Chapter 10: Hazy Shade of Winter

Allison gave Five a begrudging sidelong glance as the pair of them watched Pogo succumb to the rumor, his eyes glazing over with a milky white sheen that would have gone unnoticed to most anyone else. Five stood cross armed, dark brows knitted together, but otherwise unfazed. Stone faced. Rumoring Pogo was the simplest solution, the most direct route, and needed to be done. It was as simple as that.

A quick glance at his sister told him she was feeling much less certain about the situation - she was fidgety as her fingers picked insistently at a loose string on the hem of her shirt. Pogo had already died in the timeline they escaped, and she was no doubt feeling guilty for putting their most loving biological caregiver through any more trials and tribulation.

It was regrettable that Five had to include his sister in this mess at all, but she would get over it. Allison had done far worse things with her rumors than this. If anything, this was helping Pogo, not hurting him. Preventing him from privileged, if not dangerous, information. The Chimp walked out of the lab in a daze, off to do his part, and tell the rest of the family that it had been a false alarm - that whatever he thought was wrong with Five's test results was an error, and he was perfectly fine.

Not that they would buy that, with Five having rashly warped Allison out of the room. It was a no brainer that he had needed her to tell a rumor for him. Why else would he have chosen Allison of all people? They didn't exactly spend a ton of free time together. No, they wouldn't buy Pogo's lie, but it would at least give him a story to fall back on that wasn't the truth.

The bigger issue was whether or not Allison would move past her newfound knowledge of Five's time at the Temporal Commission. And if not, then what she would do with the information he'd been forced to share. That is what had Five on edge. It had never been his intention to bring this part of his life to light.

Five hadn't considered the fact that his past could sneak back up on him so suddenly. He had come to terms with his faults long ago, but never in a million years did he expect to share the information with his family. And here he had been spending the last several weeks worrying about temporal agents hunting them down, how to avoid pissing off their father for the second go around, and pining over Vanya.

He scoffed at his own thoughts betraying him. Vanya. As if there was a chance in hell that whatever God was out there would let him even begin to tease the idea of something between the two of them. Or that Allison would allow there to be something, at that, now that she knew just how much of a threat her littlest long lost brother could be.

"They won't believe him," Allison voiced the thoughts that had been running through Five's mind moments ago. "And I won't lie for you forever. They're our family , Five. They love you." He visibly winced at her words. "You're going to have to tell them, and they're going to have to accept you for who you are. Even if you're not the same person who left us." Her perfectly groomed brows were arched his way with a sideways glance, waiting for whatever excuse he could muster as to why they had to lie to his siblings.

His lips thinned into a frown as he shook his head in disbelief. "Sure. Sure they will," he laughed, not a hint of humor evident. "Luther especially, who is already convinced I've been doing nothing but murdering gardeners for the last few years of my life. And Diego, who took it upon himself to leave home as a self proclaimed vigilante, buy an extremely questionable wardrobe-choice for a grown ass man, and hunt down men who have committed lesser crimes than I have." Five found himself pacing again at this point. "And I'm sure Klaus and Ben are thrilled with the amount of death that surrounds me, as if they haven't spent the last decade dealing with enough of that."

Allison watched him rant, staying quiet and still, waiting for him to stop his stressed gait. He did eventually, stopping to scowl before her after his less-than-kind synopsis of their siblings. "And Vanya?" she inquired. "She doesn't deserve to know? After all she's done for you?"

"I don't think wasting five years worth of Dad's money on the electric bill and a steady supply of peanut butter counts for much, Allison," the boy snapped coldly. There it was - the bitter, cold side of him, so quick to dismiss things that he held to heart, things that kept him sane and made life worth enduring. The smallest part of him was hit with a wave of regret at his own words, but he shoved it aside without hesitation, a sneer on his face. He turned sharply towards the door.

"We both know it's more than that," Allison continued, stepping in front of him, blocking his path. "It was always more than that, even before you disappeared."

