8 ○ Umbrella Academy

You Need Us

Klaus stretched out in the backseat as Diego and I took up the ones up front, the crinkle of one of the baggies he'd taken from my closet filling the silence. "You got a big mouth, you know that?" Diego informed, looking a bit over his shoulder.

"Oh, wow. What a truly shocking revelation, Diego," Klaus giggled. "What's funny is that this time, I didn't say anything."

"I heard you thinking it," I informed, and if I heard it, it probably got relayed to Diego at some juncture or another. "Depriving some village of their idiot? God, you two would've died as children without me around."

"Everything's a big joke to you, isn't it?" Diego questioned, turning further. Leaning himself between the seats, he began fighting with Klaus for the bag. "Would you stop it?!" When Klaus had been defeated, he smacked his hands on the seat a couple times, the itch causing the almost-glare on his face. "Why are you putting this shit into your body?"

Don't say because Ada lets you, don't say because Ada lets you, I prayed, Diego's given me enough shit for one day. And since I still had music playing in my mind, he couldn't just pluck it out.

"Ada fed them to me in her little experiment," he defended, instantly encouraging me to bash my head into the dashboard. "Some Russian dog, or whatever."

"Pavlov," I corrected, meeting the scolding stare of Diego. "Since when have I ever been a good influence?" I huffed, folding my arms over my chest. "I was actually weening him off."

"Check this out," he sighed, shifting to Klaus and lifting his shirt. I rolled my eyes as he patted his stomach, having to force myself to look away. "My body is a temple. All that shit you do, man, it's just weakness."

"Oh wow, beautiful," Klaus sighed, reaching into his pocket. "Well, weakness feels so good." Diego leaned back and smacked whatever pill out of Klaus' hand, causing him to instantly lean forward.

"What's going on with you?" he pestered.

"Don't hit me, asshole!" Klaus yelled, his voice the strongest I've heard in some time.

"Don't tell me everything is alright because I saw you in there, you were crying like a baby!" Diego reminded, pointing out the windshield.

"Because I lost someone!" Klaus defended, leaning back in the seat after I pushed Diego's shoulder back into his, silently urging him to leave our brother be. "I lost someone," he sighed. "The only... The only person I've ever truly loved more than myself." So we sat by, watched Klaus wave a pill in our faces before mumbling, "Cheers," and swallowing it.

"Well, you're luckier than most," Diego sighed. "When you lose someone...at least you can...see them whenever you want." A silence fell between us and as I had the instinct to grab his hand, he reached up and adjusted the rearview mirror before turning to look out the back windshield, arm around the back of my seat as he looked. "That's our man."

Klaus leaned up to my seat and peeked through the side mirror. "Hey, I know that guy," Klaus whispered, finally insisting me to look as well. The only thing I could vaguely remember was the big body in a blue suit, taking in the face it belonged to.

"How could you possibly know that--"

"He and a really angry lady tortured me," he informed, tapping on my arm. "I barely got out with my life." I reached behind me where his head was and ran my fingers through his curls, a small act of comfort as Diego turned around and started the car.

"We gotta get this guy," he decided, turning back as he reversed and left.

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