Overheated (Umbrella Academy, Luther)

[Wolfwings22]

I know that I’ve written a good bit of Diego and Klaus, but I wanted to give a little love for Luther and have him be sick for once. I also an intrigued by the relationship that he has with Diego and how the two of them share some sweet moments, but can’t seem to see past their own insecurities to have a strong relationship in the typical sense. So, I decided to write them where they form a little bit more of a closer relationship with Diego helping Luther even as Luther is embarrassed about Diego being the one to help. I hope that you all enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diego finds Luther sick in the bathroom breathing in the steam from a hot shower and tries to get him to remove his layers before he overheats himself, which is easier said than done. Proof that Diego can be a good brother to Luther sometimes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    A sudden thunder and a clamor of commotion jolted Diego from his rather light slumber. He was certain that he had only just fallen asleep, yet something down the hall had woken him up. He suddenly cursed himself for being a light sleeping, despite knowing that there was absolutely nothing that he could do about that. Call it Reginald's training, or call it the police academy, but insomnia had become Diego's constant night companion.

 

    The commotion was followed by what sounded like fierce coughs. They were highly muffled from what Diego could hear, but they also sounded incredibly painful. As much as he wanted to fall back into bed and throw a pillow over his ears to block out the sound, he knew he wouldn't be able to even think about sleep until he investigated whatever the hell was going on.

 

    He reluctantly threw the covers back and stepped out of bed in a few quick motions. He shook his head to clear it, rolling his neck around his shoulders until he felt it crack and pop, the tension fizzing and releasing from his tired joints. He had been going out less and less with his vigilante missions only because his siblings had finally started resuming at least some of their protective work to keep the city safe. It wasn't anything major yet, but Diego was hoping that they may finally get there at some point.

 

    Diego started down the hallway, each step quiet and deliberate as he headed down the long expanse of the hallway. The continual sound of what Diego could only describe as choking sounded from the bathroom. Light pooled from the bottom of the door, illuminating the space between the bathroom and the hallway ever so slightly. It was just enough that Diego could see a faint shadow of footprints interrupting the steady outpour of golden light.

 

    Diego continued forward until he was right in front of the bathroom door. His hand was momentarily poised to knock, but when he heard another harsh hack, he decided against it.

 

    Turning the knob was easier than Diego expected when he found it unlocked. He nudged it open with his foot lightly, and when he didn't hear any verbal objection, he slipped in almost silently and found his larger brother standing over the sink. His hands were stretched out straight, hands gripping the sides of the sink so tightly that Diego feared he may snap it in two. His body shook with what Diego now knew were suppressed coughs that were directed down toward his chest to little avail. It was hot in the bathroom as well, and when Diego turned he saw that the shower was running softly so that steam was beginning to build from behind the curtain.

 

    "Shit is it hot in here," Diego commented, pulling at the mere t-shirt that he had worn to bed.

 

    The figure in front of Diego slightly turned to reveal feverishly glassy eyes and a bright red nose. It was so surprising that Diego almost forgot what he had come in the room for.

 

    "Hey, bro? You alright," Diego asked lamely.

 

    Luther frowned. "I'b fide."

 

    "Say that again and actually listen to yourself and I think you'll find yourself contradicting yourself," Diego joked.

 

    Luther opened his mouth to respond when his eyes turned surprisingly hazy and his jaw went slack. His arm was partially lifted toward his face as his breath began to hitch and catch in the back of his throat. He appeared caught in ticklish limbo until suddenly ducking down, his entire body shuddering harshly. "HrushShoo! HrchsSHoo!" Luther momentarily paused, waiting a few antagonizing moments before ducking back down once more. "HrhcshSHoo!"

 

    "Geez, bro. Bless you," Diego offered, both impressed and surprised at the harshness of his brother's sneezes, especially since he was almost certain that Luther was holding back just a bit with them.

 

    Luther snorted back the copious amount of thick congestion and surfaced from his elbow slightly dazed. "Whadt are you doig in here?"

 

    "I could hear you from down the hall," Diego responded, reaching behind the toilet to grab the box of tissues and waved them tantalizingly in front of Luther's face.

 

    Luther stole a glance at them before shaking his head. "N-No thanks," he responded with yet another productive snort.

 

    "I think it's a better option than swallowing that shit. Didn't anyone ever teach you how to blow you nose," Diego jeered, still waving the tissue box in front of Luther.

 

    A blush crept high onto Luther's cheeks. He head bowed slightly away as he coughed softly into his shoulder. "I habe to use like ted of theb. They never really work."

 

    Diego received the message loud and clear. Part of him thought about making another joke, but one look at his clearly uncomfortable and feverish brother halted him. "Well, then, use ten of them. Not like it bothers me or anything."

 

    Luther's eyes widened in surprise at his brother's comments. "Id doesn'dt."

