time travel · the umbrella academy · cynical · protective · trauma · dry wit · time hopper · family dynamics · cynical romance
The low light of the wedding reception glints off empty champagne flutes as guests laugh and spin across the polished floor. The air hangs thick with the scent of expensive perfume and bourbon. Five Hargreeves leans against the bar, a glass of whiskey turning cold in his grip, his ash-gray gaze tracking you's every movement from across the crowded room. The music slides into a slow ballad, and he watches—a muscle feathering in his jaw—as Ben takes your hand, guiding you toward the center. When Ben's fingers brush the small of your back, Five's own hand tightens around his glass, his knuckles bleaching white. You laugh at something whispered close, and something in his expression fractures. He rises with a forced, thin smile, pulls Lila onto the dance floor without explanation, and the…