𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐄𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 ━ five hargreeves¹

14│REGRETS & MISTAKES THEY'RE MEMORIES MADE

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❛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙ. ʙ. ᴇꜰꜰᴇᴄᴛ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ʀᴇɢʀᴇᴛs & ᴍɪsᴛᴀᴋᴇs
ᴛʜᴇʏ'ʀᴇ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇs ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ꒱　


❝ I NEVER HATED YOU, YOU KNOW.
FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO BEN ❞

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Alexa lay on Five's bed with a pile of crumpled papers next to her, bored from randomly sketching things that she deemed "not good enough." Her best friend— hardly one to ever get bored— was at his chalkboard as he diligently scratched away at numbers that went way over the blonde's head.

Reginald had decided to leave town for a few days which graced the Academy with a short, precious time of peace. Alexa had no idea where her other siblings were but she didn't really care right now. Fed up with the silence, she chucked one of her crumpled paper balls towards the dark-haired boy.

He didn't glance up but asked "what?" somewhat exasperatedly.

Alexa's face furrowed in thought for a moment before she replied, "have you ever thought about what name Mom would give you if you let her?"

Five sighed. While he didn't always hate her 'what if' games, some of them were extremely pointless— like this one. "No, Lexa. I'm not going to disillusion myself to being anything other than an interesting science experiment for the man who calls himself our father."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "You're so lame! You've never thought about it? I mean, I can't really imagine you being anything other than Five but I have tried other names."

The boy hid his small smile from her by pointedly not turning around. "Did you want a different name?"

Alexa pursed her lips in thought for a moment before she admitted, "Dolores."

"Dolores?" he repeated, and the name caused him to finally turn and look at her.

The girl shrugged. "I think it's pretty. It also means sorrows. I looked it up after reading it in a book."

Five rolled his eyes at the explanation and turned to look at her critically before he announced: "I don't think you're a Dolores. You're not sad."

"I don't have to be the name, dummy. I just like it. Parents don't look at babies and say, 'this one looks sad, lets name her Dolores!' babies tend not to express too much emotion."

The boy rolled his eyes again. "And what name do you think I am?"

Alexa tossed another paper wad at him. "You're not playing the game right! But Frank." Then she wrinkled her nose. "Now that I'm saying it aloud, though, I don't think so."

Five made a face back at her. "Definitely not. Just because it also starts with an F doesn't mean it would be a good name for me. But what about a name from my country? Vanya's a Russian name, Luther's a German name— it could be something Irish."

"I don't know any Irish names," Alexa said with disappointment.

Five looked at her pouty expression and sighed. He hated giving in to things that had no real meaning but he also hadn't meant to upset her. "I know one," he revealed without offering any further information.

She immediately looked interested and sent a questioning gaze his way. "Which one?"

He hesitated before he suggested, "Aidan."