Illicit Affairs

Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Unveiled Truth

Vivian sits on the couch, a cup of tea cradled in her hands. Five watches her from across the room, giving her the space she needs but staying close enough for her know he is there. The night feels heavier than usual, weighted down by the betrayal still fresh in her mind. 

Five looks at Vivian softly before asking her a question. "Do you want to talk about it?" Five asks her softly. Vivian exhales slowly, unsure how to begin. he stares into her tea. her reflection wavering in the dark liquid. 

"I caught them. Diego and Lila. I didn't think" she pauses for a second "I just packed my things and left" Vivian tells Five quietly. Five expression remains neutral. though a hint of frustration flickers behind his eyes 

"You deserve better, Vivian. You always" Five tells her but there is something new in his voice something the Vivian couldn't read so she ignores it for now. Vivian laughs bitterly, shaking her head. 

"The only good relationship I ever had was with Max. He was kind, loving, everything Diego isn't" she pauses, her brow furrowing as if a piece of a puzzle she never noticed is slowly falling into place. "Max had this ridiculous mustache, but he made me laugh. He made me feel like I was someone worth caring about" She pauses. "And then one day, he disappeared. I never understood why. i though maybe I wasn't enough. But you know I couldn't bring myself to be mad at him". 

Five shifts in his seat, his face impassive but his body tense as she speaks. He's clearly listening, but something unsaid hovers between them. "Max meant a lot to you." he says carefully. 

Vivian nods, a sad smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah. He did. I've thought about him a lot over the years, but after tonight, he's all I can think about. Funny, isn't it? That someone like him would just vanish from my life, and now here I am, dealing with another man who couldn't be honest with me." 

Vivian nods, a sad smile tugging at her lips.

The next morning Vivian walks into the kitchen, her footsteps soft against the hardwood floor. The sun is filtering through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. Five is at the stove. making breakfast, as the smell of toast and eggs fills the air. 

Five hears her "Morning. You sleep alright?" he asks her without looking at her. Vivian shrugs and leans against at the counter. "Better than i thought I would, honestly. Thanks for letting me crash here." 

Fives waves her off, focused on flipping the eggs. "You don't have to thank me. You know you're always welcome" 

Vivian's eyes wander the kitchen, and they land on a small stack of papers and old photographs on the counter. One particular polaroid catches her attention. She reaches for it, and her breath hitches as she stares at it. It's her and Max. They're smiling his arm draped casually around her shoulders. The mustache, the same ridiculous mustache she remembers, makes her chuckle softly. 

"Hey Five, where did you get this?" she asks him softly still looking at the picture. Five looks over his shoulder and sees her holding the picture. His face tightens, but he stays calm

Vivian's eyes wander the kitchen, and they land on a small stack of papers and old photographs on the counter. One particular Polaroid catches her attention. She reaches for it, and her breath hitches as she stares at it. It's her and Max. They're smiling, his arm draped casually around her shoulders. The mustache—the same ridiculous mustache she remembers—makes her chuckle softly.

"I found it while sorting through some old things. Funny timing, huh?" Five says trying to ease the tension. Vivian's heart pounds in her chest. She stares at the photo, then at Five, back and forth, something tugging at the back of her mind. 

"But, how do you have this? I though Max had it" she pauses for a minute "How did you get your hands on it" Vivan asks confused. Five turns off the stove, his movements deliberate. He walks over to her, standing silently as she processes her own question. His eyes meet hers, and there's a flicker of something familiar there, a flash of recognition she can't place. Her breath catches, her voice barley above a whisper. 

"Five, Max had this mustache, that's his smile, how do you have this photo?" Vivian asks Five slowly trying to process it all. Five takes the Polaroid from her gently, his fingers brushing against hers as he looks at the image. Then, he lets out a long breath, the weight of years finally lifting. 

"Because I was Max." Five tells her calmly preparing for whatever is next to come. Vivian stares at him, stunned, her mind racing to make sense of what she just hears. She steps back, her heart pounding in her chest, the pieces clicking together in a way she never imagined.

Vivian shakes her head. "No. That's impossible. Max disappeared, he left, he couldn't be you."  Five answers her firmly "I didn't disappear, Vivian, I left to keep you safe. The timeline, my mission, i couldn't stay. I had to walk away, even though it killed me to do it." 

Vivan's mouth falls open, her mind scrambling to reconcile that man that she once loved, no still loves, with the man standing before her now. "You, why didn't you tell me? You just vanished. You let me think I wasn't enough". 

Five's face softens, and for the first time, she sees the regret in his eyes. The man she loves, Max, was standing in front of her all along. "I wanted to tell you, but there are things about me, about what I do, that would have put you in danger. I had to make sure you'd be okay. And i couldn't risk you getting caught up in my life. I thought it was better if you moved on." 

Vivian's knees feel weak, and she stumbles back, sitting down at the kitchen table. Her hands shake as she stares at him, trying to process the revelation. e

"All this time it was you?" Vivian says with a trembling voice at the news of the past lover she had thought had died or vanished was here in front of her. 

Five nods at Vivian guilt from keeping in a secret all these years lacing his voice. "Every time you talked about Max; I thought maybe it was better to keep it hidden. But now I can't keep lying to you." 

Vivian drops her head into her hands, tears filling her eyes as she processes the truth. She thought she had lost Max forever, only to find out that he was Five all along. "You were the one good thing I had, and you left me" Vivian whispers still trying to process the news. 

Five steps closer to Vivian, his voice soft but steady. "I never stopped caring about you, Vivian. I never stopped loving you. I just thought you'd be better off without me." 

Vivian looks up at him, tears falling freely now. "How do we even move forward from this?" 

Five kneels in front of her, his gaze never leaving hers. "We take it one step at a time. Just like I said last night. I'm here for you Vivian. I always have been, even when you didn't know it." 

Vivian wipes her eyes, her heart still heavy with a glimmer of hope, maybe, just maybe, they could start over.