definitely maybe i will live to love || Five x Reader/OC ||

and i know that someday soon i'll see you

Mary

A cough comes from behind Five. He whirls around, desperate, scared, and catches a familiar arm exposed in the rubble. The band, the metal band that was welded on your bony wrist and the sparks danced on your skin but you said don't worry, don't worry, it doesn't hurt me, don't worry.

He's gasping, clawing at the broken bricks and wood, trying, trying, trying—

There.

Oh god. Oh god, no. No.

"...Five?"

What's left of the manor scrapes at Five's knees when he falls onto them, beside you, beside you.

You smile. Red stains your lips and trickles slow and warm from the side of your mouth. "Five," you whisper. "Five."

More blood pools beneath the bricks that cover the rest of your body. Five is too weak to uncover more and see what he already knows, even though it can't be true, you don't break, you don't.

He scrambles for your hand and holds onto it. His breath won't come, won't enter his lungs, and he can't speak but he has to, he has to.

"I knew...I knew you'd come back." You blink heavily, and there's a wetness in your chest that makes him grit his teeth in fury, in fear. Tears cloud his vision.

"Shh, hey, it's okay," he chokes out, and his other hand, trembling, finds its way to your soot-covered hair.

Your hazy eyes gleam like you know he's lying. They silently tell Five that you know he's lying, that you'd teasingly call him out on it, that there's no time to waste your words.

"What happened? What happened here? Why are you—why do you look the, the same—"

"Five." The smooth steel in your voice remains, and it brings him to you, quiet. "Vanya...it's Vanya. I knew she was always sp...special. She needs love. Needs protection. Boy...boyfriend triggers it. She couldn't, couldn't control it. Not her fault, though, Five. She needs love. I couldn't give enough, we couldn't...but maybe, maybe with you, we can do something good. Something different. Protect her."

"What does that mean? Hey, hey, stay with me! Stay with me, please—please. You're the shield, remember?"

"Even shields can break."

More blood falls from your mouth, and your hand grows cold even though it's supposed to be warm, it's supposed to be warm because you're warm because you're light, because you're you.

"Five." The doom around you almost swallows your voice, but he's close enough to hear your words. He clings to them, memorizing each syllable, each lilt, each scratch. "I'm sorry we...didn't get to dance. I'm sorry."

Tears fall freely onto the ash and dust. Five strokes your hair, and he attempts a wavering smile. "We'll dance. I promise. We'll dance in the—" A sob heaves from his chest. "In the light, in that house. Okay?"

You continue to smile. Five brings your hand to his cheek, and he sobs again when your thumb weakly reaches over to try and press to the other side of his face. Knowing what you want to do, Five repositions your hand. Your palm rests under his chin, fingers delicately touching each cheek. You give the slightest squeeze.

"Five," you sigh. He wants to look away because looking away means this might not be real, but it is, it all is—the agony of despair inside him is too real, and it claws its way up his throat, through his blood, into his bones.

He refuses to look away from you, clinging to your life, to his, wishing against hope.

"Five."

Your gaze stays on him, unseeing.

A shuddering cry leaves Five's body. "Tee?" he whispers, as if using your sacred nickname only he can form on his tongue will bring you back. "Tee?"

Silent, so silent.

He keels over, forehead pressing to yours, and raggedly screams.