Random One-Shots (All Pronouns)

2.Umbrella Academy Oscar (They/Them)

Word Count: 2384
Warnings: Smoking

Calloused hands ran down the cold metal banister as tired feet dragged themselves down each step like a mountain, a cloud of smoke swirled into the atmosphere and dispersed slowly into the frosty morning air. Oscar carefully took the cigarette from his lips and held it a few inches away from himself as he inhaled deeply, letting the icy oxygen sting his throat and burn his lungs. It was early, not long past four in the morning, and no one but himself appeared to be awake. As he got to the bottom of the stairs the floor board squeaked, he took a final heavy footstep before hesitating, he took a moment to steady himself and listen for any noise in the living room before continuing as quietly as possible. He heard quiet breathing from the living room before entering, the breathing was shallow and a little shaky, as if someone was having a quiet restless sleep. He walked in to discover that someone was having a restless sleep, Axel had fallen asleep at the table with his hand still around a knife that was buried into the wood, a picture of their family was gripped tightly in his other hand. The job was never going to be easy, it was something that they all came to terms with when they joined the commission, it was going to be long days with little sleep and restless nights. Oscar navigated his way to the kitchen without waking his brother or any of the cats that had fallen asleep in various awkward places around the room, he liked the cats, he just wished that they wouldn't choose to sleep on the rug or by the door frame. He put the cigarette between his lips again and unlocked the back door, closing it behind himself and walking down a few steps before sitting. He shivered a little from the cold, but then again, he shouldn't have just left the house in his boxers and a vest. He rested his elbows on his knees as he blew smoke through his nose and looked to the sky with closed eyes, there was something therapeutic in destruction, but there was something more beautifully tragic about managing to stay in one piece through it all. His weary blue eyes opened slowly to look at the beautiful twinkling stars that shone like lighthouses in the sky.

In the house just next door, a young person was having the same idea as Oscar. It had become almost routine for them at this point, getting up in the middle of the night to go and sit on their backdoor step and talk with the stranger next door who always seemed to be out at the same time. Y/N tossed and turned for a few minutes longer, trying to force themself back to sleep, their attempt was useless. Their brain was active now and demanded something to help numb the spiralling thoughts.
"Fine"
They murmured to themself as they dragged their body from their bed, tossing their duvet to one side and swinging their legs over the edge of their bed. They shuffled along the carpet and took a jacket that was hanging behind the door, slipping it over their shivering frame before digging through the pockets to find thier cigarette carton. After finding it in their pocket they headed down the stairs, not worrying about waking anyone up since they didn't live with anyone other than their Saint Bernard (and he was asleep in their bedroom on their now empty bed. Finders, keepers.) Y/N opened the back door and took a few steps, not even turning around as they reached behind themself and pulled it shut. They pulled a cigarette from the carton and put it against their lips, patting down the pockets of their jacket to find their lighter, it was always funny how their lighters would disappear.
Oscar glanced over the short fence that divided their yards as he heard muffled complaints and the ruffling of fabric. He stood up and walked over to the fence, catching Y/N's attention. They always saw him over the fence, they would share a smile or they would attempt to start a one sided conversation, they were sure that he probably knew a lot more about them than they didn't about him. Oscar leaned on the fence and rolled his eyes slightly, motioning for them to come over to him since he couldn't go any further to them. They stopped frantically searching for a lighter and headed over to the fence, their slippers dragging across the slabs and grass, He took his cigarette from his mouth and held it forward to let them light their cigarette from his. He had been using matches to light his, and had left the match book by the window in his bedroom. Y/N smiled at him as they managed to get their cigarette to catch, the paper browned and curled back as the tobacco began burning, they took a deep draw and looked away as they blew smoke in an O shape.
"Thank you"
They spoke gently, noticing how Oscar hadn't moved away from the fence and was just leaning against it slightly as he looked to the sky.
"The stars are really pretty tonight, huh?"
Y/N mused as they held themself with one arm and held their cigarette with their other hand, looking up to the sky as well to see the bright silver moon.
"Yes"
Oscar finally spoke to them, his gaze shifted from the constellations to the person in front of him, he hadn't seen them this close yet. Y/N was stunned, he didn't sound anything like what they had imagined, they assumed that he wasn't from Dallas by the way that he looked but they never would have guessed he was from Sweden.
"Oh, you can talk, I-I didn't know"
They laughed, taking a draw from their cigarette as they tried to stop themself from feeling stupid for thinking he was a mute.
"Ja, I just choose not to"
He spoke quietly, still worried that his brothers would hear him out here and start a lecturing him for talking to a civilian or for smoking.
"Ah... why didn't you said anything till now though? All those silent nights you just let me talk on and on about myself... were you even listening?"
They were a little disgruntled now, tapping ash from the cigarette and pulling their coat more around themself to fight off the nipping chill. Oscar nodded, tapping his cigarette against the fence to get the large amount of ash away.
"I listened, Y/N. You sounded like you needed to spiral, I didn't want to interrupt."
He shrugged nonchalantly, not picking up on the slight anger that was radiating just over the fence. Oscar had listened to countless hours of Y/N's ramblings about working, or about their social life and the troubles they were having with their ex and best friend. He enjoyed listening to them going on and on about their problems or occasionally about things they were passionate about or liked (like when they try recommending movies to him and accidentally spoils the whole plot without realising.) Y/N just felt like it was a one sided unheard conversation.
"Oh... okay"
They found it quite strange that he knew their name, and they were still to learn his, so they took this as the perfect opportunity to learn more about the handsome stranger. They ran a hand through their messy H/C hair and blew smoke away from him again before talking again.
"Well, since you're finally talking, why don't you tell me your name?"
Oscar rolled his eyes and sighed slightly defeatedly.
"Oscar."
Y/N beamed a smile as they learned his name, finally being about to call him something more than just 'the blond man from the doorstep' in their head. They let their eyes carefully look him up and down, snickering a little when they noticed that he was out here in his stripy boxers. Oscar just rolled his eyes and stood a little closer to the fence so that it wasn't as noticeable that he was out here like that, hoping they didn't comment on it because he really couldn't be bothered going back inside to find trousers.
"Well, Oscar, what's troubling you to be out this early? Or are you just a vampire"
They teased him with a light chuckle, watching as he carelessly flicked his cigarette into the untamed grass, standing up properly to stretch his back.
"As you would put it, my god damn work, I need to be up this early for it"
He wasn't lying about being up early for work but he didn't need to be up this early, he smiled a little as he saw Y/N narrowing their eyes at him. They nodded and sighed, deciding that they weren't going to be going back to sleep now and should probably have a coffee to wake themself up more... and maybe they should offer Oscar one as well.
"Well, do you have time for a coffee before work? I make a mean cup o' joe"
He looked back towards the house, glancing at the dark windows before looking back to Y/N, he couldn't see the harm in having a coffee with them. He nodded as they flicked their cigarette aside and put their other arm around themself to hold their jacket shut, a smile stretched across their face.
"I'll be right back... you can hop the fence if you like"
They headed back to their house to brew some coffee for the two. Oscar bit his lip and looked at the fence before gripping it with his hands and jumping over with ease, his dog tags clinked together at the movement. He tucked them into his vest and ran a hand through his hair.

