The Cost of Time- Five Hargreeves x OC story

Season 1, Episode 2: Run Boy Run

17 years ago

"You can borrow it, but bring it back. You already owe me six books," Ben muttered, sprawled out on his bed with a book he'd snagged the last time we snuck out. I was rummaging through his shelves, searching for my next read. True, I owed him about six books, all yet to be returned, but that was partly his fault. Ben was always the dedicated reader, the kind who could stay glued to one spot, flipping through pages until a book was finished. I never understood it—until he found one he thought I'd like. It was an action book, no pictures. Confused and a little bored, I gave it a shot. I ended up loving it. Since then, I'd been combing through his shelves, looking for my next escape. Each new book felt like stepping into another life, with new characters and adventures to live alongside.

"Well, how else am I supposed to re-read them?" I grinned, grabbing a book and flipping it over to read the back cover. After a quick scan, I tucked it into my uniform pocket. "Hey, have you fixed him yet?" I asked, eyeing Ben.

He smirked, setting his book aside. I rolled my eyes as he bent down to retrieve my old brown teddy bear from under his bed. My face lit up—its bow was back on, and its eye had been mended.

"Next time, don't let Klaus into your room while he's drunk," Ben laughed softly, handing me the bear.

I hugged it close. "Tell anyone about this, and I swear you'll never touch another book again, ever." I shot him a serious look.

He just chuckled, settling back down with his book. "Oh no, not in front of Teddy."

"Ben," I said, still holding the bear tightly, and he looked up with a grin.

"Tell anyone about what?" he asked innocently. I smiled, leaving his room and heading back to mine, where I hid the bear behind my pillow and placed the book on my desk.

Everyone knew I'd kept a teddy bear on my bed, but no one realized how much it meant to me. That's why, when we'd helped Klaus sneak back into the house after the third party he had been to that week, I'd let him into my room. He was so drunk he thought it was his. At first, I let him be to avoid alerting Dad, but it ended with my bear missing an eye and its bow in tatters. I didn't know how to sew and couldn't stand seeing it like that, so I asked Ben to fix it and keep it safe until he was done. I trusted him; I knew he wouldn't tell the others.

Just then, I heard the dinner bell. That sound meant one thing—it was time to head downstairs. This was routine. When dinner or any other meal was ready, Mom would ring the bell, and we all knew to gather.

I left my room silently and headed downstairs, joining my siblings as they filed out of their rooms. We each took our usual places at the table, standing behind our chairs, waiting for Father to arrive. Sometimes, it felt like we were all just trained dogs, obediently following routines. What other choice did we have? I stood next to Ben, across from Five, with Vanya seated at our end of the table. The silence was thick, interrupted only by the murmur of the news Father always listened to.

Soon, I heard his footsteps on the stairs. He walked in, pausing behind his chair opposite Vanya's, studying us for a moment. We waited for the signal. "Sit," he commanded. We pulled out our chairs and began eating in silence, letting him listen to the familiar droning voice from his radio.

As I chewed, I glanced over to see Luther and Allison exchanging a look. She had told me once that she liked him, though I'd guessed it long before. I smiled to myself, then glanced across the table. Five was glaring at Reginald. I knew what it was about, and so did Vanya. I saw her glancing worriedly between us.

Before I could stop him, Five drove his knife into the table, the sudden noise making us all jump. His hand hovered over the handle for a second before he released it, leaving the knife standing upright.