TOUCH | F. Hargreeves

03

Beau wasn't sure how to feel. Was he supposed to be ecstatic, beyond shocked at the sight of a fifteen year old Five? Or was he supposed to feel angry, blame him for something that even Beau wasn't sure of? Either way, it didn't right so he guessed he chose numb once again, almost feeling as though when he was back on his pills as a teen, numbing his emotions and blurring his thoughts. It was all very confusing.

When had Beau's past come back to haunt him quite like this? He supposed there was a first time for everything and this was definitely it, as he gazed upon Five going about making himself a sandwich. Maybe he was back to insult him again, digressing into the way he used to be around Beau, although when those green eyes looked his way all Beau saw was sadness and something else he couldn't quite pinpoint.

Beau was sure he didn't want to figure it out.

"What's the date?" Five questioned his siblings, all surrounding the end of the table. Beau stood off to the side slightly, one arm around his wife like second nature. "The exact date."

"The twenty-fourth," Vanya muttered, still very much in shock, as was everyone else.

Five frowned at her, "Of what?"

"March."

"Good."

Luther sighed and stepped forward, always wanting the first word and always wanting to be in charge of the situation, "So, are we gonna talk about what just happened? It's been seventeen years." He exasperated.

Five scoffed, his eyes creasing in a way only a man that had gone through many years of pain could do, that one look that told people he wasn't what he appeared, "It's been a lot longer than that." There was a flash of blue and Five was suddenly behind Luther and directly in front of the married couple as he reached up to grab some marshmallows. Five and Beau stared blankly at each other for a moment.

"I haven't missed that," Luther admitted with a huff.

"Where'd you go?" Allison questioned, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow. She wanted answers just as much as any of them though it seemed it was going to take a while to get them. 

"The future. It's shit, by the way." Five casually answered and it had Rosie's eyes widening as she looked at Beau with confusion. He just shrugged, not quite understanding either.

"Called it." Klaus raised his hand in triumph only to put it down slowly when he saw the looks he was getting. Rosie was always there to give him a small grin which Klaus was happy to return.

"I should've listened to the old man. You know, jumping through space is one thing, jumping through time is a toss of the dice." Five continued to mutter to himself, sounding more and more insane by the passing seconds only for him to stop and stare at Klaus, "Nice dress."

"Oh, well, Danke!"

Beau rolled his eyes, it was clearly a skirt but that didn't matter, he knew he was getting way off track but one little detail could set him off at any moment. Beau couldn't control his emotions well, everyone knew that, so when he felt umb it was only a matter of time before something made him snap and he would either scream until his throat burned or he would have a violent fit. One of the many plus sides to childhood trauma, sarcasm included.

"Wait, how did you get back?" Vanya asked, not understanding one bit but that was okay because neither were her siblings.

"In the end, I had to project my consciousness forward into a suspended quantum state version of myself that exists across every possible instance of time." Five explained, receiving quite a few puzzled expressions, Diego especially.

"That makes no sense."

"Well, it would if you were smarter." Five retorted and it caused the woman at Beau's side to snort in amusement, her hand quickly covering her mouth and nose. Beau chuckled at his wife's antics, shaking his head. "Who's this?" Five pointed carelessly in Rosie's direction, eyeing the arm holding her securely to Beau's side.

Rosie looked up at all the attention that was now on her. Gazing upon Beau, she found him to be no help as he shrugged her way nonchalantly. Rosie sighed and sent the young Five a sweet smile, "I'm Rosie, it's nice to finally meet you."