•Lambent• {Five Hargreeves} The Umbrella Academy

Chapter 7- Writing

Dolores was having a hard time trying to keep up with Five. He would always be talking about things that she couldn't understand and she felt bad having to ask him what they meant all the time so she stopped. She spent most of her time looking at the purse or messing with her braids. She stopped messing with the braids after they would have to stop for Five to redo them. At night when they would stop she would try to teach herself how to write. She had observed Five scribbling in the notebook and figured it had to be easy enough. That wasn't true.

For the first time, Five had pulled his nose out of the notebook and looked over to Dolores. He felt bad that he had been ignoring her but he knew he had to get them out of the apocalypse. So they could start over. Maybe even have a life together.

"What are you doing?" Dolores flinched back at the sudden noise.

"Writing." Five looked down at the page filled with lines and scribbles with raised brows. It looked like a child had done it. It was really cute.

"Here," Five took the pencil out of her left hand, "I'll help." Dolores looked at him strangely as he placed the pencil into her opposite hand while shaking her head.

"Wrong," she said. Five looked at her.

"What?"

"You hold it this way," she put the pencil back into her left hand. Five smiled and took it again.

"You're right-handed."  Dolores dropped the pencil and grabbed both of his hands, pressing their palms and fingers together. Five couldn't help the blush that spread across his cheeks. Dolores shook her head again.

"But they look the same." Five smirked and linked their fingers together.

"Left and right. They're directions." Five waved her right hand, using his left.

"This is right," he did the same to the other hand, "this is left." Dolores waved their hands, repeating what he said with a small smile.

"Why am I not left-handed?" She asked, waving their hands. Five shrugged.

"I don't know. That's just how your brain is wired, I guess." She dropped her smile.

"Like how I don't remember?" She unlinked their hands and placed hers in her lap. Tears building behind her eyes. Five's eyes widened as he realized how bad that sounded.

"Hey, that doesn't matter, remember?" Five cupped the girl's cheeks with his hands and dried her tears. She tried to shake him off but quickly gave up, letting him stay. 

"Come here ladybug." He pulled the small girl into a hug, letting her cry on his shoulder. He never wanted to make her feel that way, he should have worded it differently. He never wanted to make it seem like he hated her for not remembering. He didn't. He loved her, that hadn't changed. Dolores sniffled and pulled away from him, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Ladybug," she muttered, "what's ladybug?" Five smiled sadly.

"Something that's pretty."

"Is my name also ladybug? Is that why you called me pretty?" Five shook his head and averted his gaze to the ground.

"No, it's a nickname. Like how my name is Number Five but you just call me Five," he explained, "I called you pretty because I was too scared to say you're beautiful." Dolores smiled, beautiful was a word she knew the meaning of. She pulled him into another hug, much to the boy's delight.

"I think you're beautiful too."

•••••

After that, Dolores had no problem asking Five what things meant. But she was getting confused. Every time she was around him she would begin to feel hot, her stomach would feel strange like a thousand ladybugs were trapped inside. She didn't know if it was supposed to happen or not so she asked. He started chuckling lightly.

"Why is it funny?" she asked.

"Nothing, it's just... the same thing happens to me when I'm around you." Dolores tilted her head in confusion.

"So you know what it means?"

"You remember the book I read to you? About the girl and the prince? Cinderella?" Dolores nodded.

"And I explained to you that they... um..." Five didn't want his suspicions to be wrong but he didn't want things to be awkward between them.

"In love?"

"Yeah..." he trailed off.

"Are we in love?" Five blushed, not expecting that blunt of a question.

"Yes. I mean no- I, I'm in love with you but I don't... no. I mean that" Dolores watched his mouth as he stumbled over his words. She didn't know why she felt the urge to press her lips to his but she didn't let that stop her from doing it. It was a quick peck but it was enough to stun the boy.

"You were confusing me," Dolores explained, noticing his expression. She didn't know why he looked so shocked. She felt bad like she had messed up.

"I'm sorry."

"No, no. I just- yes... yes, we're in love," he stated. Dolores smiled. He was still flustered and red in the face but she pulled him into a hug anyway.

"Good. I like being in love with you." And together, they were happy.