"You saw what you wanted to see," Five accused. He brushed past Allison, intent on escaping far, far away from this conversation, and warped to the other side of the door.

"Just admit that you care about her." Allison flung open the lab door and chased him into the hall.

"Obviously," he called back without stopping. Allison jogged to catch up to his quick stride. "I care about all of you, or did you forget the part where I spent three quarters of my life trying to get back and save you all?"

Allison didn't miss a beat. "It's different with her. You cared about her when the rest of us couldn't - when the rest of us wouldn't . You were always at her defense, with us, and with Dad. We aren't blind, and we aren't quite as dimwitted as you seem to think." She reached a hand to his shoulder to stop him, forcing him to turn around and face her if he was going to deny these truths. "Five, would you just-"

His hand was wrapped around her thin wrist faster than she could finish her thought, fingers squeezing too hard. " Don't touch me ," he hissed. She winced and tried to pull away, as a look of pain flashed across her face. For just a moment, he held her there, glowering over her despite their equal heights - and then the menace in his icy eyes was gone just as fast as it had appeared. He wrenched his hand away from her with a sudden realization of his actions, watching in a daze as she stumbled backwards from his release.

Five jumped behind her with a pop, grabbing her shoulders gently before she could trip backwards against the checkered tiles. The moment Allison was steady and on her feet, he stepped back again, putting intentional distance between them. His eyes glanced down at her most likely sprained wrist, cradled close to her chest by her uninjured hand.

Shit.

Miraculously, when he met her dark eyes, there was only concern. He had expected fear, or hate, or anger. But no, she was simply worried about him for some godforsaken reason. It was irritating. "I'm fine," she assured, clearly noticing his growing panic.

"Fuck," Five mumbled, running a hand through his dark locks again. "This," he gestured to the space between the two of them, referencing to the almost frightening situation they were in, "Is exactly why, and I repeat, there is no me and Vanya . There is no me and anyone . I'm better off by myself." His fists were balled at his sides, fingernails cutting into his palms. Getting close to him had proven to be unsafe for all parties - look what happened to Delores, for crying out loud. She got hurt over and over, throughout multiple timelines, and was used as leverage against him. She made him weak. Five wouldn't allow Vanya - living, breathing, beautiful Vanya - to be his weakness. "Whatever you thought there was, you're wrong."

"Well you might want to let her know that," Allison retorted, not-so-gently. She paused, raising her free hand out to him in a much more delicate, supportive manner, but stopping short at the scowl shot her way. "Listen, we all have baggage, and things that tear us away from what we want." Five shot a sidelong glance her way, shoulder still tense. "You have a bit of extra crazy going on, I'll admit, but Vanya blew up the moon a few weeks ago. She's not as delicate as any of us thought." Allison shrugged. "Just talk to her, Five. Get on the same page, with whatever this is or isn't . She at least deserves to know what the hell is going on."

The tension had left his shoulders a bit. His mind toyed with the idea, running through possibilities, then promptly chiding himself for believing that they could ever be realities. Five had been so very willing to drop everything moments before, but Allison's words had latched onto a small, hopeful feeling in his chest.

Maybe.

Maybe Vanya was strong enough to deal with him.

But she was too unstable, too unpredictable.

Maybe he did deserve something more, despite his faults.

No, definitely not.

Maybe he could control this, or even find a way to fix it.

Doubtful.

Maybe Vanya didn't care about his past. She had a past of violence too, as Allison had oh so thoughtfully pointed out, however short lived Vanya's episode might have been.

But she didn't choose to be a murderer.

"You're wrong," the boy blurted out without thinking. "Even if we are on the same page, someone is bound to get hurt." He had more or less confirmed Allison's suspicions. Shit. Too late now. He swallowed, struggling to keep his voice steady. "What happens then?"

Allison gave a conniving smile that rivaled Five's own malicious grins. She almost looked threatening, despite being in the body of a petite thirteen year old. "If you hurt her, then I'll kick your ass. Considering Vanya doesn't first." She continued past him, nudging his shoulder playfully on her way by. "Just talk to her," she called back without stopping.

