PYROMANIAC - (Umbrella Academy) X Five Hargreeves

2:14

When Vanya was the first to arrive, Lena whisked her away from the disappointing company of Diego and Luther who were still processing her being there.

She had spent the last half an hour talking to the woman downstairs, trying to fill her in on a few things that she was sure everyone else would conveniently leave out. That, and she had managed to escape all of Elliot's attempts to feed them his weird Tuna and jelly concoction that he insisted was to good. (It didn't look it and it certainly didn't smell like it.)

Vanya was keen to listen, just wanting to understand more of the life she had forgotten, feeling more detached than ever.

Most of the conversation was Lena telling her how nice she had been to her when she had arrived with Five out of the blue, while the others hadn't been at all. She had let her borrow her clothes, she had offered for them to stay on her couch, she had stuck up for her and most of all, when her powers had caused an outburst - she hadn't just caused destruction - the first thing she did was set them both free - and for Lena, in more than one way.

It took a while of Vanya being quiet for her to actually accept the kind words because that was all she had for her. Perhaps she didn't expect it.

Then after a long while of mindless chatting, it got onto the topic of her and Five.

"Are you really our sister in law?" She turned to face her on the steps, fiddling with her hands in her lap.

Lena showed her the ring on her fourth finger.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"That's so weird." She murmured. Then she realised how that sounded and closed her eyes. "Sorry."

Lena chuckled. "No, it's okay. We're older than all of you and look like we still get asked for ID at a bar. Weird is... what it is."

She chuckled back a little. Then, after a moment of silence, she ventured to ask, "if you don't mind me asking... how did he even ask? He doesn't seem like the sentimental type."

She twitched a faint smile down at the floor.

The two had been around twenty six years old; who was counting anymore?

Both slept bundled together in front of a fire crackling that she had created, him behind her with his arms encircling her waist and pulling her close to his chest. She radiated warmth and his face was buried into her neck.

They hadn't found much scavenging that day, leading to a quiet evening lying together in front of the fire in the mutual hopes of a slightly better tomorrow. Spirits were low, but they usually were given their doomed situation; a general lack of proper food, socialisation and normalcy over the years had led to an almost constant fatigue that no amounts of sleep could conquer.

It was sad but this was how they spent a lot of their nights. Just lying there together deep in thought, sometimes scribbling in his little book or her creating shadows with her hands when there was nothing better to do in the face of the fire.

"You know when I said I didn't find anything earlier?" He finally asked.

She hummed in response, too tired to actually speak.

"I kind of lied."

She furrowed her eyebrows and shifted to look at him, lying on her back to peer up at him.

"It's not anything important." His gaze turned downwards between them.

"Is it shiny?" She whispered, eyes glittering playfully. She always asked funny questions like that; is it fun? Is it weird? Is it dangerous?