𝐌𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐐𝐬 || five hargreeves ¹ [✔]

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐖𝐎 || 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐌 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐌

— ❝ REMIND ME TO NEVER CHEAT ON YOU ❞

☂︎

"So the apocalypse is really over?" Rin leaned against Five's open doorway, her voice startling him. He set Delores down into the army green duffel bag he had her in previously, carefully zipping the bag up. He rose to his feet and faced the girl. "Can I come in?"

Her voice was soft. Calm. Five's hands slipped into his shorts pocket and he jutted his chin towards his bed. "Door's already open." He said, unable to hide his soft smile as she shut the door and bounded towards his bed, hopping on the mattress with a relieved sigh. "As far as I'm aware, yes. The apocalypse is over."

He followed suit and sat down next to her. There was a moment of peaceful quiet between them, a gentle nostalgia embracing them like a warm hug. It reminded them of the nights they'd spend together as kids in each other's rooms, talking and playing around aimlessly until they tired themselves out.

More often than not, if they got bored of the wrestling robots, they'd flop onto their beds and talk aimlessly into the dark room. It's how Rin first found out about Five's interest in time travel. How he wanted to explore his powers and their limits. He wanted to learn everything at once. It's how he always was.

Rin was his enabler. The timber to a flame. Five's flame. Much like a wandering cinder floating through a sea of fodder, a single spark would lead to something beyond anyone's control.

She remembered the night before he disappeared vividly. She crept to his room that night with a book she'd stolen from a flea market sneaking out earlier that day. Something about the cover reminded her of him and she thought it'd bring him out of the strange funk he'd been in for the past couple of days. When she slipped through the door, he was wide awake.

After a little bit of prying, Five finally confessed that he wanted to confront Reginald about expanding his powers. Specifically, time travel. He knew Reggie was already knowledgeable of the concept and wanted to begin training. The only issue was that every time Five tried to bring it up before then, their father shot him down before he could even get the words out.

Rin encouraged him to talk to Reginald. To put his foot down and convince him that he was ready. She had no idea that it would ignite a dangerous wildfire at the dining table the next morning. They were never allowed to speak during meals, but Five demanded his father's attention at breakfast. Reginald tried to put the fire out before it could spread.

He told Five that he wasn't ready. Rin had given him the encouraging smile that would separate them for decades. Five ran out of the house out of pure defiance. It was the last she heard from him.

Not even half a year passed before Rin took action into her own hands. She ransacked her father's study and found all of the research he had on Five's powers and what he knew about time travel. It took her almost six months and a very solemn birthday until it sparked to life and sent her down a path she wasn't ready for.

Yet they were laying on Five's bed, together again. No catch, no danger, no apocalypse chasing either of them. They were free to do what they wanted. Live their lives the way they'd always wanted to.

"You know," Rin broke the ice first, Five's head craning to look back at her still face. "I may have an idea how we can spend the rest of our lives." The girl was thinking aloud. Five laughed under his breath, amusing her.