Five Hargreeves oneshots

Overworked

(Five's pov)

I was arguing with Diego about how to throw knives properly, when all of a sudden my vision goes black.

When I wake up I see that I'm in Diego's room, he notices me being awake and sighs. "You overworked yourself again didn't you?" He asks me, his voice stern, but a hint of concern is in it. "I wasn't overworking myself," I grumbled, pushing myself up to a sitting position. My head throbbed, a dull ache behind my eyes. "I was winning an argument."

Diego snorted, pulling a chair over to sit beside the bed. "Right, because arguing about knife-throwing techniques is such a productive use of your time." He gave me a pointed look. "You need to stop pushing yourself so hard, Five. You're not invincible." I glared at him, but the fight seemed to have drained out of me. Diego knew how to push my buttons, and he'd landed a direct hit this time. He was right, of course. I had been pushing myself too hard, ever since we'd returned from the apocalypse that wasn't. The Handler, that manipulative witch, had gotten under my skin more than I cared to admit.

"Fine," I muttered, finally conceding. "Maybe I was trying a little too hard to ensure she wouldn't be a problem again." Diego leaned back, crossing his arms. "Trying to fight your way out of every problem again, Five?" He shook his head, a knowing smirk on his face. "Some things you can't just punch or blink away."

I bristled at that. He wasn't wrong, but hearing him say it out loud felt like a punch to the gut. "I'm aware of that," I snapped, pushing myself out of the bed and pacing the room, my restlessness returning. "But it's a strategy that's worked pretty well for me so far."

"How about a distraction, then?" Diego suggested, his tone softening. "We could play cards, maybe chess? Unless you're too scared of losing to an amateur."

The competitive part of me wanted to refuse, to prove him wrong. But even I couldn't deny the exhaustion pulling at me. And I knew Diego well enough to realize he wouldn't let up until I agreed. "Fine," I sighed, collapsing back onto the bed with more force than I intended. "But don't expect me to go easy on you."

Diego grinned, pulling a deck of cards from his pocket. "Wouldn't dream of it."

We were barely a hand in when the rest of the Hargreeves clan decided to grace us with their presence. Luther, ever the concerned giant, hovered in the doorway, a frown creasing his brow. Allison stood beside him, arms crossed, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes. Viktor, ever perceptive, caught my eye and offered a small, knowing smile. Klaus, predictably, chose that moment to drape himself dramatically over Luther's back.

"Well, well, well," Klaus drawled, his voice dripping with mock surprise. "Look at the happy couple, bonding over a game of chance. Almost brings a tear to my eye."

"Shut it, Klaus," I muttered, not bothering to look up from my cards. My hand was surprisingly good, but I wasn't about to give Diego the satisfaction of seeing me excited about it.

"Aw, come on, Five," Allison chimed in, her voice taking on that annoyingly persuasive lilt she usually reserved for unsuspecting civilians. "Don't be like that. We just want to join in on the fun."

"Yeah, Five," Luther added, his deep voice booming through the room. "It's not fair that you get to have all the fun with Diego."

I rolled my eyes. Leave it to my siblings to turn a simple card game into a family affair. I knew they were just jealous that Diego and I were, for once, not at each other's throats. And maybe, just maybe, a small part of me enjoyed the rare sight of my dysfunctional family actually wanting to spend time together.

"Fine," I sighed, placing my cards face down on the bed. "But don't blame me when I clean you all out."

A chorus of agreements, some more enthusiastic than others, filled the room. Klaus, never one to miss an opportunity, materialized a set of poker chips seemingly out of thin air, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Now we're talking," he declared, rubbing his hands together. "Let's make this interesting."