When Y/N returned with the two mugs of coffee, they both sat together on their back doorsteps looking at the stars and talking. They didn't have much to ramble on about that night to keep a conversation going by themself, so they were glad that Oscar had finally decided to speak to them. They listened contently to the mans life, completely drawn in by every word he said, fascinated by the way his eyes lit up when he spoke about his homeland and his mother.
"Really?"
They mused, as they looked at him with a puzzled grin and furrowed brows.
"Mhm, Vikings."
Oscar repeated part of his previous statement and caused them to laugh, he couldn't help but smile as they laughed. He wasn't used to bringing joy to people, so hearing them laugh was entirely alien and set fjärilar loose in his stomach. The sun was starting to rise on them both, the sky was turning orange and pink quicker and quicker by the second. Oscar still held the coffee mug with a few sips of lukewarm coffee in the bottom of it, looking at Y/N and waiting for them to stop laughing. When they did, they looked at him fondly
"You are something else, Oscar the descendant of Viking warriors"
They teased him before looking to the sky and sighing.
"I need to start getting ready for working."
They mumbled putting out a hand for the coffee mug, Oscar finished the last of the coffee before handing them the mug and nodding.
"It's been nice talking to you and not at you for once, Oscar. We should do this more often."
They leaned over to him and gave the swede a gentle kiss on the forehead, winking as they stood up and headed back into their house.
"Till next time~"
The door shut and Oscar was alone again, completely stunned on this persons back steps. He raised a hand to his forehead and gently pressed his fingers to where they had kissed, his heart fluttered and a red blush spread across his already pink cheeks. He jumped back over the fence and headed into the house before the cats even started waking up and whining for food.

Slowly over time, this became a routine for the neighbours. Oscar would sneak out of the house at three in the morning (and sometimes even earlier) to meet Y/N on their backdoor steps. They would talk and joke, basking in the moonlight and each other's company, occasionally Oscar would wrap an arm around their shoulders to keep them warm and they would snuggle in close.

It had been three months since he had first introduced himself at the fence, the time felt like it had been flying by at the speed of sound. He snuck down the stairs as quickly and quietly as he could, he quietly weaved his way through the kitten obstacle course, checking his new pyjama pants before leaving the house. He hadn't even lit his cigarette when Y/N opened their backdoor and came sauntering out, they seemed nervous.
"Oscar"
They said fondly and quietly as they headed to the fence, glancing over their shoulder at the still opened back door before looking at the concerned swede. He was terrified that they were going to tell him that they couldn't be doing this anymore, or that they had given up and said yes to a date with that dickhead from their work.
"It's a bit chilly tonight... would you-"
They smiled at him
"Would you maybe like to come inside tonight? We could put on a movie, I have a few reco-"
They didn't need to list of the reason that he should come into the house, they didn't need to convince him. Oscar jumped the fence and looked at them with a smile, he took their hand as they lead the way.

Y/N and Oscar spent the night watching movies on their small black and white television, cuddled up on the sofa together like Oscar had been dreaming of.
"Y/N..."
He spoke quietly to get their attention as some random movie he wasn't actually interested in played in the background. They looked up at him innocently, waiting to hear what he had to ask. He smiled as his cheeks glowed redder by the second.
"Jag älskar dig."

The End :)