Five didn't shrink back this time, frozen where he stood, mind still racing and lost in itself. The 'maybe's and 'what if's ran through his head in a loop, giving him a pulsing headache. Allison's newfound confidence in their previously quiet and ordinary sister was unshakeable, so much so that he was questioning his own conclusions about whether Vanya could hold her own if need be, without losing control. Allison seemed to believe so. Especially now, being a mother with no child to dote upon, Allison was acting especially overprotective of all of them. Five was sure that the future movie star would rather see the world burn before she would ever give up on Vanya.

He could relate.

With a frustrated growl, he stepped away in a crackle of blue and appeared within the safety and comfort of his bedroom. Footsteps echoed dully down the hall. He had been hoping to avoid any run ins with the siblings about where he and Allison had been, and why she had returned injured. Luther was bound to blow up once he saw her bruised wrist, and would be demanding answers.

Maybe his room wasn't the best place to be afterall. Much too obvious. He hastily grabbed one of the monogrammed uniform jackets from his wardrobe and warped away again. It was mid-December, but maybe some fresh air would do him some good. A bottle of Reginald's scotch couldn't hurt, either.

…

The morning's rain carried on, drizzling and spitting in the courtyard, making its displeasure well known to anyone unfortunate enough to be caught out in the elements. Five wished he had grabbed more than his blazer, but he had already committed to sit under the gazebo and brood for the time being. He had far too much pride to return inside and fumble through any explanations to his family about his abrupt behavior with Pogo earlier. Better to simply let Allison cover for him for now. If anyone was a professional liar in the family, it was surely Number Three.

His numb fingers fumbled to pop the cap off his recently reobtained flask, now filled with one of his father's nicer selections of single malt whisky. The cold liquid warmed his throat, settling comfortably in his stomach. If not for the low temperatures, it would be quite a peaceful morning. The busy noises and hustle and bustle of the city was somewhat relaxing, making his recent tribulations fade into the background of urban life.

A door latch clicked open nearby, signalling the interruption of his newfound peace. The dark haired boy didn't bother turning around, giving no indication that he had noticed whichever sibling had inevitably found him.

Soft footsteps padded through the ever forming puddles of the cobblestone pavement. He could feel her presence before he could see her, but even that knowledge didn't suppress the tightening in his chest as Vanya ducked under the shelter of the gazebo. "There you are," she sighed through her scarf with a warm smile, relief obvious in her voice. Gloved hands struggled to close the familiar black umbrella in her hands. "You're going to miss lunch. What are you doing out here?" she asked, discarding the umbrella and shoving her hands into her coat pockets. Her cheeks were already red from the cold, making her skin look more pale than usual.

Five shrugged and took another sip from the flask. "Just enjoying the weather, I suppose." He grinned, gesturing grandly to the space around them. Vanya raised an eyebrow and looked him over. He was doing a poor job at masking his backstabbing body's involuntary shivering.

"Come inside," she urged him, pushing up on her toes and rocking back down, antsy. "It's freezing out here." She was cold after mere moments of being exposed, even with her appropriate attire. His own ensemble was doing little to keep his body temperature up, but that's what the booze was for, he argued internally.

"I'm fine," he assured her, leaning against the railing and crossing his arms indignantly. His teeth threatened to chatter through his words, though. The wind picked up a bit, tossing and twisting Vanya's long hair, and sending shivers through both teens.

"Please, Five?" She laid on the pouting hard, opening abusing their carefully crafted trust. Doe eyes, a small frown, all while closing most of the distance between them with an outstretched arm. Five shivered again, but not from the cold this time, forcing himself to stay stone faced despite Vanya's efforts.

"If you're cold then go inside, Vanya," he spat anyways, ignoring the reaction from his pounding heart. Vanya's brows lowered - he could swear she looked annoyed with him. As if he had forced her come out in this weather. He hadn't asked for her to come suffer with him. That was her own doing. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the beam behind him, not willing to be the victim of anymore of her emotional tricks. He would stand firm in this, for both their sake's.

