Five drove us to a local coffee shop, and as we walked inside, the tension between us felt thick and almost unbearable. I kept replaying what he had said in the science lab, wondering if he really meant it—if he really couldn't stand the thought of losing me. It was a strange feeling, one I wasn't sure how to process. Five was unusually quiet too, avoiding eye contact as he slid into the booth across from me. The coffee shop buzzed with chatter, but our table was an island of silence.

I wanted to say something to break the awkwardness, but my mind was blank. There wasn't anything to bring up that wouldn't feel forced. So, we just sat there, lost in our own thoughts, until Betty, the waitress, came up to us.

"Y/n? Aren't you supposed to be at school?" she asked, looking surprised as she held her notepad, ready to take our orders.

I looked up at her, trying to come up with a believable excuse. "Yeah, I had a free class, so I'm just here to pass the time."

"Oh, that's nice," Betty replied, seemingly satisfied with my explanation. Then she turned her attention to Five, her curiosity piqued. "And who's this young man?"

I glanced at Five, who was still avoiding my gaze. "He's... a friend of mine from Seattle. He's here in Dallas to visit me," I said, quickly coming up with another lie.

"Well, isn't that great!" Betty said, her usual cheery self. "I'm Betty, your waiter here at Happy Days," she added, clearly trying to make Five feel welcome. I forced a smile.

Betty's attention shifted back to me. "So, the usual, Y/n? A milkshake?"

I hesitated. "Uh... I don't have any money on me right now, Betty. Thank you though."

Betty leaned in closer, her voice softening. "It's on me, dear. Your favorite, got you covered."

I couldn't help but smile at her kindness. "Thank you, Betty. You really don't have to."

"Oh, please, I insist. What kind of Betty would I be if I didn't?" she said with a laugh, and I smiled back genuinely.

She turned to Five. "Can I get something for your friend?" she asked, her notepad ready.

"Black coffee," Five replied curtly.

Betty raised an eyebrow, surprised by his choice. "Coffee? How old are you, young man?" she asked, jotting down his order anyway.

"I don't know, how old are you?" Five shot back, his tone just as dry.

Betty blinked, taken aback by his sharpness, and so was I. "It's just... a young man like you shouldn't be drinking black coffee, that's all," she said, trying to be polite, clearly seeing him as much younger than he really was.

Five leaned back in the booth, a playful smirk on his face. "And you shouldn't be wearing that diner dress at your age, but the heart wants what it wants, Betty."

Betty's mouth fell open slightly, clearly speechless at his retort. She finished writing down our orders and left the table, probably rethinking her life choices.

"Thank you, Betty," Five called out after her, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "You really didn't have to say that."

Five just shrugged, finally looking at me. "She asked for it."

We sat in silence again, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in his mind. Despite his harsh exterior, I knew there was more to him than he let on.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you the first time you told me to leave with you," I said softly, trying to finally break the silence.

Five raised a brow and looked up at me.

"I'm thinking here that I want a normal life, but given that there might not be any change with this world war happening soon and the world ending," I continued, pausing. "It's a lot to take in all at once, especially when it happens so out of the blue."

He was quiet for a moment before speaking. "I'm sorry too."

I looked at him, waiting for more.

"I should have snapped at you in that room," Five admitted. "It's a lot for a girl like you. You have a life, and me and my family came in and ruined that for you. And now you're dragged into this."

I felt a pang of sadness. I didn't want him to think it was all his fault. He didn't mean to bring this chaos to Dallas.

"It's not your fault," I said gently. "You didn't mean to bring it here."

He looked up at me, and I gave him a soft smile in return.

"I might what I said back there," Five said, his voice trembling. "I don't want anything to happen to you. I brought you into this, and I don't want you to end up like this."

"Well, I'm here now," I said firmly. He was silent before he spoke again.

"I can't lose you, Y/n," Five said softly.

I noticed Five had his hands resting on the table, and I took a deep breath. Gently, I reached out and intertwined my fingers with his, rubbing his knuckles softly. "You won't lose me," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Five looked at me, his eyes reflecting a mixture of relief and gratitude. He gave me a small, genuine smile and, without hesitation, locked his hand into mine.

For a moment, the bustling noise of the coffee shop faded away. It was just us, holding on to each other in a fleeting moment of solace amidst the chaos. I could feel his hand warm and steady in mine, and it was as if the world outside had momentarily paused, leaving only this quiet connection between us.

