𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 ━ five hargreeves

8│THE BEST OF TIMES AND THE WORST OF TIMES

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❛ ᴡᴀsᴛᴇʟᴀɴᴅs ᴏғ ᴛɪᴍᴇ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇsᴛ ᴏғ ᴛɪᴍᴇs
& ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀsᴛ ᴏғ ᴛɪᴍᴇs ꒱


❝ MONEY, I HOPE. OR GOLD ❞

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While Dolores' splitting headache had (eventually) subsided into a dull, constant throb, the pain still made it difficult to concentrate or talk for long periods of time. On top of that, Five was in a distinctly sour mood due to their most secure lead blowing up in his face.

After he'd returned to the van, he'd taken hold of her hand and blinked them away to a nearby liquor store where he proceeded to steal two bottles of whiskey. His excuse had been that it would help her headache, though Dolores suspected that he had ulterior motives as well. The boy had then jumped them to the library where he insisted that he needed time to work. He'd sat her down at one of the library's tables and dove into his equations, taking the occasional sip of alcohol to accompany his ramblings.

The brunette made an effort to pay attention to him but she was more focused on the liquor in her hands. Five had been surprisingly correct— the alcohol did help take her mind of the ache in her head, as the burning feeling of the drink redirected the pain elsewhere. Besides, it felt good— warm and rich and positively bubbly. Her worries evaporated as quickly as the drink in the bottle was disappearing.

At the sound of giggles, Five turned away from his work on the library's chalkboard to give the brunette a slightly hazy, fond look. "What's so funny?" he asked, his words slurring together a bit. Whatever the joke was, he wanted to be in on it, too.

"Nuthin'" Dolores shrugged, still giggling. She gave him a slightly dopey smile. "I loooveee you!" she sang happily, throwing her arms— the hand holding the bottle loosening dangerously— wide open. "C'mere!"

The boy hesitated only for a moment before he shrugged. His equations could wait. "Okay."

As soon as he was close enough, Dolores set her bottle on the ground and wrapped her arms around his waist, yanking him down to sit on her lap. She misjudged the strength of her pull, though, and he landed heavily, nearly sliding off. That sent both of them into fits of laughter, earning a few disgruntled looks from other patrons.

Once he'd righted himself, Five turned to face the girl and his expression softened at the sight of the happiness in her bright blue eyes. It only served to remind him how— though far more optimistic than him— serious she was most of the time. He lifted his hand slowly and moved it to tuck some of the loose, brown strands of hair behind her ear. His fingertips gently brushed along the curve of her cheek as he did so. He smiled slightly as he watched them turn pink, pleased with the affect he had on her.

"Hi," she murmured quietly as her eyes met his. She smiled shyly at him. "You're cute."

He beamed at her, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to her lips. "No, I'm Five," he reminded her helpfully.

That earned him another peal of giggles that sent his heart pounding as he watched he affectionately. Once they'd died again, he couldn't resist leaning forward so that his lips brushed her ear as he whispered, "you know what we should do?"

Dolores' reply was breathless, "what?"

"Have a tryst in the library."

✧✧✧

Later, once they'd become suitably presentable again and after they'd "worked" on Five's equations— it had been him writing a single number and then stopping for either a drink break or make out heavily with his wife in the middle of the library— Dolores stumbled over to a corner near where they were working and slid down. She rested her head against the concrete and closed her eyes. Five joined her a minute later and looped an arm over her shoulders to redirect her head to rest on his shoulder.