#but their eyes lit up when i was just as excired

[sharksandjays]

I manifest to each and every one of you a little brother that likes ninjago. As someone with one, its the greatest experience ever. I may not have any friends that care about what I have to say but I will always have my little bro that can laugh over this dumb kids show with me.

[mo-mo-and-porkchop]

Umbrella academy fiction

Chapter 4 (Chapter 3 here)

Canon and OC; Deigo x OC, Klaus x OC platonic

*as always I do not own any part of the canon characters or show. I am merely writing my own adaptation to the storyline. Nor do I own any gifs/gif credit.

**I do own all things related to the OCs and additional story elements. And apologies, I couldn't find any "young" gifs of them, but they are all meant to be young adults to show age in this fic.

Tagging: @imcrowley , @wicked-bitch-of-the-west , @lonewolf471

As the weeks passed, Diego and Klaus took turns bringing Phoebe her meals and sneaking her throughout the house for bathroom breaks - Five wanting no part in it, his silence enough help toward their cause.

"We can't keep doing this," Diego said stopping Klaus just outside the door to the attic.

"What? She has to eat," he responded with a shrug.

Diego sighed, irritated. "You know that's not what I meant. We can't keep...hiding her."

Klaus seemed to deflate.

"Sooner or later everyone is going to notice our trips here and how frequent they are. And what happens if someone else finds her? Hmm?"

Klaus remained silent. He looked sorrowfully at the door. He knew Diego was right. Hiding Em - sorry, Phoebe - was no better than the nunnery keeping her sheltered from society. He had wanted to free his friend, not imprison her.

"I don't know what else to do," he admitted to his brother. "I didn't really think past getting her out and here."

Diego sighed defeatedly. Of course Klaus wouldn't have a plan for this. He should have known better. He took the food from him and sternly told him...

"You better figure something out."

...before leaving his brother alone.

He slowly made his way up the stairs, muttering to himself - simultaneously figuring out what to say to her and rehearsing it. When he reached the top of the staircase he found Phoebe looking out her only window, a book clutched in her arms.

Light filtered through sheer curtains and softly lit her face. She looked almost angelic. His breath caught momentarily. A muffled voice sounded in his ears.

"Wh-what?" he stuttered.

"I said, what's on the menu today?" she repeated, ignoring the stutter. She left the window and headed toward him.

"Oh, uh," he stammered coming back to reality. "Hargreaves' specialty. PB&J," he said with a nervous laugh, handing it to her.

"Or as I like to call it the daily special," she countered jokingly.

She took the food with a quiet thanks and stood awkwardly with him. The tension between them grew to an almost overwhelming weight when Pheobe decided to break the silence.

"Everything okay?"

He looked at her confused.

"Usually when you're on food delivery you don't...stay this...long."

"Everything's fine," he lied.

She eyed him suspectingly.

"Everything's fine."

"Yea, you said that already."

Shit.

"Look I didn't want to be the one to -- Its just that -- "

All strategies for evicting her from the academy had gone out the window. "No wonder you never stay," she teased with a nervous smile and soft laugh.

Diego grit his teeth and cleared his throat. "Look," he said slightly harsh, her comment taken as offense to his speaking abilities. "You may not remember everything, but I do," he started angrily.

"Diego, I'm--" she tried apologizing.

"We," he continued, motioning between the two of them. She flinched slightly. "Are not friends."

Her eyes widened as they locked with his. He glared at her silently, his jaw clenching. The anger in his eyes frightened her. She inhaled sharply. "I--I don't--" she stammered.

"I think I may have a solution to our little problem," Klaus voice rang out through the attic as he appeared from the stairs.

Diego's brow furrowed and he held his state for a moment longer. Phoebe quickly wiped the tears that had been pooling in the corner of her eyes.

"And it's going to sound a little crazy, but just hear...me...out," he finished, pausing when he saw the two of them. Diego pushed past him and left.

"O...kay?" Klaus asked turning to Emily - no, Phoebe.

"Yea," she said a bit shakily. "Everything's fine."

She forced a smile to her face and sat down to eat. Klaus kept his eyes locked on her as he followed suit and sat across from her, well aware that she was lying. He was - is - her best friend. He could always tell.

"Good," he played along, falling back on the pile of pillows she called a bed. "Because I have some terrible news," he added with a sigh. He rolled his head to the side, his gaze finding hers. "Diego is an ass," he added with a smirk.

Phoebe let out a small chuckle and a half smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Yes he is," she agreed quietly.

Klaus could feel the sadness eminating from her as she stared at her sandwich. Before he could try and comfort her she broke the silence.

"I have news too," she finally admitted.

"Ooo. What? Tell me, tell me, tell me."

Klaus sat up, excited. Anything had to be better than revealing his plan to integrate her into their little family - telling Reginald himself of her presence. And her abilities. It had been what he wanted to talk to Diego about before he rushed off.

His excitement made her doubt her decision, but she had to push through. If the nuns had taught her anything it was that life was usually hard. At least when it came to the big stuff.

"I can't stay here anymore."

Klaus deflated. "Oh."

Her heart hurt when she saw his sadness. "It has nothing to do with you," shw said reaching out and wrapping her hand around his. Luckily it was covered otherwise she would have been in for the shock of her life - their previous encounters flooding her mind. "Or your asshole brother," she said with a soft smile. "I just, can't stay locked up anymore."

Klaus' smile returned. "That's the thing. You don't have to. I figured out how you can stay and be free," he said his excirment returning. He jumped up from his seat and pulled her up with him. "Come on. We'll do it right now," he said as he led her back to the steps. "There's no point in waiting to see if Diego approves."

"Approves of what?" Diego said, startling them when Klaus opened the door.

"Jesus Diego. You should really stop sneaking up on people like that. You almost gave me a heart attack," Klaus said, clutching his chest. "And nothing," he said waving off his brother and pushing past him. He pulled Emily to his side and link their arms together. "I'm just going to let dear old dad in on our little secret."

Emily glanced back at Diego who stood silently in shock. She caught the fear and concern in his eyes, her gaze only leaving him when they turned the corner. By the time he broke himself out of the trance and ran to stop them it was too late. The door to Reginald Hargreaves' office was shutting behind them.