PYROMANIAC - (Umbrella Academy) X Five Hargreeves

2:7

The car ride hadn't taken too long but the motion of the vehicle moving had certainly made Lena feel like it was forever. She had never had car-sickness before, but if this was it, she didn't want it.

The entire drive she laid herself down in the back, ignoring the comment Diego made about her seatbelt, and just rested there with her eyes closed in the hopes she wouldn't vomit on the nice leather interior.

The second they pulled up across the street from D.S Umbrella Lena was first to eagerly exit the car, taking deep breaths of the cold fresh air and fanning her face, feeling incredibly warm. She ran a hand through her hair and shook it out as the others got out.

Five had spacial jumped across town before they left to find Lena some decent clothes, much to her delight. She changed out of her white trousers and green hoodie and was grateful to put on something that made her feel a bit more like herself. A pair of smart, brown trousers with flares at the bottom, a pair of boots and a white shirt tucked into her belt with a patterned red sweater that hung off her shoudlers loosely.

She rolled her sleeves up, feeling uncomfortable and followed Five and Diego to the front of the building. She noticed every few seconds Five would glance at her out the corner of his eye but didn't mention it.

She felt awful, truly, but he didn't need that concern on his shoulders along with everything else.

So she pushed through the nausia and dizziness and how heavy her limbs felt and watched Diego crouch down to pick the locks of the front door.

She leant her weight against the wall, folding her arms. Five glanced at her and she looked down, trying to hide her wavering expression.

It seemed Diego was thinking the same, but not for her.

"You okay?" He asked Five, noticing his abnormal silence.

Lena looked up, scanning the trepidation on his face, the far away look in his eyes, the tension in his body. A frown fell on her features and she immediately held his hand at their sides. He tightened his hold immediately.

"Yeah, it's just..."

"How longs it been since you seen the old man?"

"Forty or so years."

She eyed him from the side, eyes trailing the street lights casting shadows around his eyes, under his cheekbones and jaw. She recognised the haunted look in those eyes having seen it so many times before. It almost distracted her from her own pain, the urge to take him in her arms and sheild him from the world prevalent.

Five continued slowly, more somber. "You know when I was stuck out there in the apocalypse there wasn't a day that went by where I didn't hear his voice in my head."

"What'd he say?"

Lena knew what the words were before they left his mouth.

"I told you so." He revealed with a bitter smile.

"Well if dads here, he's never met you before so he can't say it now." Diego offered with a shrug, still fiddling with the lock creating little metal clicking noises.

"I'm sure he'll find a way..."

Lena nudged him, tilting her head up so she met his downcast eyes. "I can still light him on fire if you want?"

At this, both men twitched a smile of amusement.

Diego chuckled. "I'd pay to see that."

"I would do it for free."

And she would.

She had heard all of the horror stories about their shitty father and how Five was raised during their time in the apocalypse, for word of nothing better to talk about but past trauma and their lives before - the future for them had been bleak and uncertain.