THE THING WITH SORROW - The Umbrella Academy

The Van

She should have felt guilty as she came up to the passenger door and tugged it open, unashamedly, and slid herself into the seat, not even looking at him as he stared in mild shock at seeing her.

But she didn't and calmly fumbled for the lever under her seat to adjust its position; it was way too far forwards for her long legs.

"Its underneath, not on the side." He informed her, amused.

She said nothing and moved her hand to where she was told, struggling to find it.

"Higher."

"Shut up." She muttered, finally finding it and pulling it upwards. Her seat slid backwards and she released it, using her leg to kick the door open wider so Bolt could jump in.

She tugged the leash lightly and he got the message, but instead of leaping into the space she'd created below the dash where the leg space was, he pounced right on her lap.

"You fucker-" she groaned, grabbing his paws and trying to get him off of her stomach and thighs, his weight crushing and digging in painfully. "Off."

He span in a circle in her lap as he tried to figure out where to go, confused, and she caught Five looking away trying to conceal a little amused smirk.

"Bolt! Down." She gestured, and finally he hopped down into the large leg space and took a seat at her feet. She let out a breath of air and closed the door, her stomach killing her where he'd trampled her. "Asshole."

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Asked Five idly, turning in his seat to look at her fully.

She chewed the inside of her cheek and rested her chin on her hand rested by the window, feeling Bolt curl up at her feet. She exhaled slowly. She wanted to look at him in the eye but looking at him hurt, the shock and pain of him coming back still raw as a fresh wound. All the emotions she'd buried over the years had come to surface earlier and now she was just... tired.

"I didn't know you were into stalking." She commented finally, ignoring his snarkiness. She looked at the building wondering what he was waiting for.

"Im not stalking." He said back.

"Then what are you doing?" She challenged, glancing at him from the side.

"You wouldn't understand." He said dismissively.

Her fist clenched against her jaw. "Well if we're going to be saving the world then you're going to have to fill me in."

His head snapped round to look at her. Then, he shook his head in realisation. "Klaus. Of course he told you." His eyes rolled.

"You weren't going to?" She asks, eyebrows furrowing. A little hurt.

"You didn't exactly give me a warm welcome, so excuse me for not being forthcoming," he mused, looking at her. "If I tell you are you going to hit me again?"

Zero swivelled her head tiredly to look over at him, and even in the dark his blue eyes glinted, but the dark patches of skin under his eyes and across his nose was very evident. "Are you still peeved about that?"

"I don't know, do you always go around hitting every kid you see?" He said back sarcastically.

She bit back a comment about how she definitely thought about it with most of them.

Instead she narrowed her eyes at him. "Five, you could have come back as an old man and I'd have broken your knees with your own walking stick. Do not whine about a fucking broken nose, you're starting to sound as childish as you look."

"Fuck you." There was the old Five showing itself like a light through the cracks. She tried not to smirk.

"Fuck me?" She asks, astonished, pointing to herself. "You know, you have some balls for someone who hasn't had theirs drop yet."