Against the odds . Five Hargreeves fanfic

Chapter twenty eight

The afternoon sun had already begun its descent when I emerged from the bathroom, having finished bandaging Five's arm. He was sitting on the couch in the living room, trying to make himself comfortable, while the others were scattered around, discussing our next steps.

"Alright, let's get back to the plan," Diego said, pulling up a chair and taking out his notes. "We need to figure out how to deal with the three Nyx and how to trap them."

I sat down with the rest, trying to focus despite the nagging worry of the upcoming confrontation. Five, now more subdued after the bandaging, leaned against the wall, his face a mix of irritation and fatigue. I could tell he wasn't thrilled about having to deal with Nyx and his accomplices, and neither was I.

"All right," Klaus started, looking at Five. "What happened to your arm?"

Five shot him a sharp glance. "Evangeline happened. During training."

The room went silent as everyone looked at me. I straightened up, feeling the weight of their gazes. "It was an accident," I said quickly. "I was training alone, and Five came in and distracted me. It was never intentional."

Diego frowned, turning to Five. "Seriously? You couldn't have given her a heads-up or something?"

Five scowled. "It's not her fault. I just walked in, and she didn't expect me."

Klaus shook his head. "Well, if it was an accident, it's no big deal. Let's just focus on how we're going to handle the Nyx situation."

The tension eased as we returned to planning, discussing how to lure the Nyx into a trap and how to utilize the Mace of Mirrors effectively. The discussions were intense but productive, and by the time we were finished, it was time for a break.

"Movie time," Klaus declared, pulling out a DVD. "We need a distraction before we dive back into planning."

We all agreed, and the movie provided a welcome reprieve from the tension of the day. We laughed and joked as we watched, the atmosphere lighter than it had been in hours. Five, though he was still obviously agitated, managed to join in the light-heartedness, his earlier edge softened for the moment.

As the movie ended, the room grew quieter, and we began to prepare for bed. I made my way to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the night, hoping a bit of routine would help me unwind. When I came out, I was already feeling more tired and worn out, though I tried not to let it show.

I found Five standing in front of the bathroom door, his expression unreadable. "Why are you still up?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

He shrugged, avoiding my gaze. "Just couldn't get comfortable. I'll take a quick shower and get ready."

As he headed into the bathroom, I grabbed my pillow and blanket from the bed and spread them out on the floor. It was my usual spot, but tonight, it felt oddly symbolic, as if I was reclaiming a bit of space for myself.

Five emerged from the bathroom wearing a simple shirt and sweatpants, his hair damp from the shower. He looked at the makeshift bed I'd set up on the floor with a mixture of confusion and disappointment.

"Why are you sleeping on the floor?" he asked, his voice tinged with frustration. "You've been in the bed for three nights now. What's changed?"

I didn't look at him directly. "I just need to. It's not a big deal."

He crossed his arms, clearly trying to mask his annoyance. "It's a big deal when you were fine sleeping in the bed before. Why now?"

I snapped, unable to keep my irritation in check. "I just want some space, okay? It's not like it's a permanent arrangement."

Five's eyes flashed with something that looked like hurt but was quickly masked by his usual coldness. "Fine. Whatever. Just don't expect me to be okay with it."

I rolled my eyes and lay down on the floor, pulling the blanket over me. Five climbed into the bed but remained restless, tossing and turning as the minutes ticked by. His movements became increasingly erratic, and I could hear him sighing heavily.

After a while, Five got out of bed again and started pacing. I tried to ignore him, but the constant movement was driving me insane.

"Seriously, what is it now?" I said, sitting up and glaring at him.

"I can't sleep," he snapped back. "I don't know why. It's just... hard."

"Well, I'm trying to sleep here!" I shot back, feeling my frustration mounting. "Can you at least try to be quiet?"

He glared at me, his frustration evident. "I don't know how to fix it, okay? It's not like I'm doing this on purpose."

I rubbed my temples, trying to calm down. "Maybe if you just stayed in bed and tried to relax..."

"I've tried," he retorted. "It's just not working."

After a few more minutes of pacing, he finally climbed back into bed. He still couldn't settle, though, and I could hear him muttering under his breath.

Defeated, I got up from the floor and quietly climbed into the bed next to him. As soon as I was settled, Five's arm found its way around me, pulling me close. He seemed to relax almost immediately, his breathing slowing as he fell asleep.

I lay there, feeling a mix of annoyance and something softer, and whispered, "This is the last time I'm doing this."

He didn't respond, but his grip on me tightened slightly, and soon enough, he was asleep. I stayed awake for a while longer, staring at the ceiling and wondering why it was so hard for both of us to just be honest with ourselves.

As the night wore on, I could feel Five's breathing become steady and even, a stark contrast to his earlier restlessness. I had helped him get to sleep, even if it wasn't the way I'd planned.

Eventually, I drifted off, too, feeling the weight of the day and the chaos of the night. In the dim light of the room, I couldn't shake the feeling that things were more complicated than either of us were willing to admit.