8 ○ Umbrella Academy

Reconsiliation

I parked in the alley behind the house, the one where Klaus had picked up the dumpster breakfast, and leaned my head against the wheel, a pounding in either of my temples. The dazed feeling had worn off and I was able to take into account what Diego had done. "I told you to lay low, didn't I?" I asked, my voice surprisingly soft.

"I didn't think you'd control Beeman like that--"

"I didn't, okay?" I interjected with a deep breath. "He already had the idea and I could only try to get him to go with it, that was mostly him." I sighed, my arm still aching and my head pounding creating something near sickening.

"I could feel you panicking from the moment I got in the patrol car," Diego breathed, running a hand over my back and debatably worsening the pain. God, he needs to stop using his arm. "Relax, Ada."

"It took me an hour and a half to get to the station under normal circumstances, long enough for me to shut off my mind to you and get you out without you knowing I was ever there," I informed. "I watched them cuff you, Diego. That's different...and it scared the hell out of me." I turned to face him with a soft frown, watched how he carefully avoided my gaze. "Was there any gain to that stunt tonight?"

"Allison's on her way to go see Jenkins' grandma's house," he informed, bringing his eyes up to meet my incredulous expression. "It's our only lead."

"I tell you no so you go and rope Allison in?" I asked in disbelief, smacking his arm and hurting myself in turn. "She has a child, Diego. She shouldn't be out there alone."

"So then let's go after her, maybe we can catch up." I scoffed and shook my head, leaning back against the seat before getting out of the car.

It was only after the door on his side clicked that I decided to add, "Just because I live in your head constantly doesn't mean I understand the things you do." After flipping through my many keys, I opened up the doors to the kitchen and started making my way through the house.

"I was trying to help us," he pointed out in a firm tone, backtracking a step when I whipped around on him.

"Who were you helping by getting yourself locked up tonight, Diego? Really. I wanna know who you thought it helped." He sighed and turned away, falling short in an answer.

"Allison was able to get out there." I rolled my eyes and walked away, groaning at the only thoughts currently in the house, aside from the robotic drone of Mom's mind that had returned. I didn't stop on the landing of our bedrooms longer than I needed to as I climbed the stairs, really not up for listening to two drugged out furries going at each other, even if one of them was a terribly misguided brother of mine - especially if it were my brother.

Diego was hot on my heels, he didn't say anything, though, likely trying not to hear the moans echoing through the halls. I didn't even stop when I'd hit the roof, trying to put a sound barrier between myself and the bad choices Luther made. When I had stopped, I had my legs dangling over the edge of the roof, unreasonably angry but unable to fix it. I turned my head away when Diego sat beside me, willing my anger to fade but only pissing myself off further when it went no where. "I shouldn't have gone behind your back like that," he sighed, stare fixated on the city. "I won't do it again."

I scoffed and couldn't help as my head turned back to him, studying the torn expression he bore. "You've gotten good at this apology thing," I realized.

"Didn't think I'd need to do it so often," he muttered. I released a deep breath and wrapped my arm around his right one, no longer causing myself pain in the search for comfort, letting Diego take the steps to entwine our fingers.

"You didn't realize how crap you were at apologizing for things," I pointed out with a shrug. "Glad I could help."

"Kinda wishing you would've taught me sooner," he breathed, shifting his grip on my hand. I sighed and laid my head on his shoulder, fighting the nagging in the back of my mind telling me not to leave him in the open.