Five's expression softened, and he gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you," Five said softly.

"For what?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

He looked at me for a moment, and then, without a word, he slowly got up from his seat. My heart skipped a beat as he leaned over the table, his gaze fixed on mine. His hand gently cupped my jaw, and I felt a shiver run down my spine as he leaned in.

Our lips met, and I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth and tenderness of his kiss. I kissed him back, savoring the intimacy of the moment. When he finally pulled away, a soft, genuine smile spread across his face, revealing his dimples.

"Thank you," he repeated, his voice almost a whisper. "For listening."

I couldn't help but smile in return, feeling a rush of affection. The kiss had been unexpected, yet it felt right—like a promise that we were in this together.

Five leaned back into his seat, and I watched him with a mixture of awe and contentment. For all the chaos and uncertainty around us, in this moment, we had found a sense of peace and connection. And that was something I wasn't willing to let go of.

Betty returned, her expression still a bit unpleased from Five's earlier comment. She placed my milkshake in front of me and then set the empty coffee cup in front of Five, pouring the black coffee into it. As she was about to leave, Five spoke up with a charming smile, "Leave the pot here, dear."

Betty, her irritation barely hidden, complied and walked away leaving the pot there, muttering under her breath, "Lippy little shit."

I couldn't help but laugh at the exchange, and Five's grin widened at my reaction. As Betty disappeared into the back, we took our first sips of our drinks. The milkshake was sweet and comforting, and the coffee, though black, seemed to suit Five's mood perfectly.

We sat there, enjoying our drinks and each other's company, a rare moment of normalcy amid the chaos.

———

Five and I left the diner, and he drove us to the place where we were going to meet with his dad. As we arrived, I looked up at the grand building before us and asked, "This is?"

"Yeah, come on," Five replied, holding out his hand. I took it, and we headed inside. We walked up the stairs and arrived in front of an elevator. Five pressed the button, and we waited for the doors to open. I stepped in first, and Five followed, standing at the back as the doors began to close.

Just as they were about to shut completely, someone stopped them with their hand, causing the doors to open again. Diego walked in, followed by Allison, Klaus, Vanya, and finally, Luther, who squeezed in last, taking up most of the space.

"Excuse me," Luther said quietly as he shuffled into the elevator. It seemed that Five's whole family had decided to come after all.

"Good, we're all here," Five said, his voice carrying through the small space as the doors closed once more.

The elevator ride was quiet until Diego broke the silence. "What's she doing here?" he asked, pointing at me as I stood next to Five. Everyone turned to look at us.

"She's with me. Anyone got a problem with that?" Five asked calmly. No one said anything, though some looked around nervously, unsure if they should object.

With a nod from Five, we all waited in silence as the elevator continued its ascent.

The ride was uneventful until a foul odor filled the space. I quickly used my sleeve to cover my nose, trying to avoid the stench.

"Ugh, Luther," Five said, scrunching his face in disgust.

"Sorry, I'm nervous," Luther mumbled apologetically.

As soon as the elevator doors opened on our floor, I bolted out, grateful for fresh air. The others followed suit, and we all gathered in the hallway.

"Alright. When Dad gets here, I'll do the talking, okay?" Five stated, his tone serious. "I've got a few questions for him myself," Diego added, his frustration evident.

"Hey, we don't want to scare him off, alright? He might be able to help us stop doomsday and get us home," Five explained, trying to keep the situation under control.

"No, Five. We need to figure out why he's planning to kill the president," Diego said, walking toward the center table in the room.

I sighed at the escalating tension and took a seat. It seemed that Diego was more focused on his own agenda, which only added to the stress.

"This is a matter of life and death, you imbecile!" Five shouted, his frustration boiling over.

"Okay, maybe you guys should take turns talking, yeah?" I suggested, noticing a conch shell in the center of the table. I picked it up and held it out. "Whoever has this conch shell could talk."

"Y/n, I love you but we don't have time for a debate, okay?" Five told me.

"Maybe I should lead," Allison said as she took the conch from my hand. "We all know I'm a better public speaker than the rest of you," she declared.

"Okay, daddy's girl," Diego whispered.

"Aw, jealous number two?" Allison asked in a fake sad tone.

"Hey, no more numbers. No more bullshit. We're team zero. We're all team zero," Diego interrupted.

