mender 》umbrella academy

CH 5

Tired, inspecting eyes peer at the urn placed on the bar. Klaus groans in frustration as he continues to communicate with the dead Father of the Year.

I watch, a touch amused, as my brother struggles. Ben and I stand side by side, a quickly adopted habit due to us being touch-starved ghosts.

"Do you think he'll actually do it?" I question quietly, despite having no need to. Ben chuckles lightly and shakes his head.

"Nope. He isn't sober and hasn't been sober for a while."

I purse my lips as Klaus continues to talk to himself. Concern wells up in my heart as I watch the sad sight. "Did you ever try to get him to stop? I tried when you..." I trail off not wanting to bring up his death. "...but it didn't work."

"It's Klaus. There's not much you can do." Ben sighs, rubbing his face slightly as our adopted brother still makes a fool out of himself. "He does need to get sober though. Maybe all of us being together will work?"

"I don't know. I have faith in Klaus, but he can't exactly just stop fully. Withdrawals are really bad and it's not like I can heal him."

Ben listens to my response and just nods. He twiddles with his thumbs slightly.

"Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?" I tilt my head slightly in confusion and sit up on the couch slightly.

"Evelynn, you were alone for seven years. You died alone. You resurfaced alone. And no one was there for you... I wasn't-" I cut him off, standing up to face him directly.

"Do not blame yourself for anything that happened to me. My death was on me and Reginald alone, no one else. There was no way you could have known."

I touch his shoulder lightly and attempt to give him a reassuring stare. He looks down for a second and looks back to me.

"I just wish- wish that you hadn't been alone. I mean, I had Klaus when I died, but you had no one. No one even knew you died. No one even knows now; they think you're off somewhere far away from here."

Small tears had begun to swell in his eyes and I quickly wraps my arms around him. I tug him slightly and allow him to put his head in the crook of my neck. I run my hand through his hair, something Mom used to do for us after especially hard missions.

His arms wrap around me in return and soft sniffles come from him. All that is audible is Klaus talking in the background. I continue comforting him and his breathing steadies again.

"I might have been alone then, but I'm not anymore. I have you. I have Klaus. I have all of our family. I'm not alone anymore and that makes up for everything. I promise, I am okay."

A smile graces my face in an attempt to reassure him more. Ben looks calmer than what he did five minutes ago. He sighs deeply and hugs me again.

"I'm never going to leave you alone again."

The small bubble we created is soon broken by a loud thud. Both Ben and I snap towards the sound and see Klaus and a knocked over urn. Dad's urn.

Oh no.

•••••••

Like ducklings, Ben and I followed Klaus to the kitchen. After the mishap with the urn, the man had decided that the kitchen would be a better place to relocate.

I watch with sad eyes as Klaus poors some pills in his hand to take. His addiction had only gotten worse over the years it seems.

"This isn't the worst." Ben attempts to reassure me, but I know better.