SPARROWS ✶ FIVE HARGREEVES

18 | Love, But Make It Complicated

Y/N

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"YOU LOVE ME?"

Five's expression changed, and he stared at me in utter disbelief.

I knew it was forward, and I knew it may have sounded a little too abrupt, but trust me. If the glowing birthmark wasn't enough to show it, I don't know what will.

"Yeah," I said, nodding my head, "I do."

"How do you know?"

"It's the only thing I'm sure about."

There was silence, his gaze turning towards the ground. Dammit, knew this would happen. I don't know why I had to tell him the truth so abruptly, but I guess that just shows how unlucky I am.

There were a few more moments of silence, before he spoke again.

"I need coffee," he finally said, disappearing out of my room with a woosh.

Frick.

I wasn't sure why I thought he'd accept it, but I got ahead of myself. I usually did when it came to love.

I knew everything about soulmates (thought they didn't exist), infatuation, romanticism, and even the connection betweens friends, but the one thing I could never figure out was why I fell in love so easily.

I did with Five, and now he's abandoned me in my room.

Slumping into my chair, I stared at my reflection in the mirror of my vanity. Disappointing. My gaze trailed down from my eyes to the hem of my shirt, where I remembered the events that happened nearly a few minutes ago.

Why was it glowing?

Furrowing a brow, I moved part of my shirt aside to see what happened. I was shockingly surprised. Half of the arrow was gone. The only part left was the spurr, which was still very much intact. Weird.

Before I could inquire further, a woosh appeared from the corner of the room, and in came the boy I was just thinking about.

Five had reappeared, a coffee mug in his hand, and a slightly dead rose in the other.

"Here," he said, holding it out towards me, "this is the first time I've had to do anything romantic, so it's all I could come up with."

I nodded my head in caution, "thank you."

"I would have gotten you coffee, but that took too long to make."

"The rose is beautiful, Five."

He bit his lip, plopping down onto my mattress in anxiousness. He kept staring at me with this certain sort of look on his face, though I wasn't sure what it was.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, "saying that was really sudden, and I totally understand if you were probably freaked out—"

"Don't apologize."

"Why not?"

"Because I think I might..." he muttered, struggling to find the words, "reciprocate the same level of affection."

I wrinkled my nose in confusion. What the hell was reciprocating affection? Setting the rose down on my desk, I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"Really?" I questioned, "then why did you run off like that?"

He shrugged, "that was the first time anyone said they loved me, and I got scared."

"So how did you know you... reciprocated the same feelings back then?"

"Because I realized something," he said, setting down his mug on the windowsill, "I'd been alive for so long, and I've thought about it for so long. In that whole time, you're the only person exactly like me."

"Exactly?"

"How do you take your coffee?"

"Black?"

"Favorite sandwich?"

"Peanut butter and marshmallows."

"Exactly the same answers as mine," he said smigly, "and you're the only one who can match my fighting skills."

"That's not exactly something to be proud of," I smirked, rolling my eyes.

"But besides all that similarity stuff, you've also been the only person I don't want to kill."

"Thank you..?"

"Considering the fact that homicidal rage applies to everyone I know, It took me a while to realize that the only reason why it doesn't apply to you," he explained, taking a deep breath, "is the L-word."

"The L-word?"

"L-O-V-E."

"Why are you spelling it out?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Why not?"

"You can't say it?"

"Never said it yet, so I'm not exactly familiar with it."

"We can work on it," I grinned, "it's okay."

There was a brief pause, where he just stared at me with a glint in his eyes. I don't think I've ever seen that look on his face. Ah, I know what it was.

Confidence! Finally Five was able to admit his feelings about something other than himself, coffee, and his missions.

"So it's settled then," he said, breaking the silence, "conversation over."

"Talking about our feelings wasn't that bad," I muttered.

"I know."

"Then why do you want to change the conversation so bad?"

"I just don't want to talk at all," he said, lunging forward and reappearing in front of me, "I would much rather prefer kissing you."

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and then he asked for consent, BECAUSE ITS IMPORTANT! YASSSSS!