The Sparks Between Us | Five Hargreeves x Reader

TWENTY-THREE

—————༻☂︎︎༺—————
༻ Y/N'S POV ༺

The car rocked slightly as it came to a stop, the tires crunching over the gravel of the Academy's driveway. It was dark now, the outside world blanketed in shadows. But my eyes never wavered, fixed on Five's face, pale and slack as he lay across my lap.

I could feel every beat of his heart through the faint pulse that resonated in my system, a fragile thread that I scanned obsessively, monitoring it every second of the ride. His heartbeat was faint, erratic, but it was there. And I couldn't let it slip away.

Diego threw the car into park and flung his door open, the slam of it breaking through the tense silence. A second later, he was by the back door, pulling it open. Without hesitation, he leaned in and carefully lifted Five out, his arms tense and steady as he cradled his brother's bleeding form.

"Got you, Five. Hold on," Diego muttered, his voice gruff, but the panic was there, barely contained.

I didn't move. My head turned slowly to watch Diego as he carried Five toward the Academy, his figure silhouetted against the floodlights that lined the driveway. My sensors stayed locked on Five, tracking him even as the distance between us grew.

Then Allison was beside me, her hand gentle but firm as she grasped my arm. "Come on, Y/N," she said softly, guiding me out of the car. Her touch wasn't forceful—it didn't have to be. I followed her, my movements slow and mechanical, like I was moving through molasses.

Inside, the Academy doors flew open as Diego kicked them with his foot, shouting into the echoing halls. "Mom!, where are you? His voice reverberated through the space, panic cutting through his usual bravado.

Grace appeared at the top of the staircase, her movements calm and precise, but her expression shifted slightly when she saw Five. "Bring him to the infirmary," she instructed, descending the stairs swiftly as Diego carried him away.

I watched them disappear down the hall, my gaze lingering on the fading shadow of Five's limp form.

"Y/N." Allison's voice drew my attention. She was still holding my arm, her eyes scanning me carefully, her brow furrowed in concern. "Come on, let's get you to the living room."

She guided me gently down the hall, her pace slower than usual, like she was trying not to startle me. We reached the living room, and she eased me down onto the couch, her hands lingering on my shoulders. "Stay here, okay?" she said firmly, crouching slightly to meet my eyes. "I'll be right back."

I didn't respond. I just stared straight ahead, my vision unfocused, my system looping through data about Five. His vitals. His blood loss. The sharp drop in his body temperature. It was all still connected, feeding directly into my system, a constant reminder of what I couldn't stop.

Allison hesitated, her expression softening further. She gave my shoulder a light squeeze before straightening up and walking briskly back toward the hallway. Her boots clicked against the wooden floors as she ran to join Diego and Grace.

I stayed where she left me, unmoving. The room felt too quiet, despite the faint murmur of voices in the distance. My hands rested on my lap, but I could still feel the warmth of Five's blood there, staining the fabric of my clothes.

My mind looped through everything—his shallow breathing, his slowing heart rate, the way his head had lolled on my lap as we drove. For the first time, I felt something beyond the confines of my programming, something deeper than the wires and circuits that made me.

Helplessness.

I was built to protect him. Designed to act, to help, to ensure he survived. But now, because of the command he'd given me, I'd been forced to do nothing. Forced to watch as the one person I was made for slipped away right in front of me.