𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 ━ five hargreeves

6│DO YOU BELIEVE IN LIFE AFTER LOVE?

▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅

❛ ᴡᴀsᴛᴇʟᴀɴᴅs ᴏғ ᴛɪᴍᴇ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐒𝐈𝐗 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ
ɪɴ ʟɪғᴇ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ? ꒱


❝ WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?
/ SIT AROUND AND WAIT FOR
YOU? ❞

▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅

It had been eight hours, thirty minutes and four. . . five. . . six. . . seconds since Dolores and Five had parted ways. The count kept increasing in the back of her mind as she lay in the big bed by herself. The darkness of the surrounding room pressed down on her like a heavy, suffocating blanket until she threw her real blankets off of her body. The quietness was uncomfortable as well since even in the apocalypse, she'd at least had the sound of Five's sleep-breaths to create a soothing disruption against the otherwise silent world. Now, she had nothing.

The sun was just rising as seven o'clock crept nearer and the early-morning light began to bathe the room in a dull grey. Dolores had probably only slept two or three hours the previous night as her spinning mind had kept her awake. Her argument with Five played over and over in her head as she thought about what she might've said differently, how she could've convinced him that he was making a mistake. They'd argued countless times before but they'd always, always come to a compromise. Even if they'd gone several hours without speaking to each other, one of them would eventually cave and make the first step towards an agreement.

As she'd reviewed their conflict, her hand had reached up to play with the ring on the silver necklace, which had become a habit of comfort for her. Too late, she would realize it wasn't there anymore and she'd have to blink back tears. If there was absolutely one thing that she refused to do it was to mope around and act like she'd gotten her heart broken. That had been the whole point of her leaving him: to give her the independence she wouldn't have otherwise had. She was sixty-something damn years old; it wouldn't do to act like a teenager who was inconsolable over their high school boyfriend.

If there was something that Dolores and Five were equally good at, it was compartmentalizing their emotions. She'd had years of experience of shoving her trauma into a box, burying it six feet under and pretending like she was fine. She would treat this situation in the same exact way. So, by the time eight o'clock rolled around, Dolores had packed all of her feelings up in a nice, neat package and decided not to think about it anymore. She'd lived the first fifteen years of her life without Five, after all, so she'd just have to remember how to do that again.

Once she'd gotten ready for the day, she went downstairs to have breakfast at the buffet bar. She even decided to celebrate the lack of an upcoming apocalypse by ordering a Mimosa from the bartender. If there was one good thing to say about Hotel Oblivion, it was that they didn't even bat an eye when a supposed minor ordered alcohol.

None of the Hargreeves were in the immediate vicinity when she started on her meal but by the time she was halfway through, Vanya made an appearance. Except. . . she didn't really look or act like Vanya anymore. Dolores took in the changes that the seventh Hargreeves displayed: their hair was cut short and close to their head and their clothes had definitely taken on a more masculine appearance. Upon seeing Dolores sitting at the table by herself, not-Vanya made their way over to her.

When they were close enough, her (ex?)in-law spoke first: "oh, good, at least you're here. I thought you might've gone off with Five."

The brunette placed her fork on her plate and pointedly ignored the mention of her ex-husband. "Hello," she said instead. Then, after a pause, she added: "how would you like me to address you?"