There's No Time for This- Five Hargreeves x Reader (Number Eight)

S1E2: Run Boy Run

"Survived on scraps, canned food, and cockroaches.Anything I could find." Five chuckled dryly, while Vanya and I continued to listen to his experience. "You know the rumour that Twinkies have an endless shelf life? Well it's total bullshit."

"I can't even imagine." Vanya muttered, shaking her head in denial. I stayed quiet during this ordeal, trying to comprehend that the world was ending in 8 days and no one seemed to have any idea on what to do about it.

"You do what it takes to survive, or you die. So, we adapted. Whatever the world threw at us, we found a way to overcome it."

"By we, who exactly are you referring to?" I questioned.

"You got anything stronger?" Five asked, raising his now empty whiskey glass towards Vanya, completely ignoring my question. She points to the second bottle on the bench, where he goes to pour himself another drink. Looking between my confused expression and Vanya's concerned one, he says: "You both think I'm crazy."

Not that I'll admit it to him, but maybe he is, just a bit. 45 years all alone in a cataclysmic apocalypse has to do something to mess with your head.

"N-no, it's just a lot to take in" Vanya stutters, and I hum in agreement.

"Okay, exactly what don't you understand?" His tone becomes more aggressive as he continues speaking.

"Why didn't you just time travel back?" Vanya asked, obliviously. Now I'm not an expert when it comes to my own spatial jumping, but I do know for a fact that if Five had an earlier opportunity to come back home, he would've undoubtedly taken it. Vanya never had powers, so she just doesn't understand how they work.

Five sighs and scoffs "Gee, I wish I thought of that!" sarcasm dripping in his tone of voice. "Time travel is a crapshoot. I went into the ice and never acorn-ed. You think I didn't try everything to get back to my family?" My stern glare at Five softened, realising he only ever wanted to come back home. He didn't deserve what he had been through. Understanding his inner sadness, I decide to stop interrogating him with questions, though I realise Vanya won't understand to do the same.

"Well, if you grew old in the apocalypse, how come you still look like a kid?" Vanya insisted, not at all understanding the deeper meaning of what Five had said.

"I told you already, I must have gotten the equations wrong." He began, pacing around Vanya's apartment.

"I mean Dad always used to say that time travel could mess with your mind. Maybe that's what's happening? And...." she persisted, but stopped when I nudged her sharply into her ribs.

"This was a mistake, Vanya. You're too young, too naive to understand. Now, you can say what you want about Eight but she's undoubtedly more intelligent than the rest of us combined. At least I know one of you understands me." He nodded his head in affirmation to me, making me blush a bit at the compliment.

"Five, wait. You just got back and I don't want to lose you again, that's all. And Eight, it's been, what, 2 years since I last saw you?"

Lilly's funeral was the last time I had seen all of my 'family', with the exception of Diego, and obviously Five and Ben who were long gone by that point.

"It's late guys, I have lessons early tomorrow morning and we will talk then. But for now, you two should get some rest yourselves? Can you two share the couch? Or if one of you is happy sleeping in the sofa chair that's a bonus..."

Five and I hummed in agreement, wishing Vanya a goodnight and assuring her we will talk tomorrow morning. However, when she shut the door leading into her bedroom, Five gets up off the sofa and nudges me to get off too.