move because they obviously had a thing for each other. Luther was clueless, but agreed with Allison's advice anyways. Ben quietly encouraged her to do what she thought was best for her. Five was reluctant to put her on a path that would get her hurt, but even he admitted that Diego was immensely infatuated with her.

Her friends had a point, but Vanya could never put her friendship with the boy she loved in jeopardy. She would just have to suffer in silence, digesting the flying insects and blinking away the fog whenever she was around him.

When Diego pulled away from her arms with a lopsided grin and a mischievous glint in his eyes, her heart skipped a beat before pounding in overdrive. His smile was her favorite feature about him because it felt different, even special when directed at her, almost as if she was the instigator of his happiness.

Vanya shook her head. It was just wishful thinking.

Suffering in silence sucked.

"Ya kn-know, I loved it, t-too," Diego stuttered, bringing her back to reality.

"Huh?" she asked, confused. She couldn't remember what they had been talking about before she had gotten lost in her thoughts.

"Your hairc-cut, silly g-goose," he tutted, booping her nose with his index finger. "I loved it bec-cause you loved it! I like w-w-when you smile and look s-so happy," he rambled, exaggeratedly gesturing with his hands. "Not t-to mention, you looked p-pretty. And hot."

Vanya couldn't help the heat that colored her face and the giddy smile that appeared on her lips. Her sentiment about smiles was definitely shared.

"Thanks," she squeaked.

Before anything else could be said, Diego fell into her arms again, but not as a sloppy hug this time.

"W-whoa. I am c-completely shitfaced," he mused, a hiccup escaping his mouth. "C-can you g-get me outta here before I d-d-drink all the liquor?"

Vanya laughed.

"Of course, buddy," she answered. "That's what I'm here for. I'll just drive you back to your apartment—"

"No!" he exclaimed, clumsily pressing his hand to her mouth. "Klaus is there with Dave."

She nodded her head. She knew what he was implying about his roommate and his boyfriend.

"I gotcha," she told him as she pulled his hand away from her face. "You can stay at my place tonight."

"Thank you, b-best friend," Diego said, leaning heavily against her side as they stumbled out of the bar and into the parking lot. He screwed his face up in mock disgust. "I w-wish you weren't m-my best f-friend."

Vanya's heart clenched at his words as they reached her car.

"How kind of you, dickhead," she choked out. "What's that supposed to mean, exactly?"

She leaned the inebriated man against the passenger side of her car before taking a step back. She crossed her arms and raised an irritated eyebrow at him. She couldn't understand how he could be so cute and endearing one moment and a complete asshole the next.

"I d-don't like you like a b-best friend should," he explained, as if it were obvious.

Oh.

"I like you m-m-more than that," he continued. "I w-wish we were m-more than that."

Oh.

Before Vanya could respond, Diego started falling again. She grabbed him and helped him into the passenger seat, buckling him up afterwards.

She really needed to talk to him about his drinking habits.

Well, she really needed to talk to him about a lot of other things now, too.

Confusion riddled her mind as she circled the car. Diego had never once hinted at his crush on her the countless other times that he was smashed. She wondered why they had surfaced now. Not that she was complaining, considering she finally knew that he returned her feelings. Her heart had soared at what he had said, but she cautiously reigned in her happiness with a tight leash. The timing of his confession was strange, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

Vanya pushed her thoughts away as she shrugged off her jean jacket and ducked into the driver side. These were questions to ask another time when they were both rested and sober.

She glanced over at Diego after throwing her jacket in the backseat. He was turned towards her, sitting up straight. His eyes were opened wide. They didn't seem to be glazed over as they typically were when he was drunk. Instead, they were alert and anxious. He looked like he wanted to say something, so she patiently waited for him to speak.

Nevertheless, she didn't expect the words that did come.

"I think I love you," Diego whispered, his voice lacking the drunken stutter that it had sported for the majority of the night. His face was serious, and there was a flash of hope within her that he had meant the words he said, that the alcohol hadn't clouded his better judgment, but rather served as liquid courage.

Following his statement, his eyes snapped shut and he collapsed against the seat. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths after being overcome with sleep.

Vanya let out a deep sigh that she didn't know she had been holding. A smile crept onto her face as she turned forward in her seat and put the car in drive. She felt tipsy herself, and as there wasn't a single drop of liquor in her system at that moment, she knew that it was his words that had intoxicated her. Diego's affection was her alcohol, her addiction, and she definitely wanted more.

"I think I love you, too, dumbass," she murmured in the silence of her car as she drove off. "You're gonna have a hell of a hangover tomorrow."

Hope y'all enjoyed!

Part Two will be posted in a few days.

~SOS~