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✧*̥˚ CHAPTER FOUR *̥˚✧
"No. This is fun to watch."
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Iris stretch her arm as she get out of bed. She sighed. Stuck in a mess up timeline is just as same as stopping the apocalypse. It became more worse that she saw the love of her life, but it's not how she wanted. He doesn't know her.
She looked around the room to see Vanya was gone which mean she must already woke up. She walked towards the bathroom to take a shower and then change her clothes. They already have clothes in the wardrobe.
"This place wasn't so bad after all." Iris talked to herself. She went to the lobby and walk towards Klaus.
"Good morning, Iris." Klaus greeted as soon as she made her way to the table.
"Morning." She greet him bluntly and get some tea to drink. After she'd finished, she walked out without saying anything.
"Alright... Where are you going?" He asked as he walked or more likely run towards her.
"To go for a walk." She said, while keep walking.
He was confused. Iris, the demon of darkness was walking under the sun without any important reason? He asked himself.
"You don't usually go out for a walk during daytime." Klaus asked even though he already expected the answer.
"I do whatever I want." She said as she stared at him.
Klaus raise both of his hand in surrender after hearing her replied. "Just concern about you."
"No need to. You should concern more about Diego and Five. Mostly Diego." Klaus put one of his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him confused. "What are you doing?" Sounding angry but she was not. She was rather confused.
"Well then... Have a good walk." That was all he can say as he smiled softly at her.
"Okay... See you when I get back, brother." She moved his hand from her shoulder and patted his shoulder before walking outside.
He know why. He just don't want to say it. Ben told him once. The only time Iris went for a walk or stay outside during daytime was because she wanted to clear her mind. Light can remove the darkness. For Iris, it's temporary. The darkness never leave her. She never talk about it, only Ben and Klaus know the reason. If she know that Klaus know, she will definitely kill him.
When Ben died, Iris spend her day at the roof. Letting the sunlight hurt the darkness inside her. The darkness that killed her lover. But everytime she sat on the roof or walk outside to clear her mind, clouds will always cover the sun. Protecting her as much as possible.
She cannot get rid of the darkness. She was born with it. Today, Iris was trying to clear her mind from Ben that doesn't know her. Klaus looked at her, feeling sympathy towards his sister. She been through a lot but never said anything.
...
She walked at the park as the sunlight touch her skin. She looked up the sky that had a lot of clouds with many different shapes as the clouds cover the sun. As if they were covering her.
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16 years ago, Umbrella Academy
14 years old
Ben and Iris was sitting at the roof. More likely Ben found Iris sitting at the roof, so he decided to join her. Iris, the darkness manipulator sit under the sunlight instead of under the shade. Knowing Iris all his life, he knows why.
Iris lose control of her power during practice earlier with their siblings. She almost hurt Diego. Well, she already did. She broke his nose. But what terrified her that she sometimes can't control the darkness inside her. She was scared of herself...
Ben sat down on the ground beside her looking at the sky. Iris who was hugging her knees, had been spacing out for god know how long. Staring at nothing but the ground.
The sun was covered by the clouds. It's like the universe doesn't want to let her skin burn by the sunlight. She didn't even noticed Ben. Ben doesn't say anything. He just sits there and looks up at the sky, listening to her breath in and out.
"The sky look beautiful today." Ben said in a light voice breaking the silence. Iris only hummed in response not even bothered to look at him. "Do you think it's going to rain?" Ben asked again after a few minutes of silence. He really wants to cheer Iris up. But Iris didn't respond.
Ben turned his body to face her while still sitting beside her. He wanted to see her face, to see the girl he always love. He put one arm around her shoulder as he put his chin on top of her arm that was hugging her knees. It doesn't take long for Iris to looked at him but still didn't move. They stared each other's eyes in silence trying to communicate their emotions through their gaze.
Ben smiled softly as he felt the soft warm breeze against his cheek. Iris' expression remained unchanged not even showing the slightest hint of sadness or happiness. He didn't care if Iris didn't show any emotion. All he knew is that he was here, with her to comfort her, and to always be there for her. And that made everything worth it.
