Empathy [Ben Hargreeves]

Episode Eight. Part II.

"I Heard a Rumor"

☆☆ 2005 ☆☆

Two bundled figures stood on the rooftop of the Umbrella Academy late one autumn day. The air was chilly, but their intertwined hands stayed warm.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," sixteen-year-old Ben said with a frown as he watched the blonde girl in a beanie inhale another drag from her marijuana joint.

Eloise tilted her head upwards and expelled the smoke towards the looming grey clouds before she spoke: "It makes me feel better."

"Does it? Because I thought that was what I was for."

Elle sighed in exasperation at her boyfriend's disgruntled expression. Being high dulled the surrounding emotions and that was a gift in itself to the empath. Elle squeezed Ben's hand in hers and focused her glassy eyes on his as best she could.

"You know, Klaus said--"

She cut off as Ben plucked the pale green stick from between her lips and tossed it over the side of the building. The lit end died as it hit the sidewalk covered in golden leaves below.

"I'm not Klaus," he snapped, dropping her hand and stepping back to shoot her a glare that was more like a pout.

Elle pursed her lips and gestured towards the roof edge without looking down. "That's called littering."

He ignored her comment. "Are you with Klaus, or are you with me?"

Elle groaned and rolled her head around. "Come on, don't be jelly, Ben. Heh, a jelly bean."

"You're not respecting my emotions."

The empath stopped laughing at his words. Her special ability allowed her to feel and manipulate the emotions around her, but that didn't mean she always acknowledged that there was a person behind the emotion.

Since she was high, her irises remained a shade of pink instead of turning lilac in her shame, but she tried to clear the fog by roughly shaking her head. "Shit, Ben, I'm sorry. I hear -- well, feel -- you, I do, but you need to understand that I have history with Klaus. You knew that before you even made a move."

Ben closed his eyes and inhaled. "I know," he said, reopening his dark eyes. "I'm trying, but sometimes I feel that you're closer to him than me, and I just can't compete... He still holds your hand, Elle. How am I supposed to respond to that?"

"He's still my best friend, but you hold my heart. You're my Benny-boo," Elle reminded him gently. "And I chose you." She leaned forward and kissed his cold pink-tipped nose. "I love you."

A sudden teasing voice startled the couple out of their little love bubble, because of course, there was no such thing as privacy at the Umbrella Academy: "That's so sweet, I could spread it on a cupcake." Speaking of the devil... a mop of curly hair poked out of the rooftop door followed by a smirking face and lanky body.