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I enter the living room, sneaking past Pogo and Vanya I move straight to my bar.

"Did he ever... read it?" Vanya asks hopeful, referring to Reginald, holding her book.

Uh- why would he?

"Not that I'm aware of." Pogo answers honestly.

"Lucky him for not wasting his time." I chuckle to myself, searching through the cabinet for something strong. Pogo turns, giving me a disapproving look for the comment and the alcohol.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Ben appears behind causing me to jolt.

"Oh, Jesus." I breathe out, glancing back to find him with his arms crossed. "You need a hobby or something." I mumble, turning my attention back to the cabinet at hand.

"I'll get right on that." He retorts.

"Ugh. Why don't you go find Klaus?" I let out a huff. "I'm sure he's doing something he's not supposed to be." And I don't want a lecture right now...

Vanya turns her attention to look above the fireplace at the painting. I squat down to continue my search, not needing, or wanting, to look at it myself. I did paint the damn thing after all. I've painted almost every collection of art that's in this house.

My eyes land on a raspberry vodka, wishing everyone here was gone and that I was painting, my mind could be taken far, far away from here.

"How long has it been since Five disappeared?" Vanya wonders. My grip on the bottle tightens until it shatters in my hand—

"Fuck." I grit through my teeth.

"Master Asher, are you alright?" Pogo calls over to me.

"Great." I answer back sharply, letting the shards fall from my undamaged hand.

After a moment of pause, Pogo continues. "It's been fourteen years, four months, and fourteen days." Pogo answers Vanya. "Your father and Asher insisted I keep count." I don't realize until the metallic taste coats my tongue that I'm biting down on my cheek too hard.

"You wanna know something stupid?" Vanya inquires. No. "I always use to leave the lights on for him. And for Asher because she would sit out here or in the kitchen in the dark." She speaks as if I'm not right here in the room. "I was scared he would come back, it would be late, and the house would be dark and he wouldn't be able to find us, so he'd leave again. And I didn't want Asher sitting alone in the dark." Warmth begins wafting off my body. "So, every night I'd make a little snack and make sure all the lights were. And Asher would—"

I can't hear anymore.

I spring to my feet. "Don't act like you have a right to talk about it any of it." I snap, my head spinning in anger.

"Asher." Pogo says gently.

I feel my fingers prickle with flames. I can't keep listening to this as if I haven't relived it every single day that I've been trapped in this house, forced with torturous memories, and nothing to do with them. I grab a tequila bottle and storm out, Pogo frowns but lets me go.

I round the corner and stop, my chest heaving up and down. I rest my head against the wood, listening.

"I-I'm sorry." Vanya stutters out. "I shouldn't hav-"

"I remember your snacks." Pogo says fondly. "I'm pretty sure I stepped in half of those peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches." I rake my tongue across my teeth, unscrewing the lid as he continues. "And I would knock over the hot chocolate that Asher would leave out." I welcome the tangy burn at the tequila slides down my throat. It doesn't burn like it use to.

Your father always believed that Number Five was still out there somewhere. He never lost hope." Pogo doesn't mean to make a jab at me, yet he does.

But one can only hold out hope for so long.

"And look where that got him." Vanya remarks. I screw my eyes shut, taking another sip I push myself off the wall, needing to get away from this suffocating conversation.

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

Let's find someone else in the house to annoy me... hmmm. As the bottle swishes at my side I come across Allison standing just outside of Reginald's office.

"What're you doing here?" I raise a brow curiously.

She jolts slightly, too lost in thought to have heard me approach. "Oh, hey Asher. I, uh, just wanted to see it. I think I've only ever seen inside once, and I've never been in." She chuckles. I nod, remembering that night... the only time I think any of us came close to stepping foot in here...

ғʟᴀsʜʙᴀᴄᴋ

Grace has the eight of us waiting outside of his office as she walks in to tell him we're going to bed, and that we wanted to see him.