"Maybe it's going to rain." Iris finally answered. He didn't care if she didn't answered. He just wanted to feel her presence. His heart starts beating faster when he saw the corners of her lips turning upward. Even just a little smile from her can make his whole day better.
The warmth that envelopes him every time he sees those brown irises brightens his mood more than anything else. It makes all the bad things in the world go away. It'll make his night brighter than a thousand candles, and his days more bearable than the heaviest weight ever placed on earth.
A small smile was enough to make him happy as long as it was his Iris smiling at him. It was a miracle of nature that such a simple act could cause his heart to beat faster and his mind to calm down. And right now, every minute spent beside her could be the happiest moment ever for him.
He inhaled her scent. The smell of freshly blooming flowers, and fresh water in the morning air, mixed together with her natural fragrance. Her hair smelled like lavender mixed with rosemary. He loved the smell. The smell of home. She was his home of dreams and hopes.
He loves her so much, she was his life itself and the most precious thing in the world to him. He couldn't get enough of her. He will do anything for her. As long as she's happy, Ben's life will be alright.
It was hard for them to not stared at each other's eyes. Both feeling comfortable being so close. But they eventually did and stared at the cloudy sky. A gentle breeze blew their hair making the windmill dance a little, which somehow calmed the soul that's already calmed by each other presence.
Ben pointed his finger at the clouds. "That's look like an elephant standing on its head."
"What?" Iris asked, puzzled.
"And next to it, looks like an angel flying with his arms stretched," He continued pointing.
"Okay... Let me try. I see... clouds and more clouds..." She said sarcastically. Ben just turned to her with a face showing 'really'.
After some moments, he heard her laugh. That laughter, was what he wanted to hear the most. He loves the sound of her laugh, even when she laughed at herself. Hearing the sound of Iris laugh brought him peace.
She chuckled before looking at the skies again. "I was just kidding." She put her chin on his shoulder. Her laugh never failed to make him smiled. Her soft smile always warmed his heart.
They sat there, watching clouds passing above them, while their hand intertwined, fingers locked together. Maybe he didn't know, but he is the source of her happiness. He is the reason why she smiled, and laugh. She always finds it in him to lighten her mood. To bring out her smile.
If anyone was making her happy it was definitely him. He was always there. By her side. To protect her. To comfort her. To support her. She will do anything for him.
━━━
Unknowingly to her, Ben, the sparrow Ben was watching her from afar. He never knew that seeing Iris again would hurt him this bad. It's a lie. He been wishing upon the star to bring her back to him. His wish come true. But that's not his Iris. That's another Ben's Iris.
He watch as his Iris look a like, look up the sky. Even when her face show no emotion. He can see through her. The pain and sadness she was holding. He somehow understand.
Iris was trying to calm her mind when her mind was interrupted by her brother, Luther scream. She sighed. "What have he done now?" She question herself. She turned and saw Luther get chase by birds. Birds?
"Iris! Help!" Luther shouted as he ran from birds that chasing him.
"No." She simply replied before laughing slightly. "This is fun to watch."
"Iris!"
"Fine." She rolled her eyes. "What the hell have you done?"
"I didn't do anything!" He shouted as he continue running.
"Really?" She said didn't believe him one bit. Then she saw a floating cube chasing him. "Well that's not right." Luther didn't had a chance to replied as he crash the lamp post and fell down. "And he fall down. Great." She said sarcastically.
Iris walked towards him. She wanted to asked him why there's a bunch of raven chasing him. Then it hit her. Iris figured that the sparrows must be here. Iris can feel herself floating in the air and then turn upside down.
"Oh shit." Luther said as he float upside down.
"Great. Look what you got us into." Iris rolled her eyes.
"Me?"
"Who else am I going to blame?" Iris feeling annoyed.
"Hello there, strangers." The blonde said.
"Oh, hey!" Luther said to the blonde as he smiled.
"Well, look who we got here." Ben said as he smirked.
"Well look, isn't this surprising." Iris snapped at them. Before she could say anything else someone kick her in the face making her unconscious. She was strong but if you were floating upside down and get kick right in the head, you will go unconscious too.
...