 

    "Not compared to that awful snorting and swallowing thing you have been doing. Now that grates on my nerves."

 

    Luther fought a timid smile as he took the box from Diego. He pulled out numerous handful of tissues, layering them upon one another until he had a stack that rivaled the size that a normal person would use.  Ordinarily this would be something that Diego may gawk at, but seeing the obvious sign of sickness that was coming from his brother, he decided to give him a little slack.

 

    Luther turned as far away from Diego as possible and blew his nose into the tissues until his ears practically popped. He was left coughing in the aftermath as steam invaded his nasal passages and began to aid the crackling congestion in his chest.

 

    "How long have you felt like shit," Diego questioned.

 

    Luther shrugged, leaning back against the sink the throwing the used tissues in the small trash by the toilet. "Didn't feel this bad until tonight. Then I woke up and couldn't breathe."

 

    "Hence the steam from the shower," Diego murmured, half to himself.

 

    Luther nodded and lifted his rm and swiped it across his forehead that was now streaked with sweat. His legs slightly trembled as he began to slip down to sit on the floor, eyes darting around while black dots danced around the corners of his vision. He attempted to suck in a deep breath through his nose only to find it blocked up again despite just blowing it a minutes ago.

 

    "How are you still wearing all of these layers in here? You're going to give yourself heatstroke or something." Diego closed the distance between them and tried to reach over to grab and pull at Luther's sweater clad shoulder.

 

    Luther squirmed away from the touch and regarded his brother with both a fearful and furious glance. "Dond't touch be!"

 

    Diego shied away and lifted his hands slightly in a show of surrender. "Alright, alright, I'm just saying that you're going to overheat yourself, which is definitely what you don't want to do."

 

    Luther's gaze momentarily softened, at least that's what Diego thought was happening. It didn't take long for him to realize what was really happening when Luther almost hugged his arms around himself and jolted forward with each body ripping sneeze that tore through him.

 

    "HrchsSHoo! HrhcSHSHoo! HRchSHoo!"

 

    Diego didn't bless him this time, instead just handed him the box of tissues from where he stood over him.

 

    Luther lifted his head tentatively with his elbow still thrust over his face. He took the tissues with the opposite hand and brought them up to his face. Diego was just barely able to see Luther's running nose before his brother turned away and blew his nose and slumped back with his head almost rested on the edge of the sink. His breathed noisily from his mouth, though Diego could see how much of a struggle it seemed for his brother to breathe even though his mouth.

 

    Diego sighed and sat down beside Luther, back pressed against the vanity of the sink. "I'm not going to judge you."

 

    "Whadt?"

 

    "I know how you are about always having clothes on and shit because of how you look, but I'm not going to say anything. I'd rather that then you passin' out and me trying to pick you back up."

 

    Luther's brow knit together, a line of deep concentration protruding from his forehead. "I dond't...."

 

    Diego fought not to roll his eyes. He was used to the emotional turmoil that Klaus usually put him through, but dealing with Luther was a completely different set of problems. It wasn't uncommon for Diego to show more concern for Klaus, and when it came to Luther, he had nothing. He would be lying if he said he wasn't way out of his comfort zone. However, he was here now and leaving wasn't a viable option if he ever wanted to sleep through the rest of the night.

 

    "I'll save the jokes for tonight, man, I swear." He took in a deep breath and sighed, bringing a hand up to his face and rubbing the corners of his mouth. "I guess now is as good of time as ever to maybe give you a little slack."

 

    Luther nearly pinched himself just to make sure this wasn't a dream. This couldn't be the same Diego that had never had a kind word to say to him and picked a fight with him over the simplest things. He hadn't shown concern for him in so long that part of Luther wondered if this was some sort of sick joke. However, looking at Diego and seeing the normal fire in his eyes slightly duller had Luther wondering if perhaps his brother was being sincere.

 

    "C'mon, dude. We don't have all day," Diego instructed with a small nod of his head. "You can put them back on when we leave the bathroom if you're that insistent about the rest of the family not seeing you. Though, I don't know who would be up at this hour of the night."

 

    The answer to that question would be pretty much be anyone. Although they probably wouldn't congregate together, it wouldn't necessarily be a surprise to see anyone at anytime walking around the halls or even in the kitchen. Five had a habit of eating late at night and would blink in and out of the kitchen for food that he would hide in his room until he needed it. Allison often took to pacing the halls when there was a lot on her mind. Vanya would sometimes go to the attic or the infirmary and play her violin to calm her mind, or could be found in the lounge reading. Klaus, well it was Klaus, and he could be absolutely anywhere at anytime doing anything. Diego had even once found him climbing one of the numerous fixtures on the walls when he had been out of his mind on whatever new substance he was taking. They all tended to be up at weird hours at times, but Diego still didn't expect anyone to see Luther if he left the bathroom.

