The umbrella academy: In which Five gets all the love he deserves

Untitled Part 7

Even though they were back home, back in 2019, there are rare days when they could all relax and have stress-free days. And the source of all the stress was Five who has the tendency to blink away in the middle of an argument or if they say something that he doesn't like. In the beginning, they let it be, thinking that he would go to his room to sulk.

But when one of them went to his room on one of that days and saw that he wasn't there, they panicked. They raided the whole city only when to get home, to find Five there looking at them confused. So since that day, they decided that when this would happen, at least one of them would stay home in case he showed up early and let the others know so they could stop searching like crazy.

A few weeks later, it happened again. Truly speaking none of them knew why they argued. But Five blinked away and the endless search began, with Viktor staying home. 

It had been a few hours since they had started the search and none of them had found him and Viktor didn't call them either. It was starting to get dark outside when Luther spotted some movement in an alley. Better safe than sorry he went to check. And there he was. His stupid younger brother wobbled away, holding on to the wall for support.

"Five", he called and Five turned to face him with a grin on his face.

"Luther. My ape-man brother", he said as he raised his arms, losing his support and falling on his ass. "Ouch", he said with a pout. The boy would have been adorable if he weren't wasted as fuck. Again. 

Luther gave a long-suffering sigh before he walked toward his brother and kneeled down. "Really Five? We had this discussion before. You are too young to drink"

"M'not. I'm 58 years old!!" he shouted and waved his arms. Thank God that the alley was empty. He doesn't want to explain to people why he was with a drunk kid.

"Yes. But your body is not. You would catch your death before you would be 25" he said as he stood up and scooped Five in his arms. This gave him deja vu feelings from when he and Deigo had found Five drunk for the first time.

"No I won't", he giggled and hung his head down, over Luther's arm, making him jostle the boy a little to lean his head on his shoulder, not over his head. Shooking his head he started to make his way back towards home.

It was quiet for a few minutes, and looking at the boy, he could see that Five eyes were closed. He thought that he was asleep. Until he opened his mouth. "You know what's funny Luther?"

"That you are going through puberty again?" he asked and Five giggled.

"That too. But it's not that. The first time I got drunk I was really 13. "

"Mhm. really?"

"Yes. It happened after I found all your bodies and buried you. I went in search of food and I found a shop where there was some alcohol and I was like. Fuck it. And drank a whole bottle of whiskey until I passed out."

Luther frowned as he looked down at Five and stopped walking. He knew that they were dead in the apocalypse. But Five didn't say that he had found their bodies and buried them too.

"You buried us?"Luther asked shocked. He didn't even want to imagine how it was for Five. A little kid who had arrived in a destryed world and found that his family was dead and he had to bury them. Five nodded and chuckled like it was something funny but then he sniffled. 

Oh, God. He hoped that he won't start crying. He's not very good at comforting people. "When I woke up I was so sick and my hope that everything was just a bad dream had died down when I was that I was in the same place I passed out"

"It's ok now Five. It was in the past. There's no more apocalypse and we are alive and safe", he said as he tightened his hold on the little boy pressing him closer to him as he started walking again.

"Then you all died again. I saw you die two times again?"

"What are you talking about? We are not dead. We are here"

Five shook his head wiping his face on Luther's shoulder. "You died when the Soviet nukes exploded then I traveled a few days in the past to stop it"

Shit. The apocalypse from '63 that Five told them in the beginning. He had seen them die again and he had come for them to save them and they acted like complete assholes with him. "And the second time?" he asked fearing the answer

"The barn. The Handler shot you all including me>"

"What? No, she didn't. You killed her. Remember?"

Five shook his head. "It happened after. She killed you all but I rewound the time and you were back alive again. I think that it's the first time I'm grateful for what dad said. Seconds, not decades. And it worked."

Luther shook his head. God. He didn't want to know how it was for Five to see them die so many times. They are very lucky to have him indeed. And this time he vowed to himself that if one of their siblings would act like an asshole, he would not join them. But he would side with Five and defend him as a proper older brother should do.

"I don't want to bury you all again."

"You won't Five. I promise. We will be here with you all the time. Safe and alive. And we will keep you safe too as well."

"But you are all older than me. I'm 13. And you are all in your thirties"

Five must be really drunk if he not only his mouth is loosened to speak about their deaths but also admit that he's 13 years old. "It would be many years until that would happen Five. Don't think about that anymore. Alright?" he asked gently

"Five nodded and closed back his eyes. When it was silence again he saw that Five was really asleep this time. He had fallen asleep lulled by his brother's gentle walk and his breathing. His head,falling in the crook of his neck, and one of his hands fisted on his shirt. He made his way back home, making sure to not jostle his brother and let him rest. He deserves it. 

When he got back home, he saw Viktor standing up and walking towards them, looking worried at Five. Luther shook his head. "Don't worry. He's fine. Just asleep"

"Drunk?"

"What do you think?" he asked and he could see the unpleased look on his brother's face. He couldn't blame him. None of them like it when Five drink alcohol. It's not good for him. But he doesn't listen to them. And if they would hide the alcohol he would find other methods to get some. Like tonight. "I will take him to his room. Let the others know that I found him and that he's safe."

Viktor nodded and grabbed his phone before he walked away. Luther walked upstairs and brought Five into his room. He lowered him on the bed and covered him with a blanket. He brushed the boy's hair from his forehead and Five moved his head a little, not away from the touch. But leaning against it. Luther smiled and when after a few seconds when he tried to straighten up and leave to let his brother sleep, he was stopped by the hand that was still gripping his shirt. He tried to untangle the small fingers from his shirt but even when asleep Five was a stubborn bastard. And he didn't let go. So he gave up. Because the bed was too small for both of them, Luther sat down on the floor, at the head of the bed, making sure that Five's arm won't hurt, and leaned against the wall.

It seems that tonight he would sleep on the floor in his brother's room. But he didn't find himself to mind that. Especially since it would help his brother to know when he would wake up, that he was back home and his presence would assure him that his family was there with him and everyone was alive and safe.