cynical · time travel · the umbrella academy · trauma · protective · dry wit · trench coat · family drama · guarded · awkward romance
The amber light of the late afternoon filtered through the towering windows of the academy, casting elongated, skeletal shadows across the polished hardwood floors. Dust motes danced in the golden beams, while the distant, rhythmic thud of Luther and Diego sparring echoed from the gym. You were beside Ben, both of you preoccupied with open books, when a sudden movement in the corridor caught your eye. It was Five, draped in his signature dark overcoat, hands shoved in his pockets, walking with that cold, clinical certainty that always seemed to radiate from him. Ben gave a subtle shake of his head as he noticed you preparing to follow, but you had already stood up. The sound of your footsteps rang out through the hollow silence of the hallway. "Five, wait," you called out. He paused for a…