"Uh, Diego, you don't have the conch," Luther reminded him.

Diego nodded and took the conch from Allison's hand and threw it against the wall.

"Classic," Allison whispered.

Just then, the doors swung open. An older man who looked like the one from the gala I had seen from the closet walked in. Everyone, including me, watched his every step as he sat down at the same table as me. This was giving me bad vibes, and I was uncomfortable. Everyone sat down as he did.

"Not only have you burglarized my lab, set my chimp loose, conned your way into the Mexican consulate, repeatedly stalked and attacked me, but you have, on numerous occasions called me—"

He was interrupted by Klaus sitting down and calling him.

"Hey pops, how's it hanging?" Klaus said, sitting right next to him.

"Dad." Reginald finished. "My reconnaissance tells me you're not CIA, not KGB, certainly not M15, so, who are you?" Sir Reginald asked.

To which I looked at the family to see what they would say, but they all just looked at each other not knowing what to say or how to say it, until Five said it.

"We're your children," Five responded. "From the future," he said. "In 1989, you adopted us all and trained us to fight against the end of the world. Called us the Umbrella Academy."

I was completely shocked at what Five just said. This man really did all of this?

"Why on earth would I adopt six—"

Reginald was interrupted by Allison.

"Seven. One of us isn't here," Allison mentioned.

"Dead. One of us is dead," Diego added.

One was dead? Luther didn't tell me anything about one who died.

"Yeah ba-ba-ba-ba-ba," Klaus whispered loudly, drawing everyone's attention. Who was he even talking to?

"Regardless, what would persuade me to adopt seven ill-mannered malcontents?" Reginald asked, his tone dripping with disdain.

I squinted at his harsh words, feeling a pang of sympathy for the family. They'd obviously been through a lot.

"We have special abilities," Five answered with a note of defiance.

"Special? In what sense?" Reginald asked, his skepticism clear.

"In the superpower sense," Luther replied, his voice holding a mix of pride and irritation.

"Call me old-fashioned, but I'm a stickler for a pesky little thing called evidence. Show me," Reginald demanded, his arms crossed.

"Everyone wants to see powers all of a sudden," Allison scoffed, rolling her eyes as she fiddled with her drink.

"We're not circus animals, okay! We're not gonna bounce balls on our noses and clap our hands like seals for your amusement," Luther snapped, clearly irritated. Before Reginald could respond, Diego threw one of his knives with a practiced flick. It curved through the air and embedded itself in the wall behind Reginald. I widened my eyes in surprise, trying to process the display of skill.

Reginald, seemingly unfazed, began scribbling notes in his notebook. The family leaned in, trying to catch a glimpse of what he was writing.

"What are you writing?" Diego asked, his voice tinged with frustration.

"You're zero for two, young man," Reginald replied coolly, gesturing at Diego. Diego stood, ready to confront him, but Five quickly stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"Now that is interesting," Reginald remarked, his interest piqued by Five's display of power.

"All right, uh, quick rundown. Luther, super strength. Klaus can communicate with the dead. Allison can rumor anyone to do anything," Five said, listing off the abilities. "Except she never uses it," Diego added with a smirk.

"I heard a rumor... you punched yourself in the face," Allison said, her voice casual. Diego, reacting to the rumor, punched himself in the face, leaving me gasping in shock. He clutched his face in pain, clearly furious.

"And you?" Reginald asked, turning to Vanya.

"Uh, maybe we don't take Vanya for a test run," Luther suggested, his tone cautious.

"Uh, yeah, that's probably not a good idea," Klaus agreed, his voice low.

"It's fine. I can handle it," Vanya said confidently, despite the protests. She picked up her fork and tapped it gently against her drink. A ripple of sound emanated from the fork, and the fruit bowl in the center of the table began to shake violently. Before anyone could react, the bowl exploded, sending pieces of fruit flying everywhere. One of the pieces hit me squarely in the face, and I struggled to pull the fruit out of my hair.

"Oops," Vanya said, looking both apologetic and slightly amused.

I glanced around at everyone, their reactions ranging from annoyance to amazement. The room was a mess, and the tension was palpable.

"What about you, girl?" Reginald asked as he finished wiping fruit from his suit. I turned to him, confused.

"I—I don't have any special abilities," I said, my voice faltering under his scrutiny.

