it’s the night of vanya’s third book reading. she’s never been the best at public speaking ––– it helps that the words are already written , already in front of her , but after being all - but - invisible her entire life it feels strange to have people hanging on her words. the crowd pays attention. she wonders if it’s how her siblings had felt , as kids , when they’d stood in front of crowds of fans after saving the day. she stands in the middle of the barnes & noble and she reads out the opening lines , then signs copies for what feels like about a million people , far more than expected , and by the time it’s all finished , she’s beyond ready to go home. she wants her apartment , her bed , some peace and quiet. ( the last year has been a whirlwind , graduating from college & writing the book. she’s ready for some rest. )
it’d be easy , exhausted as she is , to miss the man standing in front of the window as she goes to exit the bookstore. except she can’t , because that’s absolutely her brother , and he’s absolutely staring at the twenty copies of her book that are displayed there. the sign above them reads brand new! tell - all autobiography from the umbrella academy’s number seven! & there’s a photo of her , blown up big & unmistakeable.
in the moment , the decision to not tell any of them had been easy. she’d tried , several times ––– she’d come so close to calling them , had visited the house a few months ago intending to tell luther and dad , but. well. it hadn’t happened. and she’d thought it was better that way , selfishly , because their reactions could be delayed ––– but now , with a reaction imminent & moments away , she doesn’t know what to do. there’s only one thing to do , and she doesn’t know how to.
but he’ll notice her staring at him staring at the book eventually , so she pulls her pill bottle out of her jacket pocket , takes one to calm her nerves , and approaches klaus. hands shoved in pockets , vanya’s nervous for the first time since the book came out. she’s been riding on the catharsis of finally having her experience out in the world , of being believed , but she sure as hell isn’t feeling any of that relief now. quietly , almost too quiet to be heard over the sound of the bustling street around them : ‘ hey , klaus. ’
* @ghosttalked .