"The children are ready for bed, sir. They wanted to say goodnight." We hear her say before she opens the door for us and we find Reginald writing away at his desk. She glances back at us for a moment, waiting for him to pause what he's doing, but he doesn't. "Okay! Time for bed now, kids. Come along now." Grace beams at us. Klaus and Vanya roll their eyes as everyone heads off to bed, but Allison doesn't budge so I stay back, waiting for her. "Come along now, Allison, your father's busy." Grace ushers.

"He's always busy." Allison clips unhappily as Grace steers her away by her shoulders.

I walk along side them. "How do you think he's so rich." I whisper to her, reminding her that he was to work. And sometimes, we just aren't going to get a goodnight. I've made my peace with it. Grace tells us goodnight, tucks us in nicely, she does it so Reginald doesn't have to.

The trip down memory lane is cut short when suddenly Allison and I hear rustling and whispering. Hello? Now who?

Allison's brows knit together, also unaware someone was already in here. We step into the office finally and she tilts her head walking over to the desk as I follow her lead.

"Where's the cash?" The voice whispers and the mustard color chair moves a little.

"Where's the cash?" The voice whispers and the big yellowish-brown chairs moves.

"Klaus?" Allison asks and I step around her to find the one and only pop his head up from underneath the desk. "What are you doing here?" She asks.

"Oh, Allison!" Klaus looks up at her in astonishment. "Wow, is that you?" He rises to his feet as Allison looks at him in amusement. I take in his fur coat and try not to snicker as he brings her in for a hug. "Come here. Long time." He pulls away, eyeing landing on me. "Asher! Oh, it's been forever, come here."

I let out a breathy laugh as he pulls me in tightly and I can't help but roll my eyes as I hug him back. It's hard to dodge Klaus hugs, and he gives some of the best.

"I saw you two weeks ago." I remind him. Though more than a few days and he's dramatic ass says 'forever' or 'too long.' "Since, uh..." I trail off, not outing his previous rehab visit. He must've just got out, huh that wasn't too long this time around,

Other than Diego, I see Klaus the most often. Occasionally, I have to pull the same tactic I do with Diego when they won't let him out of rehab on his own accord, though it is easier with Diego... for obvious reasons. But Klaus will go into some story about how he 'met my mother' and he's vivid enough they usually buy it.

But most of the time we just go shopping together, shoplifting occasionally, on a bender... sometimes the movies if we're bored and we throw popcorn at people and pick who's the hottest character or make up our own ending and see who's right.

He tries really hard to get me out of the house, and especially with Luther being gone he's pretty much the only entertainment I have when Diego isn't doing something crazy.

Ben hates when we're together the most.

Once we separate, or more so he lets me breathe again, he turns back to Allison. "Hey, I was hoping to see you, actually because I wanted to get your autograph. Add it to my collection!" He places both hands under his chin all cutsie like. "Oh, one of your paintings too, Ash!" He nods to me and I snort, he wants money. And who am I to judge when I am no better.

"Take any painting from the art wall you want." I shrug, knowing he won't touch the one in the living room.

Allison, on the other hand... not so giving. She zero's in on his wrist. "Just out of rehab?" She refers to the white band on his wrist. Ah, I was right- when am I not?

"No, no. No, no, no, no." He takes his wrist from her, pushing his feathered jacket down. "No. I'm done with all that." He sighs. "I just came down here to prove to myself that the old man was really gone." He holds his hands out, 'choking up.' "And he is! He's dead. Yeah!" He brightens instantly, clapping.

I shake my head at him. "Shocking isn't it." I wave a hand around the room.

Allison shifts legs, covering a smile. I'm glad I came in here. If anyone can instantly unsour my mood, it'd be Klaus.

I place my bottle on the desk and Klaus ooo's, reaching for it but I bat his hand away. "Ah-ah. Get your own." I point at him.

He waves me off with a pout before getting back to what he was saying. "You know how I know? Because if he were alive, not one of us would be allowed to set foot in this room. He was always in here, our whole childhood, plotting his next torment, right?" He plops down in the ugly chair, propping his feet up on the desk as Allison picks something off of it, allowing herself to be nosey.