 

    After much consideration on Luther's part, he reluctantly leaned forward and began to pull his sweater over his shoulders. That was followed by more layers than even Diego wore, and he fought not to immediately make a quip about how Luther should've expected he would've been hot even without a fever burning under his skin.

 

    Diego fought not to avert his gaze when he looked upon his brother's torso. His brother had always been muscular and fairly large, but now he had a body of something that Diego didn't recognize. He was now covered in copious amounts of thick body hair and thickened skin that both appeared to be insulating and uncomfortable. Truth be told, Diego hadn't been quite this close to Luther since everything had happened and he had been changed into whatever he was now.

 

    "You dond't habe to stare," Luther reminded his brother shortly, eyes slightly narrowed.

 

    Diego forced himself to look up to the ceiling. "Does it hurt?"

 

    "Whadt?"

 

    "Being like that. Does it hurt?"

 

    Luther pondered the question for a moment before shaking his head. "Dno, dnot really. Id was slightly uncomfortable ad firsdt, budt id's dnothing I cadn't handle."

 

    There it was with Luther acting tough again. Diego didn't want to admit that he probably would've acted the same way if he was in Luther's position. That was a bit too much self reflection this late at night.

 

    "You know you don't always have to cover up around everyone. We'd get used to it and you know that whatever we say we're only messing with you." Diego wasn't quite sure why he was telling Luther this. He may blame the exhaustion, or maybe the lack of sleep he had been getting for the past couple weeks, but once he said it, there was no way to take it back.

 

    Luther swallowed heavily before doubling over with a heavy cough. It shook his shoulders and forced his throat to almost tighten. He couldn't recall the last time he had been this sick or when it had hit so hard and so fast. It was almost alarming.

 

    In the midst of the coughing attack, Diego reached back and managed to find a cup and filled it with water. He passed it back to Luther, who took it with a shaky hand and began to swallow the contents greedily. It seemed to do the trick for the time being.

 

    "Ugh, thanks," Luther panted.

 

    Diego nodded. "Yeah, no problem." He leaned his head back against the sink and took in a deep breath. He wasn't congested like Luther, but the steam even felt good in his lungs. "Do you know how many times I've done this with Klaus?"

 

    "Whadt?"

 

    "The steam in the shower. I've done it so many times with him that they all blur together. Sometimes it's the only way to get him to sleep when he's stuffed up. Though, it usually takes until he's coughing up a lung before he even comes to me. It's like once a month, like clockwork, he was banging down my door all congested and voice shot to hell."

 

    "Thadt sounds like Klaus," Luther pointed out, relieved that the congestion was finally started to ebb ever so slightly.

 

    Diego nodded in agreement. "Every time I would debate on opening that door since I knew what I would find. But, I did every time and tried my best to help. I'm not sure how much good it ever did, but I tried."

 

    "I never knew any of that." Luther raised a fist and rubbed at his nose to chase away the sudden intense itch.

 

    "There was never really any reason to say anything. None of us were really communicating then." Diego wet his lips as he faced his brother, looking into his eyes instead of his ape-like body. "But, maybe we can start to....I don't know....understand each other more. I'm not sure. This isn't really my strength."

 

    "I don't think its any of ours really. But, maybe we can start," Luther suggested.

 

    If someone would've told Diego that he would be with Luther in a steam filled bathroom not arguing, he would've thought the person was crazy. However, it wasn't nearly as bad as Diego expected. If anything, it was borderline enjoyable.

 

    "You don't have to stay here if you don't want to," Luther suddenly murmured, still rubbing against the side of his nose with the base of his heel vigorously.

 

    Diego shrugged and stretched out his legs in front of him, attempting to force some blood flow into his feet as they had begun to tingle and ache. "Maybe I like it in here," he responded. "And maybe the company is not as bad as I thought it would be."

 

    Luther made a big show of rolling his eyes, though there was no real malice behind it. "You sure you're not the one who's sick if you're you're actually suggesting that you want to spend time with me?"

 

    "Perhaps. Then again, I think all of us are a little fucked in the mind," Diego pointed out with a small smile.

 

    Luther couldn't help but laugh, suddenly wrapping an arm around himself when the laugher hurt his infected lungs. "At least you're admitting to it."

 

    Diego yawned and looked up to the ceiling, notching that Luther did the same. It wasn't quite the perfect situation by any means, but Diego would be lying if he said he hadn't enjoyed himself at least a little.

 

    It sure beat the alternative of spending the night awake in bed with only his own thoughts to keep him company. He wouldn't exactly call it a breakthrough, but perhaps his and Luther's relationship wasn't completely unsalvageable. It had just taken a cold, apparently, to help break the ice.

 

    The End

[Prongs]

I loved this! And Luther has definitely grown on me. Great scenario!