Number Five Imagines

The Perfect Birthday

Five Hargreeves x Fem!reader

Warnings: none

It was a warm afternoon at Five and Y/n's house, the living room festooned with balloons and streamers. Y/n's birthday cake stood proudly on the table, a beautiful creation with intricate frosting, baked by Y/n herself because, as usual, she didn't want to burden anyone. Five had worked tirelessly to pull this day together, ensuring everything was perfect for his wife. But as the hours ticked by, the cracks in the celebration started to show.

The whole family had gathered at Five's insistence, which had been no small feat. As much as they had been through together, getting all the Hargreeves siblings in the same room often felt like trying to contain a tornado in a jar. But for Y/n, Five was determined to make it happen. She deserved it.

Lila and Diego arrived with their three kids in tow, looking tired but managing some smiles for Y/n. However, it wasn't long before Lila started mentioning their need to head home early. "We'll have to leave soon," she said, half-heartedly stirring her drink. "The kids have school tomorrow, and Diego and I are running on fumes."

Five clenched his jaw. He understood, of course, but this was Y/n's birthday—one day for his wife to feel celebrated by the people she had grown to care about.

Across the room, Klaus sat huddled on the couch, looking anxious. Without his powers, he had been jittery, afraid of everything from the weather to his own shadow. "I'll be honest," he said, his voice shaky as he glanced around nervously, "I'm just trying to keep my anxiety at bay. All this... mortality stuff is really getting to me."

Ben sat at the far end of the table, scowling at nothing in particular. He poked at his food, clearly uninterested in engaging with anyone. "Can we get this over with?" he muttered. "I don't even know why I bothered coming. I don't like any of you."

Allison, who had been on her phone for most of the gathering, finally piped up. "I really need to get back to Claire," she said, glancing at the clock. "I promised her I wouldn't be gone too long."

Luther, ever the optimist, was the only one genuinely thrilled to be there. "Come on, guys, it's Y/n's birthday!" he exclaimed, trying to rally some enthusiasm. "Let's at least try to make it a good time."

Y/n, for her part, was putting on a brave face. She moved around the room, smiling, offering food, making sure everyone was comfortable. But Five could see the disappointment in her eyes. She had spent so much time thinking of others, doing everything she could to make his dysfunctional family feel welcome. And what did she get in return? Barely any effort.

As the evening wore on, Viktor stood up, slipping his jacket on quietly. "I need to head back to Canada," he said, his voice soft but firm. "The bar isn't going to run itself."

That was the final straw for Five.

He slammed his drink down on the table, the sudden noise silencing the room. Everyone turned to look at him, surprised by the outburst. Five rarely lost his temper now, but when he did, it was impossible to ignore.

"Are you kidding me?" Five snapped, his voice sharp and filled with barely-contained fury. "You ungrateful assholes."

Y/n's eyes widened, and she instinctively reached out to touch his arm, but Five wasn't done.

"Except Luther," he added quickly, pointing at his taller brother, who looked caught between relief and awkwardness. "At least he's trying. But the rest of you? Seriously? Do you even hear yourselves?"

Diego frowned, stepping forward. "What's your problem, Five? We're here, aren't we?"

"Oh, you're here, alright," Five retorted. "Physically, maybe. But mentally? Emotionally? You couldn't care less. Lila and Diego can't stop talking about leaving, Allison's glued to her phone like she has something better to do, and Klaus is too busy wallowing in his fear of death to even be present."

"I have reasons for that!" Klaus interjected weakly, but Five ignored him.

"And Ben?" Five's voice rose. "Ben can't even pretend to care. He's sitting there like we dragged him here against his will."

Ben crossed his arms, glaring at Five. "I don't need this," he muttered, but even he didn't try to walk away.

Five took a deep breath, trying to rein in his anger but failing miserably. "You know who's done everything for you? Y/n. She's always gone out of her way to help you, to make you feel like part of this family. She's been more of a sibling to you than most of you have been to each other. And now, on her birthday, you can't even pretend to celebrate her?"

The room was dead silent, the tension so thick it was almost suffocating.

"She bakes for you, she listens to your problems, she does everything she can to make this dysfunctional mess of a family feel like home. And what do you give her in return? Excuses. Half-assed effort. This?" Five gestured around the room, his frustration boiling over.

Y/n looked mortified, trying to tug at Five's sleeve, her voice a soft plea. "Five, it's fine—"

"It's not fine, Y/n!" Five cut her off, his voice softer but no less intense. "It's not fine. You deserve so much better than this."

He turned back to his siblings, his green eyes blazing. "You know what? If you can't even give her a few hours of your time to show her how much she means, then you can leave. Go back to whatever it is you think is more important than being here for her."

There was a long pause. Lila and Diego exchanged guilty looks, while Klaus shuffled uncomfortably. Even Ben seemed to shrink a little under Five's fierce gaze. Allison put her phone down, looking at Y/n with something close to shame in her eyes.

"I..." Viktor began, but then he sighed, taking off his jacket. "You're right. I'm sorry, Y/n."

Luther, ever the peacemaker, stepped forward, a warm smile on his face. "Let's start over. We'll stay as long as you want. It's your day, Y/n."

The others slowly nodded in agreement, clearly shaken by Five's outburst. Lila gave Diego a small nudge, and he sighed, nodding. "Yeah, we'll stay. Sorry, Y/n."

Klaus, looking awkward but sincere, added, "I'll, uh... try to be less scared of everything."

Ben grumbled something under his breath but didn't move to leave. Even Allison offered a small smile. "I'll stay. For you, Y/n."

Y/n, who had been standing quietly beside Five, finally spoke. "You really didn't have to do that," she said, looking at her husband with a mix of affection and exasperation. "But thank you."

Five pulled her into a gentle embrace, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You deserve it. You always do."

And for the rest of the evening, the Hargreeves siblings did their best to make up for their earlier behavior. Laughter filled the room, stories were shared, and for the first time in a long while, it felt like a real family gathering. Five kept a protective arm around Y/n, making sure she knew just how much she meant to him.

As the night wound down, Y/n looked around at the scene and smiled. "You know," she said quietly to Five, "it wasn't the perfect birthday... but it's pretty close."

Five smirked, kissing her cheek. "I told you I'd make it happen."

And in that moment, Y/n knew just how lucky she was to have Five, even in the chaos that surrounded their lives.