I lean against the wooden mantel as Klaus continues his tangent.

"Remember how he used to look at us? That scowl? Thank Christ he's not our real father so we couldn't inherit those cold, dead eyes!" He strectes is eyes open with his fingers making a screeching sound and I burst out laughing and Allison chuckles softly. "Number Three! Number Eight!" He mocks.

"Get out of his chair." Luther's voice pulls us out of the fun and we turn to find him standing in the doorway.

"Let him have his fun." I wave him off.

"Oh, wow, Luther! Wow, you really, uh..." Klaus takes in Luther's large new appearance, just as Diego did minutes ago. It's weird to see everyone's reactions, as I forget no one's seen him like this other than me. "You really filled out over the years, huh?" He pops up, flexing his arms.

"Klaus." Luther stops him.

"Save the lecture." He puts a hand up. "I was already leaving. Weren't we, Asher?" He glances over to me and points towards the door, heading that way. "You guys can talk amongst yourselves." Oh, well, alrighty then. I step around Allison to follow.

Luther holds his arm against Klaus's chest, stopping him. "Drop it."

"Ex-squeeze me?" Klaus looks at him. How does it do it so effortlessly?

"Do it. Now." Luther demands and I let out a sigh. I thought we talked about him, ya know, easing up... Though that was a whileee ago, maybe space clogged his memory.

Klaus pauses for a second before ripping out of Luther's grasp, mumbling alright. "It's just an advance on our inheritance! That's all it is!" He shouts, pulling things out of his jacket and tossing them up into the air for them to clank to the ground.

"He's got a point." I shrug innocently and Luther gives me a pointed a look.

"No need to get your little panties in a bunch." He exasperates before walking out. I bet he still has something... yeah, I'd bet all the alcohol in the house on it.

"Well." I exhale loudly, swiping my bottle off the desk. "I'll leave you two to it." I nod towards Allison, then Luther as he tries to stick his out towards me bottle. "Ah." I side-step him with a grin to which he sighs defeatedly. "Nope. Not today." I chuckle, exiting the office.

𝟹ʀᴅ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴘᴏᴠ

"So, Klaus is still Klaus and Asher is still Asher, in case you were wondering." Luther comments, pointing towards the door as he approaches the desk.

"You know, after all these years I find it strangely comforting." Allison smiles.

ᴀsʜᴇʀ's ᴘᴏᴠ

As I head to my room I see Klaus pull a box out of the back of his pants-- how did he get that in there? Um, actually, I don't wanna know. And he kisses it, oh, gross.

I knew he still had something! Buttt... I am not a snitch.

Could've made some money for being right though...

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𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!

Hello, helloooo!! Welcome back to Adust my fellow brelliesss <3

And happy 1 week to... eugh. DON'T even get me started y'all... whew. I heard a rumor S4 didn't happen ;) And yes, I have been creating my own ending for this book now bc unfortunately I will NOT be writing S4, sorry guys! I just don't have it in me to COMPLETETLY create a whole season from scratch, BUT the ending to Adust that I am cooking up in my head WILL be good guys, I swear!! Buttt, we still have a longgg way to go lol.

ANYWAYSSS, just had to get THAT elephant out of the room haha. Also, sorry for not updating for the occasion last week! I wanted to SO badly, but I had an Umbrella Academy watch party last week with my cousin where she spent the night all week & we rewatched S1-3 in honor of S4 & I still had some editing to do so I did not want to rush this chapter!

Buttt, I hope y'all enjoyeddd!! I poured in some LORE for Asher & Klaus bc... hello, I had to! I cannot wait to write more of this chaotic duooo, ahh, I love their relationship SO MUCH!! AND THE LIVING ROOM SCENEEEE!! Somebody SEDATE me...

Thank y'all SO much for 200+ reads so far!! PLEASE don't forget to comment y'all's thoughts, questions, & reactions they are SO motivating!! And I'll see y'all next Thursdayyy which will now be TUA/ADUST DAY!!! So until then, mwuah!! <3333