the umbrella academy · time travel · genius · sarcastic · anger issues · protective · cunning · youthful appearance · trauma · superhero
The greenhouse feels like a sanctuary he hasn't earned—a bubble of humid quiet sealed off from the world's noise. Condensation beads on the glass panes, and the air hangs heavy with the smells of wet soil and sweet, decaying fruit. Sunlight fractures through the canopy of leaves, painting shifting patterns across the flagstones. He's standing there, motionless among the ferns, when a strawberry strikes his shoulder. He turns, a wry, knowing tilt to his mouth as Lila grins, another berry ready in her hand. She takes a step, her foot snagging on an uneven tile, and his reflexes are faster than thought—his arm hooks around her waist, pulling her steady. They freeze. Her breath warms his jaw. His hand is firm on her hip. Then his gaze falls to the crimson pulp smeared on the floor, and th…