Darling || Five

05

The sky was grey with drizzle that fell lightly yet soaked into your clothes with an irremovable cold. Peter and Five shared the same umbrella as the academy all stepped into the courtyard. Everyone else wearing various shades of black that matched their uniform umbrellas, other than Klaus who was holding a child's clear one lined with bright pink. It barely covered him from the rain but the man dint seem to care. Peter stood at Five's side, gaze fixed on the mournful statue in one corner of the yard. It didn't fit the image of Ben that Five had portrayed through his stories. It was too cold, too sad.

"Did something happen?" the blonde fifties style robot that the siblings called their mom (that was a weird thing for Peter to see), asked.

"Dad died, remember?" Allison frowned.

Grace the robot blinked. "Oh yes, of course". Next to her, Diego was getting drenched as the drizzle picked up into full rain.

"Is mom okay?"

"Oh yeahs she's fine. She just needs to rest, recharge", he answered Allison. Next to Peter, Klaus pulled out a case of cigarettes.

"Can I have one?" Peter voiced. The man glanced down in surprise, seeming to forget that the blonde boy was there.

"Sure little buddy". A cigarette was offered between two black polished nails. Peter went to take it but Five smacked his hand down.

"Don't you dare. The last time you got high, I had to tie a rope to you and tug you along like a ballon", he hissed. "Not again". Peter pouted but sighed as Klaus shrugged and put the cigarette away again.

"Whenever your ready dear boy", Pogo's voice turned them back to the proceedings. (Peter was still weirded out by the talking money in a suit, but he was rapidly adjusting to the whole weirdness. It seemed that wherever Five was, weirdness was common).

Luther opened the pot of ashes he was carrying and tipped it out. All of them watching as it landed unceremoniously in the dirt. Peter was bored. Luther looked at them all. "Probably would have been better with some wind".

"Does anyone wish to speak?" Pogo asked. Silence met his answer. "Very well. In all regards, Sir Reginald Hargreeves made me what I am today"- Peter tuned out the rest of the eulogy. He was watching the way the rain dripped from the edges of the umbrella above him. The droplets clear and ash free, something they had not been in the apocalypse. It was calming to watch the clear water fall. He only zoned back in when Klaus let out a wheezing laugh.

"Diego", Allison was scolding.

"My name is number two. Do you know why? Because our father couldn't be bothered to give us actual names. He had mom do it".

"Would anyone like something to eat?" Grace asked at the mention of her name.

"No, its okay mom", Vanya soothed.

"Look if you want to pay your respects, go ahead. but at least be honest about what kind of man he was", Diego stated.

"You should stop talking now", Luther warned. That made Diego turn to him.

"You know, you of all people should be on my side here Number One".

"I'm warning you".

"After everything he did to you? He had to ship you a million miles away. That's how much he couldn't stand the sight of you!" That's when Luther threw the first swing. Diego ducked and then they were in a all out brawl. Klaus tried to push Five and Peter behind him but Five batted his hand away with a frown.

"Does this usually happen?" Peter asked. He had never had siblings, so he didn't know if this was a normal thing or not. He doubted anyone here was normal.

"Most often", Five muttered. He sighed as he watched Diego land a punch on Luther. "We don't have time for this. Come on". He turned to walk inside. Peter following as behind them, there was a crash of Ben's statue breaking on the concrete.

---------------------------

"There's got to be coffee somewhere", Five muttered as he ransacked the shelves of the kitchen. Peter and Klaus were sat at the table. The man cradling a guitar he had found, bare feet up on the chair beside him while Peter ate jelly out of a jar with a spoon. (It was jam and he found it annoying that Americans called it Jelly when it had no gelatine in it).

"So, Petey", Klaus voiced as Five cursed at a cupboard. "Why did you marry my grump brother? I thought he'd only love science".

Peter's lips were sticky with raspberry. "Well I guess that science wasn't physical enough", he grinned and Klaus laughed loudly.

"Where's Vanya?" Allison asked as she entered the room and slung her coat over the back of a chair.

"Oh, she's gone", Klaus answered with a wave of his hand.

"That's unfortunate", Five declared as he set a tin on the table next to Peter with a thud. "An entire square block. Forty two bedrooms. Nineteen bathrooms but not a single drop of coffee". Peter whistled as he spooned out another lump of jam from the nearly empty jar. This was big house.

"Dad hated caffeine", Allison stated.

"Well he hated children too and he had plenty of us", Klaus laughed. Peter snorted as he stuffed the spoon in his mouth.

"I'm taking the car", Five declared. Klaus stopped laughing and sat upright.

"Where are you going?"

"Where do you think? To get a cup of coffee".

"Do you even know how to drive?" Allison frowned. Peter recalled the many crashes that had occurred back when they were still leaning and sniggered.

"I know how to do everything", Five stated.

"Apart from play video games", Peter spoke up as he set down his jar. "He's shit at them". Five gave him a scowl and blinked out of existence. Peter sighed fondly and turned to the two adult Hargreeves. "Which way is the garage?" Klaus pointed and he waved them goodbye as he ran through the door.

"Couldn't you have waited?" Peter asked as he pulled open the car door just as Five turned the ignition on. Five gave him a look and the blonde leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek. "Love you too darling". Five huffed but didn't move away from the affection as the car pulled out of the driveway. Peter grinning and beginning to raid the glovebox.

unedited