"Fine," she retorted. It was both a relief and a disappointment. He smirked bitterly at his victory. A conversation avoided, but at the cost of upsetting her.

Or so he thought. Five's bright eyes snapped open as Vanya leaned in close, reaching over him to wrap her scarf around his now very tense shoulders. Her hair tickled his cheek, not unpleasantly, as she fussed over the placement of the soft fabric. When she was satisfied with her work, she sat next to him on the cold bench, pressing her side against his in a hopeless attempt to stay warm in the winter air. He suddenly felt very warm, and somehow doubted it had much to do with the dozen or so swigs of whisky.

"If you don't want to talk, that's fine," she continued. "But you don't have to get frostbite to prove a point. You could always be moody and secretive indoors, you know?"

"Well where's the excitement in that?" he bantered back, letting a rare smile slip through his facade. Vanya nudged him with a disapproving shake of her head, but seemed only to snuggle in closer as another gust swept by. He had half a mind to scoot further down the bench, but the warmth was nice, inviting, and playing tricks on his mind. They were quiet for a while, neither willing to say what had gone unspoken for so long. The sounds of the city and patter of the rain continued.

Vanya leaned in innocently, resting her head against his shoulder and winding her arm through his. Five instinctively froze a bit, not resisting in letting her link their fingers together, hers gloved, and his numb from the bitter cold. How could something that threatened to cause his heart to jump out of his chest feel simultaneously so very natural?

He couldn't bring himself to look away from their joined fingers - he was in too deep, that he knew. But perhaps Vanya was just as invested in their growing fondness for each other, this odd sense of dependency that had snuck up on him. The more he tried to push her away, the more he craved her attention. Vanya sighed deeply, closing her eyes, relaxed and unsuspecting. It was a glaring reminder of his earlier conversation with Allison.

Too close. Too trusting. Too comfortable with someone she doesn't even know anymore.

Damn Vanya for her blind faith, her hope that he was somehow on the track to recovery from the past she only knew the half of. There was no recovering from what he had been through. No amount of sleep, or honest conversations, or time would ever be enough to erase the things that haunted him.

With a deeply regrettable shrug of his shoulders, he inched away from her. Brown eyes glanced up inquisitively, making Five look away, guilty. He couldn't convincingly lie if she was staring at him like that. "Maybe you should go inside," he stated, voice as cold as the air around them. "I'd rather be alone right now."

She visibly deflated at his words. "Are-are you sure? You could come in, and I'll make some tea or-"

"Vanya, I don't want tea, and I'm not in the mood to talk about things you couldn't possibly understand," he snapped, standing up and ripping her scarf off his body. His words stung. The tears gathering in the corners of her very confused and pained eyes stung worse. He ignored it. "I'm not a child. I don't need your company. Just leave me alone." He thrust the scarf out towards her, and she sat staring at the accessory as if it were a dying animal.

Five's stomach twisted uncomfortably, like it did after he jumped one too many times, but he held his ground. This was a necessary pain for both of them to survive.

"No," she murmured, barely audible, even at the short distance between them.

The wind suddenly picked up with a start, making Five tighten his grip on Vanya's scarf as invisible tendrils tried their best to rip it from his fingers. The gentle misting had instantaneously turned into a downpour, sheets of heavy rain and hail making visibility outside of the tiny wooden structure nearly impossible as he glanced around them, suddenly tense. Vanya's teary eyes flashed into a silvery white as she stood up opposite of him, her fists balled up tightly at her sides. Five hesitantly took a step back, grimacing at both his and Vanya's wild overreactions.

It was for reasons like this that he should never have allowed them to grow close again, emotions be damned. If time had taught him anything, its that there were consequences for anyone he allowed to get too close.

