It's Always You.

First Days (AU, Pt. 3)

Author's Note: Rewritten!

Third Person:

Five was surprisingly good at pretending to be normal.

Or whatever 'normal' was for someone like him.

He started doing a couple of the things that Diego had mentioned, like stumbling into the house drunk, (though he was already good at that) and even spending time outside of his room. He still didn't like talking to people but it was a change. A good change.

He even got an iPhone. It took him a while but he got the hang of it eventually.

And even though his family likes this new side of him, there was someone who thought that something was incredibly off.

"Benny, I'm telling you, it's just not our Five. I mean come on, since when does he ever willingly put an effort into something he doesn't like? He doesn't! Five doesn't just tolerate things, he shapes them the exact way that he likes so that way he can live with it. He doesn't just willingly go outside and take a walk, I mean who does that? Not him!" Klaus rants to his brother Ben, who has to sadly sit through this since he can't do much else.

"Klaus, since when have you cared about what Five does? I mean, ever since you guys were little, you haven't given a shit about what he does. Now you're asking a bunch of questions about his personal life which you used to have absolutely no interest in. What's so bad about him changing? This is what everybody was wanting." Ben says.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I'm just saying that it's not like him at all. Think about it. Don't you think it's a little odd? I mean, he was so against the idea of going to high school, and not even two months later, he's practically rushing out the door, excited to go. It's just not like him." Klaus says, his hands flailing all around as he speaks.

"And what do you want me to do about this?" Ben asks.

Klaus gives him a mischievous look. "I think you know exactly what I want you to do."

Ben phases through the door, leaning onto Five's wall. He thinks about leaving but decides against it once he sees Five through the window, climbing up the fire escape. Ben walks up to it, looking to see what he's doing, not expecting much.

But he does not anticipate what he sees next.

Third Person:

"Five please be careful, because I already know that I cannot catch you from here. Do you really think after the hallway incident that I'm the right person to nurse you back to health after you fall off the fire escape? Hell— I can barely manage not pummeling you in hallways." Five hears the young girl's voice- the same girl from Five's first day of high school- right below him as he climbs up the ladder.

"If you think this is the most hazardous thing I've done, then you're heavily mistaken." Five replies, looking down at the girl and giving her a smug look once he's climbed to the top.

She laughs but it sounds more like a scoff.

"Well, are you climbing up or what slowpoke?" Five teases. She doesn't respond, staring at the ladder nervously. She finally builds up the courage to talk.

"Five, I don't think I can climb up this ladder without slipping. I mean, you made it look so easy but me? I'm pretty positive I'll fall to my death, just from the first step I take." She says, wringing her hands together.

"I promise, I won't let you fall." Five says.

"But how can you be sure? I mean you climbed up first-" She starts but Five cuts her off.

"Just trust me. I wouldn't let you fall, okay?" Five says, his tone switching to a much softer one unconsciously.

She nods, nervously sighing before reaching for the ladder and grabbing on. She starts off slow, taking it one step at a time, and gradually gets faster. As she goes to take another step, she loses her focus for a second, hearing a sound from below and she feels her foot slip off of the step. Losing her footing completely, her hands slip off the ladder in fear as she winces, preparing for the impact of the ground but it never comes.

She feels soft hands grasp her waist as she's gently lowered to the ground.

She opens her eyes to be met with teasing green ones, staring right back at her.

"I promised I wouldn't let you fall."

Ben nearly dies, again.

🪜

-Sage.