Prisca's_Writing_Area

Title: I will make it up to you
Character: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Challenge: Bingo - bruise (FFFC), I'll make it up to you (ficlet zone)
Word Count: 336
Finished: 24.03.2021

:::

Zeke frowned, eying the bruise at Casey's temple. „I can't believe it,“ he snarled. „I really thought he would have learned his lesson.“

Casey blinked, obviously nervous. „It was not Gabe.“

„Huh? So now this fucker sent others to bully you?“

„No! It was no one from school. Let it rest, Zeke, please.“

Annoyed, he narrowed his eyes. „No, I won't, I won't turn my eyes away when some treats you like this. But maybe you should think about it to take some self-defense lessons. I can't be around all the time. Friend of mine is working at a training studio; I could...“

Casey sighed deeply. „It was my dad.“

„What?“ Full of disbelief, Zeke stared at him; okay, the Connors had never gotten the price for the most loving parents, but this did overstep every line. „He hit you? What's happened?“

„He did find out. Me, hanging around in your garage so often, and... all about us. He was pretty shocked.“

„This is not an excuse.“

„He says he will send to me to the school of a friend, where they will teach me to be a real man,“ Casey whispered; now tears were sparkling in his eyes.

Zeke rolled his eyes. „What kind of bullshit is this? You are legal; you will go to College after summer. He can't force you to anything.“

„As if this is so easy. He will kick me out of the house, doesn't pay a penny for College. Even if I could find a part-time job, it would never be enough.“

„I have a guest room. That's a beginning; the rest we will figure out later.“

„You serious?“ Casey stared at him with eyes wide open, with a mixture of surprise and hope. „But what will the others say?“

Zeke smirked. „Since when do I care about other people? But I care for you.“ Gently he placed his thumb onto the bruise on Casey's face. „And you can't live under the same roof with this homophobic prick any longer.“

Title: Number 1 & Number 3
Character: Luther, Allison
Challenge: family reunion (Ficlet Zone) // anniversary Umbrella Academy (FFFC)
Word Count: 685
Finished: 08.03.2021

:::

It was a mixture of shock and happiness to see her again.

Though there had been seven of them, Luther's bond with Allison had always been special; they had shared their deepest secrets, they would never tell anyone else. Sometimes they sneaked away for some intimate togetherness, though they knew they would have to pay a high price when they got caught. Together with Allison, he had almost felt normal.

Then things had changed. Allison decided to leave the Umbrella Academy. Best for her, but it almost tore him apart. He had to remember that he was Number One, the others might be able to leave, but it was his fate to stay back in the dark, big, empty house, with only some fleetingly memories.

Years had passed, and he had almost given up hope ever to see Allison again. But then, their father died unexpectedly, and they all came back home. Diego, Klaus, Vanya, even Number Five. Not Ben, Ben was dead. But Allison.

His heart beat quicker when he saw her; even more pretty than he did remember, with the smile on her lips, she used to show only him when they had been younger. She put her arms around him, snuggling closer. And he did almost forget about the reason for their reunion.

She told him: “First I was not sure if I would come. It's not that we were ever very close to him; I guess the only one he respected was you. And...“ she hesitated shortly as if she was not sure if she could still trust him. „my lawyer said that it might be not very smart to miss the hearing next week.“

„You are in problems? Can I help you? You know, I will, when I can.“

She smiled slightly. „Yes, I know. You were always there for me, probably the only one who was ever able to understand what was going on inside me.

It was stupid to hope that leaving the Academy... and you... would make me feel more normal. Though, at first, it worked out fine. I loved to work at the theater. And some years ago, I married. For a short time, I was happy.“

This felt like a shock. The thought of another guy in her life was almost too much. He had never had an eye for any girl, but he had never missed something. During the day, his father's obedient soldier, at night, he was reunited with Allison again, only spiritually, but this was enough to make him survive. Even during the lonely months on the moon, the thought about her had made everything more bearable.

„You... are... married?!“

She shook her head. „Not anymore. We got divorced two months ago. As hard as I've tried to leave my childhood behind, one day, I made a mistake. I... I used my power against my daughter. It was more a reflex. Happened without thinking about it.

But Patrick... he did find out, and I can't even blame him, that he's scared. Scared of me. Scared for the safeness of Claire.“

Her voice was shaking now, and Luther put all his disappointment behind, pulled her in his arms to hold her. He could feel that she was fighting with tears; tears were weakness, and weakness was frowned upon in the Umbrella Academie. „I do understand, and I can accept it. Today I can't even say if I ever actually loved him; if I am able to love a man.

But Claire, my daughter. Patrick is fighting for sole custody, wants me never to see her again. Because... I am a freak, he says.“ Now she started weeping silently. „Maybe he is right, and we all are freaks. No matter how far we run, our fate was sealed the moment Sir Reginald adopted us.“

Luther placed a gentle kiss onto her hair, rocked her like a baby. Like he had done it back then when she secretly had cried herself into sleep. „You are so much stronger than all of us,“ he murmured. „I know you will find a way. Like you always did.“