"You weren't here before," she accused with a step towards him, voice full of spite, hair flipping wildly in sync with the unnatural roar of the wind. The distance between them was gone, and she jabbed a finger into his chest. "And I was alone for so long. You don't get to bring us back to live in this damn house again and push me away!" Angry tears spilled over, running their course down her face without hesitation. Raw, unfiltered emotions. Things Vanya wasn't used to feeling, that had been rendered numb and powerless for most of her life.

Five swallowed hard, knowing he was doing a poor job at masking his concern for what was happening. "Vanya," he pleaded without explanation, gesturing wildly to the scene unfolding around them. As terrifying as Vanya was in this state, he knew he had to say something to snap her out of it. "You need to stop. Look around."

Vanya blinked twice, and her eyes faded back to their natural brown, wide and with a sudden fearful realization of what was happening. She all but collapsed forward with the sudden drain of energy, stumbling with a choked sob. He caught her without thinking, hands on her waist in an instant, keeping her upright as she struggled to find air between each heart wrenching whimper. The scarf, having been long forgotten, blew away to join the still raging storm.

"I'm sorry," she cried into his chest. Five frowned at the unpleasant feeling that had taken over inside, the feeling that he had caused this, not her. He let her cry against him, only mildly aware that he had in fact pulled her even closer against him, arms wrapped fully around her thin frame. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I didn't mean to. I just-" she faltered, trailing off.

"Lost control?" he filled in, careful to keep any harsh tones at bay. "Believe me, I know the feeling." And he did. She had witnessed his uncontrollable breakdowns, seeing things that weren't there, all the quirks and habits that came from decades of being alone. She squeezed him tighter, and he nearly sighed aloud at her neverending warmth. Even in the midst of her own trauma, she was concerned about comforting him.

"You're my best friend." She sniffled, pulling her head up a little to rest her chin on his shoulder. He allowed it, unable to hurt her again so soon, despite every instinct telling him this was exactly what he had been trying to avoid. "I can't do this without you again. I just got you back. I know you're still adjusting to all of this, but...I thought things were going alright. With my training, with the guys and Allison," she trailed off. "...and with us."

Us. There it was. Confirmation that there was an ' us' in her mind, despite his very best efforts to convince himself that there wasn't, and couldn't be. It left him feeling vulnerable and exposed. Nothing good would come from this. "I'm sorry, Vanya. I shouldn't have been so unsympathetic." That was an understatement. "You're doing remarkably well with your training, and the team has come together, despite Dad still being...well, his bastard, living, breathing self."

Vanya didn't say anything for a moment, waiting. Waiting for more. Waiting for him to confirm or deny her words on their jumbled relationship. She would always wait on him, he realized with a start, guilt eating away at his conscious. Seventeen years, she had waited for him, to the point that she had felt foolish for it. He had left her to fend for herself for more than half of her life, just so he could what - prove Dad wrong? Feel better and smarter than his siblings? Prove something to himself?

"I just got you back. I don't want to lose you again, Five," she whispered, warm breath tickling his neck, echoing words that she had shared with him that fateful first night in 2019, right before he ducked out of her apartment without so much as a goodbye. He could feel goosebumps rise across his skin, and failed to suppress a shiver. It was cold out, he reasoned. Of course he was shivering. "I don't want to be alone again."

"You're not alone," he assured her, recomposing himself, being all too careful with choosing his words. "You know the team cares about you. It may not have been apparent before, but things are different this time. You know that."

She pulled away quickly, not missing the way he danced around the topic, dark eyes darting up to hold his unreadable gaze. She was so different lately, off of her pills. Challenging. Persistent. There was a fiery spark, no longer smothered, burning freely and threatening to ignite everything he was trying to suppress and ignore. "That's not what I mean," she urged, frustrated. "I don't care about the Umbrella Academy, or being a part of the team, or silly tattoos and numbers. I care about you , you idiot."

