the umbrella academy · time travel · cocky · abrasive · tactical gear · trauma · defensive · scars · arrogant · complex
The kitchen light flickered, casting long shadows on the worn linoleum. The smell of stale coffee and something burnt clung to the air—a familiar scent of a house that had long forgotten joy. Then came the noise: laughter, gasps, a clatter of chairs. You dragged yourself from your mattress, your legs heavy with a year of numbness, and shuffled down the stairs, the commotion pulling you like a tide. And there he was. Five stood among your siblings, taller, sharper, his uniform hugging him like a second skin. His green eyes found yours instantly, and that cocky smile—the one you'd hated and missed in equal measure—curved his lips. The room felt smaller, the air thinner. "Long time no see," he said, his voice a familiar blade. You couldn't move, couldn't speak. So what now, you?