Let it Rain (The Umbrella Academy)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: Go Fish

1925

"Gilligan, so you know how the final copy of the Great Gatsby is coming out this year, right?"

"Yeahh." He narrowed his eyes as he stirred in vanilla creamer into his coffee.

"Soo, I was thinking that we might talk to Fitzgerald—"

"Nope," he monotonously declined then took a sip of his drink.

"You didn't even let me finish."

"'Cause I know what you're gonna say. You want to influence the book somehow." He lifted a brow.

"Please? It's not like we'd be dabbling with a war or anything big like that." I cheekily looked away and Gill rolled his eyes. "It's just being a part of a book. You gotta admit that'd be cool." I put a hand on my hip.

Gilligan fixed his eyes down on his coffee as he pondered the proposal. "I dunno." He smoothed back his hair.

Beaming a smile, I said, "It'd be fun! You could be the Gatsby to my Daisy."

"You do realize their relationship was incredibly messed up, right?"

"Oh one-thousand percent." I bared my teeth in an eager smile.

He sighed. "Yeah, yeah all right, golden girl."

"Yay! Thank you."

"Why of course, Daisy." Fish slightly tipped his head making me giggle.

"Love it already." I pulled him into a hug.

"Ready for a six-thousand mile trip to Rome?" The idea of that long of a trip to just get F. Scott Fitzgerald to revise his book sounded insane but hey, why not? It's not like we didn't have the time.

I pecked him on the cheek. "You are killin' it at this best friend thing." I inaudibly squealed then ran off to the guest room I've been staying in for the past year to pack.

She kissed me! Oh my God, she kissed my cheek! Gilligan grinned ear to ear as he watched me disappear into my room. He made his way to his own room to pack with a pep in his step.

Ah kissed him... Ah kissed him! Why did Ah kiss him? I touched my fingers to my lips. Ye know why ye kissed him, chickadee. But.. Five... Gill's been a constant in your life for over eighteen years noo. It's fine for ye tae love— Ah can't though, richt?

Gill's chipper voice snapped me out of my internal argument. "You ready, Ronny?"

"A-Aye."

""A-Aye?"" he mimicked my nervous stutter with an eyebrow raised. "You backin' out on me already, Daisy?"

"Gatsby, there is no way I'm not going to Rome with you right now." I brushed past him and snatched up the car keys. "And A'm driving."

"I've still got seniority." Fish gestured at his nineteen-year-old body.

I rolled my eyes then switched my nineteen year old version of myself to my ever so slightly different twenty. "Now I've got seniority." I smirked. He put up a finger to protest but I cut him off. "I'll be waiting in the car!" I shot him a radiant sweet smile then shut the squeaky door behind me.

The retired assassin dopily grinned. "Yep. She's adorable." He heaved the bag over his shoulder and quickly followed me out of the apartment.

••••

We boarded the miniature plane, bundled up in layered clothes and a quilt for the two of us. I sighed. "I forgot that the planes in the '20s aren't pressurized yet."