"I care about you too, obviously," the boy snipped without missing a beat, reaching a hand out towards her in a show of sentiment. "But-"

"But what, Five?" she screamed, and the wind screamed with her. "But not enough?" Her scowl as she pushed his away was enough to chill his blood. She seemed to have regained her composure, letting herself be propelled forward into the argument. "This has never been enough for you, has it? This life. You won't slow down and let yourselfenjoy things. You're always going to want more, to do more, to be one step ahead of everyone. Just like when we were kids, when you left us behind without thinking of the consequences, without worrying about anyone but yourself." Her words hurt. How had this conversation turned on him so quickly? He stood facing her with blank eyes, unable to defend himself for a moment. She was suddenly turning away from him, defeated by her own thoughts. Quiet. "You're always going to want more than this. More than me. This is never going to be enough for you."

Had his leaving really done this much damage?

Of course it had.

Vanya had changed. She had been broken but reborn, like a forest that had to be burned down and destroyed to start anew. She had grown, blossemed, and prospered into a remarkable and radiant woman, despite the challenges she had faced in recent months. She had overcome her fears and was hopeful and bright for a new future.

But Five had changed too. Unwillingly forced into a degenerate lifestyle, broken and glued back together all wrong, missing vital pieces that prevented him from feeling whole. If the time alone in the apocalypse hadn't done it, then the Commission surely finished the job of ripping his last shred of humanity out. He had failed himself, his family, the world. But even worse, he had failed Vanya. He was still failing her.

It was ironic, that him leaving all those years ago was what may have caused the chain reaction that led to the end of the world. Only to work for decades trying to stop it. Only to find out the girl he left behind, his closest friend, his favorite person... was the cause. And now here he was, fate presenting him with the opportunity to hit the reset button and start again, despite so many changes between the two of them. So much lost time.

It was laughable, really, to entertain the idea that fate was throwing them another curveball. Dangling their desires just out of reach, watching them struggle to find a foothold, to stay afloat.

He'd be damned if he let fate have all the credit. He had worked his ass off to get here, risked it all to save her from fate and it's twisted jokes. And here they were, Five carefully trying to control each and every turn, trying to protect Vanya from the abomination he had become, and the sick organization that made him this way. They would find him eventually.

The storm continued, a clap of thunder jolting him out of his thoughts, making him realize that despite how much he tried, there was no sense of control here. He was scrambling and fighting to hold onto something that was already out of reach. He would never be able to control the timeline.

Growing close to Vanya meant there was a very real risk from his unpredictable modifications. He could hurt her. Or worse. But pushing her away had proven to be just as damaging, sending her into an emotional turmoil, leaving her alone to repeat history all over again.

Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but he had an irresistible urge to indulge himself, to let go, to open up, and to stop pretending that he had everything under control.

They were doomed either way, it seemed.

He was going to fail her eventually.

May as well enjoy the time he had.

He blinked to the other side of the gazebo, appearing in front of Vanya and grabbing her shoulders roughly, tempted to shake some sense into her. "Not enough?" Five repeated, eyes narrowing, bewildered at the thought. He leaned over her, nearly nose to nose, probably veering on the side of threatening to any casual onlooker. She wore a confused expression, eyes wide and frozen by his harsh actions, clearly not expecting quite a response. His blue eyes were full of sincerity, despite his unorthodox way of expressing himself. "Vanya, you are everything ."

For a long, fearful few seconds, Five was sure she hadn't heard him. Their breaths came out in whispy clouds, visible in the chilly air. His nerves felt on fire though, waiting for any sign of reaction, searching her face almost frantically for a response or a sign of rejection. What felt like an eternity later, she offered a forgiving smile, reaching a gloved hand up to cup his cheek, a clear sign that he hadn't said something wrong. Tension hung heavily around them, the air feeling charged and dangerous like the swirling storm around them. Her gaze flickered down to his lips for the slightest moment, and it was all the invitation he needed.

His lips were on hers in an instant, with more force than necessary, impatient and frustrated after waiting so long, trying and failing to push away dangerous feelings for the girl before him. Vanya inhaled sharply through her nose, a squeaky gasp lost in her throat, but returned his affections after the brief shock. She leaned into the kiss, dark eyelashes fluttering closed, the chaotic noise around them melting away into the background. Five found one hand tangled in the dark hair at the nape of her neck, the other slipping around her waist to find the small of her back, pulling her against him earnestly.

