RUN BOY RUN- reader x Five Hargreeves

Part Thirty-Three

We slipped into the party, blending seamlessly with the crowd. My heart immediately began to pound. "I don't see Dad," Diego muttered, his eyes darting around the room. My breath quickened as Five gripped my hand. "We're going to search upstairs," he announced, and in an instant, we vanished.Panic surged through my chest as we materialized in a quiet corner. "Are you okay?" Five's concerned voice cut through my rising anxiety. I shrugged, unable to speak as I paced back and forth, my fingers instinctively picking at the dead skin on my hands. My thoughts raced, a whirlwind of fear and uncertainty.Five must have sensed my distress because he gently took my hands in his, halting my nervous fidgeting. I gasped, meeting his steady gaze. "Can we dance?" he asked softly. I nodded, and he pulled me close. As we swayed to the distant music, I rested my head against his chest, finding a moment of calm in the midst of chaos.The sound of his heart beat was nought o make mine go down. I can't image his pain. For him we had just said 'I love you' a single day ago. But for me, it's been a lot longer. I wish I could just go back to the way things were. But I can't. Ace meant a lot to me. He cared for me when I was all alone. I felt Five's finger brush my cheeks. He was wiping the tears I didn't know were falling. "I'm sorry." "Hey don't be I get it," Five spoke softly. He was a very gentle creature when he wanted to be.

"I'm guessing this isn't quite how you imagined our first date?" I teased, adding a subtle swing to our slow dance. Those ballroom lessons were finally paying off. Five's smirk was equal parts amusement and irony. "What, you mean at a lavish ball in the 1960s, where we both look the same age as when we shared our first kiss? A kiss that was over 12 years ago for you, but more than 45 for me? Not to mention the fact that our gracious host would kill you on sight if he knew you were here? No, not at all what I had in mind." I couldn't help but chuckle, my eyes locking with his. Those eyes... I'd missed them more than I realized. I loved Ace, truly, but Five... Five was etched into my soul in a way I couldn't shake."How did we end up here, Y/n/n?" Five mused, his voice softening. "We're supposed to be the smart ones." His laughter, rich and genuine, bubbled up from deep within his chest. It was contagious, and I found myself joining in with a full-bodied laugh of my own. The sound surprised me; I couldn't remember the last time I'd laughed like this. Not since Ace.

The music faded into the background as a booming voice cut through our moment. I tensed, catching Five's sharp glance towards the sound. His fingers intertwined with mine, grip tightening as he guided us towards the commotion. In a blink, we were enveloped in darkness, cramped in a closet at the room's edge. Hearts pounding, we pressed our eyes to the door's cracks, straining to hear the conversation at work. "The president is continuing to make inquiries into Roswell and the other cars sites, Gentleman. And as you know, we cannot allow him to get his nose into our business." A chorus of affirmative grunts followed. The speaker's voice lowered, dripping with conspiracy: "I've confirmed the motorcade will indeed be turning left on Elm Street." My breath caught, a chill running down my spine. Kennedy. They were discussing Kennedy's assassination. Five's eyes widened, mirroring my shock. "We will have our people ready."

A crisp, unmistakably British voice cut in: "Gentlemen, this plan of yours seems ill-timed. Five and I exchanged a knowing glance. As I leaned in for a better look, my elbow caught a hanger. The resulting clatter seemed deafening in the tense silence. I winced, shooting Five an apologetic look.The British voice halted, and a familiar face came into view. "Dad," we whispered in unison, barely audible. Our father hushed the room, his hand closing around a nearby fire poker. As he approached our hiding spot, Five's grip on my hand tightened. We vanished just as the door splintered under Dad's strike. Reappearing in the hallway from before, Five turned to me, urgency etched on his face. Before he could speak, a mountain of a man with shock-white hair appeared, his fist connecting with Five's jaw. Without missing a beat, Five blinked behind the attacker, his foot striking the back of the man's knee with precision.

The world spins as I rip off my heels, every instinct screaming to join the fight. Five's command pierces the air: "Y/n stay back!" I ignore him, hurling myself at the attacker. My bravado shatters as his fist slams into my gut, sending me careening down the stairs. Each impact feels like a sledgehammer, pain exploding through my body. Gasping, I force myself up, bones screaming in protest. Five's in danger. Diego appears, his face a mask of worry. "Hey, you okay? What's happening? And where's Five?" His eyes dart frantically upwards. Through gritted teeth, I manage, "Elsa's twin brother is here and is attacking Five. Care to come and help?" We sprint up the stairs, hearts pounding in unison.The scene above is brutal. Five, our indomitable Five, is being ragdolled around the room, each blow echoing sickeningly. I lock eyes with Diego, ready to dive in, when a flicker of movement catches my eye. "Diego!" My warning comes a heartbeat too late. A second attacker, a mirror image of the first, wraps his belt around Diego's throat with terrifying speed. As I lunge to help, white-hot pain explodes in my back as a kick sends me hurtling into the wall, vision blurring.

Diego's knife whistles past, burying itself in the plaster above me. Ignoring the stabbing agony in my ribs, I wrench it free and charge. With a feral cry, I leap, burying the blade deep between our attacker's shoulder blades. His roar of pain is primal as I drag Five clear. "Why haven't you blinked?" I rasp, tasting blood. Five's reply comes through swollen lips, his indomitable spirit shining through. "Too tired. Why haven't you flipped someone into the ceiling?" "Can't. Haven't been able to for a full year now," I shout as our assailant wrenches the knife free, turning on us with murderous intent, blood streaming down his back. We brace for the killing blow when Lila materializes like an avenging angel. She launches herself at the giant, arms locking around his throat as she screams, "Go!" The world lurches as Five blinks us outside. The crisp night air stings my lungs as my eyes lock onto a ghost from our past. "There," I point, spotting Dad. Five surges forward, desperation in his voice as he shouts the Greek phrase burned into our memories. But Dad remains oblivious, vanishing into his waiting limo. Diego and Lila join us, watching the vehicle disappear into the night. "Was that him?" Diego's voice is thick with disbelief and lost chances. I nod mutely as Five's whispered "Yeah" hangs in the air, heavy with the weight of everything we've lost and everything still at stake.