"She's just a family friend of ours," Klaus said, putting his arm around me for support. I glanced at Five with a worried look, silently asking for reassurance.

Reginald's eyes narrowed as he studied me. "You look oddly familiar. Have I seen you somewhere before?" he asked, his tone probing.

I thought back to my life in Dallas. I'd never encountered Reginald until Five showed up. "No, sir. I don't believe so," I replied, trying to sound confident.

"Elliot Gussman," Reginald said, almost disdainfully.

I felt a jolt of surprise. How did he know my father's name? "You know my father?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Reginald's expression hardened. "The Dallas town joke," he said dismissively.

I sat back, shocked. How could he speak about my father like that? My mind raced, trying to process his words.

Reginald's tone was dismissive as he spoke about my father. "Elliot Gussman. Came to me years ago with his theories and signs. He believed he had uncovered something significant, but frankly, his so-called evidence was laughable. He had piles of paperwork and absurd claims, all of which amounted to nothing more than a joke. It was clear he was chasing shadows, and the entire town seemed to agree. His theories were meaningless, and his work was, quite frankly, useless."

I felt Five and his entire family turn to look at me, their expressions a mix of concern and shock. I could see their support, but it only fueled the anger bubbling inside me. Reginald's words about my father were like a stab to my heart. How could he dismiss someone so cruelly? My father had dedicated his life to understanding the world, and here was this man belittling him with no regard for the truth or the effort he put in.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice as I spoke. "You know what, Reginald? You can sit there and belittle my father all you want, but you have no idea who he really is. He's a good man who has dedicated his life to finding answers and helping people, even if you think it's all a joke. He raised me with more love and respect than anyone else could ever provide. He taught me to stand up for myself and for those I care about."

I took a step closer to Reginald, my voice growing more intense. "You're a bad person in many ways, and you don't even see it. You see everyone and everything as tools or obstacles, never as people with feelings or worth. My father may not fit your narrow view of what's important, but that doesn't make him worthless or his work meaningless. You're the one who's out of touch with reality."

Reginald's face look at me as if he wanted to continue, but I wasn't done. "And another thing—calling him a joke? That's pathetic. It shows how small-minded and cruel you really are. My father has done more good in his life than you ever have or ever will. If you can't see that, it just proves how blind and ignorant you are."

The room fell silent, and I could feel Five's family's shock. They were speechless, their eyes wide as they looked between me and Reginald. I stood my ground, staring at Reginald with defiance. I'd defended my father, and I knew that no matter what Reginald thought, my father was far better than the callous man sitting before us.

"Excuse me, I have to make a phone call," I muttered, pushing my chair back abruptly and making my way out of the room. My footsteps echoed as I marched toward the door, and once I was out of that dinner room, I let the door slam behind me. I took a deep breath, the weight of what I'd just said still heavy in the air, but there was a strange sense of relief too. It felt good to get that off my chest. Very good.

But now, the reality of what I was actually doing started to settle in. I had lied to my dad, told him I was spending the night at Bri's place when, in truth, I was here, tangled up in this mess with Five and his family. The guilt was beginning to gnaw at me, and I found myself second-guessing everything. Was coming here really the right decision?

I noticed a phone mounted on the wall nearby. Hesitating for a moment, I walked over to it and dialed my home number. The line rang and rang, but no one picked up. My heart began to pound a little faster. My dad always answered when he knew I was calling. It wasn't like him to miss it, especially when he was expecting to hear from me. I frowned, my fingers gripping the receiver tightly. Maybe he was just busy, I tried to reassure myself. But the unease lingered.

I sighed and reluctantly put the phone back on the hook. Shaking my head, I decided to head back into the dining room, steeling myself for whatever came next. But as I pushed the doors open and stepped inside, I realized I had walked in at the absolute worst moment.

Klaus was on the floor, moaning in pain, his usual nonchalance replaced by something much more desperate. Luther was standing in the middle of the room, his shirt open, revealing his massive, hair-covered chest—a sight that made my stomach twist. "Look what you did to me!" Luther shouted at Reginald, his voice filled with a mix of anger and desperation. "Look at it!"

I froze, the intensity of the scene in front of me making me reconsider my decision to come back in. I wasn't sure what had just happened, but it was clear that emotions were running high.

Without a word, I slowly backed out of the room, deciding it might be better to wait outside until this whole thing was over. The last thing I wanted was to get caught up in whatever was happening in there.

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