It was rushed, unexpected, uncoordinated, and imperfectly perfect. And it ended all too soon, with Vanya regrettably prying herself away. Five found himself breathless and suppressing a growl of frustration and the sudden lack of contact, something he hadn't realized he had been missing all this time.

Their breath came out in scattered puffs, heads dizzy and very much in the need of oxygen. He kept his eyes closed, not willing to open them on the off chance that this was just another figment of his imagination. Although the chances were slim, seeing as most of his episodes were full of gore and death, not soft lips and the flowery smell of her hair against his nose. His head bent forward, resting against hers, foreheads touching.

"Five," she whispered finally, reaching around to grab his hands in her own. He opened his eyes at last, finding himself at a loss of words, feeling suddenly awkward and out of place from the unplanned events. This wasn't like him. She made him do things completely out of character, years of training and careful precision tossed out the window.

"Hmm?" he hummed, poker face returned. Was he supposed to say something now? He had never kissed anyone before - being alone in the apocalypse didn't exactly present many opportunities. Had he done something wrong? Maybe he had interpreted her words wrong, mistaken her feelings.

But no, she was suddenly flashing him a gorgeous smile, eyes darting away to look into the distance. He followed their path, and curiously noted the snow that was falling gently around them. Gone was the wind and rain and thunder. A look of relief washed over Vanya - perhaps she had been worried herself, over what her powers would do in the moment, of letting her emotions show with him? He had considered as much, but didn't think they would ever be in so deep as to find out.

"Well that's interesting," he commented at last, eyebrows raised, arms wrapping around her securely, unwilling to let the moment go over a bit of snow or rain. The sky could be spitting fire for all he cared right now. He was on cloud nine, feeling warm and stupidly love drunk.

A door slammed open from the building surrounding them, causing the two to fumble away from each other in a panic. Five jumped to the other side of the gazebo on instinct, placing himself between Vanya and the intruder, muscles tense and cheeks red from being caught in such a tender moment.

"Guys! Come outside!" Klaus yelled into the house from the doorway, not noticing the two members of his household standing across the courtyard. He hopped on one leg, struggling to pull a boot onto his bare foot, tripping over his scarf and landing hands first into a puddle. "It's snowing! It's a fucking Christmas miracle!"

Five rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, heart hammering in his chest from the unexpected appearance from their most obnoxious brother. "Klaus, Christmas is still two weeks away," he called across the yard venomously. Vanya giggled behind him, walking up to stand elbow to elbow, making his pulse speed up even further. This had to be detrimental to his health, he noted, irritated with his body once again.

Klaus jumped like a spooked cat, noticing them for the first time. He eyed them suspiciously, not missing how close they were standing, or how flushed they must have looked, or the way Vanya was glancing up at Five with a wry smile right now, hand hooked into the crook of his arm. Damn her. Five glared daggers at the brother in question, daring him to say something and risk unleashing Five's constantly pent up rage and remarkable skill set. The Seance simply grinned ear to ear, wide and all-knowing, chuckling to himself.

"Ben, I believe you owe me twenty bucks," he sang loudly, skipping into the house with a giddy enthusiasm. "I told you it was only a matter of time."

Well fuck. So much for discrepancies.

Nothing ever went as planned in this family.

I rewrote this chapter like four times guys. (Notably, my kid was sick twice in these last few weeks, and I've had quite a lot of family stuff going on). So I'm terribly sorry for the LONG LONG LONG wait.

I do hope you enjoyed! I've never (ever) written a kiss scene before, so...there's that. Feeling a little self conscious and uncertain. Which is a big part in why I couldn't get this chapter written. This chapter was suppose to be a part of the last chapter, but I just couldn't bring it all together. Due to that...the action-y story arch will have to wait until chapter 11!

Your comments make my day. Hopefully this chapter made yours! 3

Storm